How to decoct Chinese herbal medicine ginseng

I believe everyone has heard of the traditional Chinese medicine ginseng. Ginseng is a very good tonic effect on the human body. In people's daily lives, many people buy ginseng to make wine. It can relieve human fatigue, resist aging, improve resistance and so on. When decocting ginseng, you need to be a little more flexible so that the medicinal effect of ginseng can be better exerted and the loss of nutrients can be avoided. Here is how to decoct the traditional Chinese medicine ginseng.

Ginseng decoction method:

Slice the ginseng, soak it in 200-400 ml of cold water for about 1 hour, put it into a casserole, cover it, boil it, and then simmer it over low heat for about 1 hour. Boil it into about 100 ml. Take 3/4 of the juice, leave 1/4 of the juice, add water and boil it for two or three juices. The amount of water added and the simmering time can be reduced appropriately. Can be taken 2 to 3 times a day. People without stomach problems can take it warm on an empty stomach, while people with chronic stomach problems can take it warm after meals. After 2 or 3 days, the medicine juice will gradually become lighter and the residue can be chewed and swallowed. During the cooking process, do not open the lid frequently.

Decoction in water: Both raw sun-dried ginseng slices and red ginseng should be decocted in water. Wild ginseng can be decocted in water, steamed, or ground into powder and swallowed. Decoction or steaming is preferred. The active ingredients of ginseng can be dissolved in water, especially in boiling water, and can also be dissolved in high-concentration liquor.

Precautions for decocting Chinese medicine:

1. Decoction according to the medicinal properties of Chinese medicine

Shellfish, minerals, bones, etc. should be fried first. Shells include oyster powder, clam powder, etc.; minerals include gypsum powder, dragon bones, etc.; bones include turtle shell, tortoise shell, etc. This type of medicine should be decocted for ten minutes before adding other medicines. Some prescriptions require that Chinese medicine be decocted later. "Post-decocting" means decocting the medicine for ten minutes before putting it into the medicine pot, because some Chinese medicines, such as Uncaria rhynchophylla, are ineffective if decocted for too long. The efficacy of some aromatic and flavored medicines, such as honeysuckle, forsythia, mint, etc., will be reduced if they are decocted for a long time. There are also some medicines whose toxicity can be reduced by long-term decoction, such as Strychnos nux vomica. It is best to soak the medicinal materials in warm water for forty minutes before decocting, so that the Chinese medicine can be soaked thoroughly so that more effective ingredients of the medicine can be decocted out.

2. Boil the medicine with boiled water

Nowadays, people often boil medicine directly with tap water. In fact, it is best to let the boiled water cool down before using it, because the tap water in some places is mostly disinfected with chlorine, which has more or less residues. At the same time, the tap water contains more calcium and magnesium ions, which can easily react with the compounds in the medicinal materials and affect the efficacy.

3. There are some rules for using fire and pot

Some medicines need to be boiled for a long time over low heat, while others need to be boiled over high heat for a short time. Long-term simmering with low heat refers to tonic medicine, while high heat for short time refers to laxatives and cold medicines. It is best to use a casserole for decocting medicine. The casserole is heated evenly, and when the medicine boils, its rolling is like waves with impact force. Then use chopsticks to stir it constantly, like a washing machine washing away dirt from clothes. In this way, all the effective ingredients in the medicine can be decocted out. When decocting medicine in a pressure cooker, there will be no impact and stirring effects, and the composition of the medicine will be affected.

4. Pay attention when opening and closing the lid

If some volatile medicinal materials are boiled openly, the active ingredients will be released into the air along with the water vapor, and the efficacy will be greatly reduced. Generally, they are pungent and dispersing drugs or aromatic and dehumidifying drugs, such as mint, perilla leaves, patchouli, etc., and the decoction time should not be too long. For example, some tonic medicines such as ginseng, deer antler, American ginseng, etc. need to be simmered slowly over low heat in a container for a long time to fully boil out their effective ingredients. The lid should also be covered to prevent the medicinal ingredients from being lost with the water vapor during the slow simmering.

Some light-weight and large-volume medicinal materials, such as Centella asiatica and Senna leaves, will easily overflow when the container is covered with a lid if the container is not large enough. In addition, some medicinal materials that are difficult to dissolve need to be stirred frequently during decocting. It is best not to cook such medicines with the lid on. Of course, it is best to stir in one direction so that the medicinal materials can be heated evenly and the effective ingredients can be completely dissolved. Generally, turn it over once every 10 minutes.