Can I eat watermelon while taking Chinese medicine?

Watermelon is a fruit that is more common in summer. There are many classifications of Chinese medicine, which are mainly used to regulate the body. There are also many taboos when taking Chinese medicine. Many times, two foods seem to have no connection, but they are actually mutually exclusive. Strictly speaking, do not eat watermelon immediately after taking Chinese medicine to avoid reducing the medicinal properties.

1. Watermelon is cold in nature, so it is not good to take things with warm nature. Generally, it is best not to eat within 30 minutes before or after taking medicine, as this will affect the metabolism of the medicine in the body. If you are taking tonic Chinese medicine, then it is recommended that you do not eat watermelon, because it will conflict with the medicinal properties. Also be careful not to eat white radish. However, you can eat Chinese medicine for clearing away heat and detoxifying.

2. Do not eat raw or cold food: This type of food is mostly cold in nature, and its main function is to clear away heat and quench thirst, so it is suitable for heat syndrome diseases. However, it can easily affect gastrointestinal function, so it should be avoided by people with weak and cold constitution and patients with gastrointestinal diseases. For example, white radish is cold in nature and has the effects of digesting food, resolving phlegm, and regulating qi. If patients with weak constitutions or gastrointestinal diseases eat it, it will add to the cold and make their gastrointestinal function worse. In addition, when taking ginseng and other tonic medicines at the same time, due to their incompatible properties, the effectiveness of the tonic medicines can be reduced or eliminated, so radish and ginseng should not be taken together.

3. Do not eat greasy foods: These foods include animal fats and hard foods that are fried or deep-fried. Greasy food can damage the spleen and stomach, so it should be avoided by those suffering from external diseases, jaundice, and diarrhea. Fried foods are hard, hot and difficult to digest. People with gastrointestinal diseases or those suffering from "internal heat" should avoid eating them.

4. Do not eat sour and astringent foods: Too much acid will irritate the stomach and intestines, so patients with excessive stomach acid and gastrointestinal ulcers should avoid eating it. Those that are astringent mostly contain tannins. For example, tea contains tannins, and the content of strong tea is even higher. When taken together with Chinese herbal medicine, it can combine with certain proteins, alkalis, and heavy metal salts in the herbal medicine to produce precipitation, which will affect the absorption of the active ingredients of the medicine, and also affect the absorption of nutrients such as protein. Therefore, when taking Chinese herbal medicine, it is generally not advisable to take it with strong tea.