How long is the best time to boil Chinese medicine?

Everyone should be familiar with traditional Chinese medicine. Many people have drunk it. The taste is not very good, but traditional Chinese medicine is better than Western medicine. Although it is a bit troublesome to boil it, many people still choose traditional Chinese medicine for a healthy body. In fact, the boiling time of different traditional Chinese medicines is also different. There are many types of traditional Chinese medicine. Let me show you how long it is best to boil traditional Chinese medicine.

How long to boil Chinese medicine depends on the properties of each patch of medicine. For example: conditioning and tonic medicines, that is, medicines that nourish the body. Most of these medicines are from the rhizomes and fruits of plants, and crustaceans of animals, such as Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Rehmannia glutinosa, Rosa rugosa, Ligustrum lucidum, tortoise shell, turtle shell, deer antler, oyster and other heavy products. Its characteristics are hardness, thickness, strong nourishing property, and the medicine contains a large amount of nutrients. The purpose of decocting the medicine is to extract some effective ingredients, so it must be decocted for a long time, otherwise this cannot be achieved. Moreover, after adding water to the Chinese medicine, do not boil it immediately. It should be soaked for 20 to 30 minutes to make the medicine moist and soften, and the medium breaks up, so that the effective ingredients can be decocted as much as possible. The time for decocting the medicine is: half an hour to three quarters of an hour after the first juice is boiled, and about half an hour after the second juice is boiled, until the white core is eliminated.

The decocting time should be determined according to the nature and effect of the medicine. For example, tonic medicines are thick, greasy and turbid in nature, and contain a large amount of nutrients that are not easy to be boiled thoroughly, so the boiling time should be longer. The first juice is usually simmered for 40 to 60 minutes after the water boils, and the second juice is simmered for another 30 minutes after the water boils. For example, diaphoretic and antipyretic drugs are dispersing in nature and contain a lot of volatile oils, so they should not be decocted for a long time. After the first water boils, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. After the second water boils, simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. For general treatment, boil the first juice of the medicine for 30 minutes after it is boiled, and boil the second juice for another 20 minutes after it is boiled. The pot should be covered when decocting medicine. However, the first and second juices are generally not less than 400-500 ml (about a small bowl).

When boiling Chinese medicine, you should pay attention to the ratio of medicine to water. Bring it to a boil over high heat and simmer it over low heat. Many hospitals also provide services to help people boil Chinese medicine. Friends who don’t have time can choose this method. Just warm it in hot water before drinking it each time. If you boil it at home, you must understand the characteristics of Chinese medicine and ask your doctor about relevant precautions.