Is it okay to boil Chinese medicine overnight?

Many people usually seek treatment in a timely manner after a disease problem occurs. According to the changes in the human body's condition, there should be a large number of people who choose traditional Chinese medicine to treat diseases. Because medical technology is advanced nowadays, many diseases can be treated with traditional Chinese medicine with good results. However, there is a certain method for boiling Chinese medicine. Is it okay to boil it by soaking it overnight?

1. Soak the Chinese medicine before decocting it

When a doctor prescribes medicine, you must first know which medicines need to be decocted first or later according to the doctor's instructions. Then soak the medicines in warm water for about 40 minutes before decocting them. The purpose of soaking in warm water is to allow the Chinese medicine to be soaked thoroughly so that more effective ingredients of the medicine can be decocted out. I want to know whether there are Chinese medicines in the prescription that need to be decocted first or later? For example, shellfish, minerals, bones and shells should be decocted 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 are ineffective if decocted for too long, such as Uncaria rhynchophylla. The efficacy of some aromatic and flavored medicines will be reduced if they are decocted for a long time, such as honeysuckle, forsythia, mint, etc. There are also some medicines whose toxicity can be reduced by long-term decoction, such as Strychnos nux vomica.

2. Utensils for decocting Chinese medicine

It is best to use clay pots, pottery, and earthenware jars to decoct Chinese medicine because they have uniform heat conduction, moderate heat, strong heat preservation around the pot, less water evaporation, are not prone to chemical changes, and are inexpensive. You can also use enamelware, aluminum pots, stainless steel pots, iron pots, copper pots, etc. to boil the medicine. Water for decocting medicine: The water for decocting medicine should be clean as the principle. Tap water, well water, purified water and distilled water are all acceptable. There are many ways to calculate the amount of water used, but the most commonly used one is visual inspection. When decocting the medicine, observe whether the amount of water added exceeds the surface of the medicine by 2-3 cm. Another method is to roughly estimate the water requirement by adding 10 ml of water per gram of medicinal material.

3. Methods of decocting Chinese medicine

The general decoction method is to first place the medicine in a container, add cold water and soak it for 20-30 minutes, then cover it and put it on the fire to heat and decoct. First boil it with high heat, then boil it with low heat. During the decoction process, pay attention to moderate stirring to avoid sticking to the pot, which can also increase the decoction rate of the active ingredients of the medicine. However, it is not advisable to open the lid too frequently to minimize the loss of volatile components. After simmering for 10-15 minutes, filter out the first medicinal liquid; then add an appropriate amount of hot water, boil as above, and get the second medicinal liquid. Mix the two liquid medicines evenly and take according to the doctor's advice.

Precautions for decocting Chinese medicine

Casserole, enamelware or stainless steel are suitable containers for decocting medicine. Iron containers are strictly prohibited. Chinese medicine should be soaked in cold water for about 20 minutes before decocting. The amount of water used for decocting medicine is generally enough to soak the medicine surface 1-3 cm. For large doses of medicines or medicines that are loose and easily absorb water, the amount of water can be increased appropriately.

The decocting time should be determined according to the medicinal properties, generally 30 minutes. Antipyretic drugs, heat-clearing drugs, and aromatic drugs should not be decocted for a long time. They should be decocted for 15-20 minutes after boiling. The tonic medicine is first boiled over high heat, then simmered over low heat for 40-60 minutes. Stir the medicine 2-3 times when decocting it. Each dose of Chinese medicine is generally decocted twice, and the second decocting time can be slightly shorter. Decoction amount: 50-100 ml per dose for children. Adults: 150-200 ml per dose. Decoction method of special medicines: 1. "Decoction first": Boil for 10-15 minutes, then add other medicines and decoct together. 2. "Add medicine later": When the general medicine is about to be decocted to the predetermined amount, add it and simmer for 5 minutes. 3. "Dissolved medicine": other medicines should be decocted to the intended dosage, then the medicine juice should be boiled over low heat, stirring constantly to dissolve. 4. “Take medicine with water”: Mix the medicine with decocted medicine juice or boiled water and take it with water. 5. Other special medicines should be decocted according to the doctor's instructions.

Common knowledge about decocting Chinese medicine

Precious Chinese medicines that are not suitable for decocting. The main ingredients of such medicines are saponins, proteins, fats, hormones, etc. Since the chemical structure of saponins themselves is relatively complex and proteins are unstable, complex chemical changes will occur once decocted, which will affect their efficacy. Therefore, to preserve its effective ingredients, the correct approach is to grind it into powder and take it with water. This type of medicine includes Panax notoginseng, deer antler, placenta, gecko, Cordyceps sinensis, etc.

Aromatic Chinese medicines should not be decocted. These medicines contain active ingredients that are extremely volatile at room temperature and cannot be decocted at all, otherwise the efficacy will be almost completely lost. Therefore, they are not suitable for decocting and are better for making pills or powders or for external use. This type of medicine includes musk, borneol, camphor, styrax, benzoin, etc.