How long before meals should I take Chinese medicine?

Although most people take medicine to treat their illnesses nowadays, there are still many people who need to take Chinese medicine. You need to pay attention to the time when taking Chinese medicine. So, is it better to take Chinese medicine before or after meals? What should you pay attention to when taking Chinese medicine? Let's take a look with the editor below.

Is it better to take Chinese herbal medicine before or after meals?

Before meal

Generally speaking, it is best to take Chinese medicine thirty to sixty minutes before meals. If the main symptom is below, the medicine should be taken before meals so that the effect of the medicine can be easily exerted, such as kidney deficiency and other symptoms.

Because, when the stomach is empty, the medicine can directly contact the digestive mucosa, pass through the stomach into the intestines faster, and then be more digested and fully exerted, without being diluted by the food in the stomach and affecting the efficacy of the medicine.

Take after meal

Generally, take the medicine 15 to 30 minutes after a meal. If the main symptom is on the upper part, the medicine should be taken after meals. If you are treating symptoms above the heart and lungs, chest, or stomach, you should take the medicine after meals to increase its efficacy. Drugs that are irritating to the stomach and intestines can be taken after meals to reduce the harm to the gastrointestinal mucosa.

Eat on an empty stomach

It means taking medicine before meals in the morning. Some decoctions with nourishing and health-preserving effects are suitable for taking on an empty stomach in the morning, which can be better digested and absorbed. Medicines for treating limb blood vessel diseases are also suitable for taking on an empty stomach, so that they can enter the intestines quickly and take full effect more quickly. The same is true for some decoctions that have laxative effects.

Before going to bed

It is usually taken 15 to 30 minutes before going to bed. Medicines that nourish the lungs and stomach, soothe the mind, and calm and aid sleep can be taken at this time. In addition, some medicines such as sleeping pills, dog anthelmintics and allergy medicines should generally be taken thirty minutes before going to bed at night.

What should you pay attention to when taking Chinese medicine

Avoid foods that may affect the full effect of medicines

For example, cold foods, strong tea, spicy foods, high-calorie foods, radishes, and fishy ingredients. Some of these foods will reduce the efficacy of medicine, some will reduce digestion and absorption, and some will even cause harmful effects. Therefore, when taking Chinese herbal medicine, you must follow the doctor's instructions and do a good job of avoiding certain foods.

It is not suitable to take Chinese herbal medicine excessively or for a long time in pursuit of perfect and quick effects.

For example, Cassia seed tea has the effect of lowering blood lipids, but long-term use of Cassia seed tea may cause diarrhea. Long-term consumption of wheat straw, which nourishes the spleen, replenishes qi and blood and clears away heat and reduces internal heat, can cause high blood pressure. The folk proverb "All medicines are poisonous to some extent" is based on this truth.

People with special physical conditions should be cautious when taking Chinese herbal medicines

For example, people with weak spleen and stomach may experience gastrointestinal discomfort and intestinal rumbling after taking Chinese medicinal materials containing wild chrysanthemum. It is best to first consult a Chinese medicine practitioner or do a self-examination to understand your own physical condition. If you have a relatively typical physical condition, you should know the corresponding taboos before taking the medicine.

Pregnant women should be cautious when taking Chinese herbal medicines

Many drugs may cause fetal malformations, so many pregnant women prefer Chinese herbal medicine. However, some Chinese herbal prescriptions also have toxic side effects. Pregnant women should pay more attention and be cautious about taking medicines such as those that clear heat and detoxify, dispel wind, remove dampness, promote digestion and absorption, and laxatives.

Common problems in the whole process of decocting Chinese medicinal materials

Most modern families use frying pans, stainless steel pots or non-stick pans. It is best not to use them to cook food, but to choose clay frying pots or stone pots. Because decocting Chinese medicine is a long process, the use of metals can easily cause some drug ingredients and equipment to react, resulting in or releasing excessive amounts of heavy metals that are harmful to the human body.

Avoid taking Chinese herbal medicine overnight

Our main way of eating is to boil water and make a decoction for oral administration. Chinese herbal medicine decoctions contain a variety of ingredients, including protein, glycogen, vitamins and other ingredients such as volatile oils and carbohydrates.

After staying overnight, not only will the efficacy of the medicine be reduced, but it may also cause bacteria to multiply and cause the medicine to become rancid and moldy. Therefore, when drinking Chinese medicine, you should be careful to decoct it on the same day and take it on the same day. Do not take Chinese medicine decoctions that are left overnight.

Use folk Chinese herbal medicines with caution

In Chinese folk customs, many people like to believe in so-called magical key remedies to treat some complicated symptoms. These folk remedies are widely circulated, and many of them are not recorded in the medical pharmacopoeia. Some may be effective, but not all folk remedies are correct. When faced with important folk remedies, you should consult a reliable doctor to understand the effects of the relevant medicines and combinations before deciding whether to use them.

Summary: According to the introduction in the previous article, I believe everyone has a better understanding of whether it is better to take Chinese medicine before or after meals. In addition, the original article also introduces the common problems of drinking Chinese medicine in detail. These are for your reference only. When taking Chinese medicine, please be careful to follow the doctor's advice.