Is it OK to soak Chinese medicine overnight?

Traditional Chinese Medicine is extensive and profound. It treats diseases deeply inside the body, so the treatment process will be relatively long, but the effect is still good. In order to ensure its efficacy, many patients choose to cook it directly at home, but as a result they violate many taboos, which affects the efficacy of the medicine. So, is it okay to soak Chinese medicine overnight? Before cooking Chinese medicine, the medicinal materials need to be soaked for half an hour to an hour, not overnight.

It is best not to boil the medicine after soaking it overnight to prevent it from going bad and being harmful to your health. If the soaking time is too long, some of the efficacy of the medicine may be lost, so don't soak it for too long. Be sure to take the medicine according to your doctor's advice. The soaking time and decoction time of different Chinese medicines are also different.

Precautions to be aware of when decocting Chinese medicine

Decocting Chinese medicine is not as simple as these. There are many things to pay attention to, and if you are not careful it will affect the efficacy. When cooking Chinese medicine, a clay pot is generally used, which can ensure the efficacy of the medicine. The clay pot also dissipates heat slowly and keeps warm, so the water is not easy to evaporate and react with the medicine. Do not use iron or copper pots to cook Chinese medicine, otherwise it will affect the efficacy.

The Chinese medicines in the hospital are all packaged and do not need to be washed. If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder, you must wash it. Just put the herbs in clean water and wash them quickly. Do not soak them in water. If the medicine is in small particles, such as Cassia seed, you must be careful when cleaning it to make sure it is not washed away.

The water added when boiling Chinese medicine must be able to submerge the surface of the medicine by 2 to 3 centimeters. It should also be noted that some Chinese medicines absorb a lot of water, especially Chinese herbal medicines. After soaking them in clean water for half an hour, the water will decrease. You can add a little and then start boiling.

When boiling Chinese medicine, it should be boiled over high heat first, and then simmered over low heat. However, if the decoction is used to treat external infections, it should be boiled and then simmered over high heat for 15 minutes. A dose of Chinese medicine needs to be boiled twice, mixed together and divided into two portions, which can then be taken in two doses.

Finally, I want to remind everyone that many people open the lid of the pot when decocting Chinese medicine for fear of overflowing. This is incorrect. The pot should be covered when boiling Chinese medicine to prevent the volatilization of the medicinal effects, especially for Chinese medicines for diaphoresis, such as mint, patchouli, perilla, etc. If the lid is opened during cooking, the medicinal effects will dissipate with the water vapor and the efficacy will be greatly reduced.