Is it okay to boil Chinese medicine all at once?

Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the ways people choose to treat many chronic diseases or sub-health conditions. Although it requires a certain course of treatment, it is effective and relatively gentle on the body without too many side effects. However, the more troublesome thing about taking traditional Chinese medicine is that it has to be boiled multiple times. To save trouble, some people boil the medicine all at once and keep it in the refrigerator to drink slowly, but is it okay to boil Chinese medicine all at once? This method is also acceptable, just don’t store it for more than seven days.

How much Chinese medicine should be taken at one time to be effective

The amount of water used at the beginning of decoction is generally enough to soak the medicine surface 2-5 cm. For flower or herb medicines or those that take a long time to decoct, water should be added as appropriate. Each dose of medicine is usually decocted twice, and the two decoctions are mixed and then packaged. The decoction time should be determined according to the functions and indications of the prescription and the efficacy of the medicine.

Generally, medicines should be boiled and then decocted for 20-30 minutes. Antipyretic, heat-clearing and aromatic medicines should not be decocted for a long time and should be decocted for another 15-20 minutes after boiling. Tonic medicines should be boiled with high heat first and then simmered with low heat for about 40-60 minutes.

The boiling time for the second decoction of the medicine should be slightly shorter than that for the first decoction. Stir the medicine 2-3 times during the decocting process. The tool for stirring the medicine should be a stick made of ceramic, stainless steel, copper and other materials. After stirring one ingredient, it should be cleaned before stirring the next one.

The amount of decoction should be determined separately for children and adults. Each dose for children is generally decocted to 100-300 ml, and each dose for adults is generally decocted to 400-600 ml. Each dose is usually divided into two equal portions (250 ml is appropriate for each drink of Chinese medicine or as directed by a doctor).

When to take Chinese medicine: between meals

"Tangye Bencao" points out: "Medicinal Qi and food Qi do not want to meet each other. Take medicine when the food Qi is eliminated, and eat food when the medicinal Qi is eliminated." From this record, it can be seen that medicine and food should not be taken at the same time, and there must be a period of time between the two.

"Therefore, for chronic diseases, medicines must be taken on time. Generally, Chinese medicine prescriptions are taken between meals, that is, once between 9 and 10 in the morning, or between 3 and 4 in the afternoon. If it needs to be taken three times, one more dose can be taken before going to bed. However, for acute and serious diseases, there is no limit on time or frequency. The medicine should be taken as soon as possible or frequently according to the doctor's instructions. Some can even be taken once every 1 to 2 hours, or once every 4 hours or so, and not stopped at night, so that the effect of the medicine can continue, which is conducive to faster relief of symptoms and alleviation of the condition." The Chinese medicine expert explained.

In addition, when taking Chinese medicine, it is important to pay attention to the synchronization and coordination of the effects of the medicine with the body's rhythm. That is, yang medicines are used when yang is growing, yin medicines are used when yin is dominant, and so on. For example, ginger, which raises yang, should be taken in the morning, but the whole dose of Chinese medicine should be considered.

Different types of Chinese herbal decoctions have different times of taking. Generally speaking, for liver, kidney, and intestinal diseases, medicines should be taken before meals; for dizziness and throat diseases, medicines should be taken after meals; laxatives, tonics, and anthelmintics should be taken on an empty stomach; sedatives should be taken before bedtime. These are general requirements for medication time based on different conditions and the characteristics of the drug's effects.