On a quiet afternoon, Aunt Li sat in her cozy living room, holding a pair of freshly boiled Chinese medicine in her hands. The sun shines through the window on her face, which has survived the vicissitudes of time but is still full of vitality. As a retired secondary school teacher, she has always had a unique love for traditional culture, especially a deep affection for traditional Chinese medicine. But today, her brow furrowed slightly, looking a little hesitant and uneasy.
Aunt Li suffers from chronic arthritis and has been using traditional Chinese medicine for many years. She is convinced of the efficacy of Chinese medicine, but this does not alleviate a long-standing problem – the bitter taste of Chinese medicine. Whenever she mentioned the dark brown potion, the pungent bitterness always made her hesitate. She had tried it many times, but she never got used to the taste.
"Perhaps, I should try the advice of my old neighbor. "Aunt Li thought of the advice that her neighbor gave her a few days ago – to add a few jujubes and a little sugar to the Chinese medicine as a way to mask the bitterness. It sounded simple and practical, and it seemed to be an easy solution to her years of trouble. But as a person who has long adhered to the concept of traditional Chinese medicine, she can't help but wonder, is it really appropriate to do this?
Just as Aunt Li was about to try this method, she remembered her attitude towards health for many years – cautious and scientific. She decided to take a look at the pros and cons of this seemingly simple solution. She believes that knowing what to do right is more important than being comfortable in the moment. So, she put down the sugar and jujube in her hand and decided to do some research first.
In the beginning, she chose the most straightforward method: adding dates and a small amount of sugar to the decoction. This traditional practice seems to be popular in her circle of friends. However, she soon discovered that this was not a long-term solution. Although the added sugar masked the bitter taste in the short term, after taking it for a long time, she felt that the effect seemed to be weakened. This aroused Aunt Li's curiosity: did these additives really affect the medicinal properties of traditional Chinese medicine?
To solve this mystery, Aunt Li consulted several TCM experts. The experts' answer surprised her: the complex composition of Chinese medicine meant that any additive could react with the original herb and alter its efficacy. Sweeteners, like sugar, in particular, may interfere with the normal absorption and metabolism of medications. As for jujube, although it has a harmonizing effect in traditional Chinese medicine, not all herbs are suitable for pairing. These findings made Auntie Li realize that the treatment of traditional Chinese medicine should not be based on experience and traditional practices alone, but should be based on scientific and professional guidance.
Aunt Li first adopted the advice of TCM experts and began to gradually reduce the amount of jujube and sugar added to the decoction. Experts explain that while these additives can alleviate the bitter taste, too much sweetness can affect the efficacy of the Chinese medicine. The bitter taste of traditional Chinese medicine is actually an important part of the efficacy of the medicine. She learned that the correct way to do this is to add the ingredients in moderation after decoction to maintain the original efficacy of the medicine.
Aunt Li began to change her drinking habits. She learned that drinking Chinese medicine slowly in small sips can reduce the impact of bitterness. In addition, she also tries to drink a small sip of warm water before and after taking the medicine to relieve the bitterness in her mouth. These simple changes have made it easier for her to accept the bitterness of Chinese medicine rather than relying entirely on sweetness to mask it.
Aunt Li also tried several scientific methods to relieve suffering. For example, she adds herbs that do not react with the ingredients of the medicine, such as licorice, to naturally reduce the bitterness. This method not only reduces the bitter taste, but also does not affect the effect of the drug.
Another method is to chew a small amount of dried nuts, such as almonds or walnuts, before and after taking the medicine, which helps to disperse the bitterness in your mouth. Aunt Li found this method to be both effective and healthy.
Aunt Li gradually got used to the bitter taste of Chinese medicine and began to feel the positive health effects of taking Chinese medicine. She has noticed a noticeable improvement in some of her chronic symptoms and an improvement in her overall health. This strengthened her conviction that it is very important to treat and use Chinese medicine correctly.