Can I add sugar to Chinese medicine if it is too bitter?

Many people dislike the taste of traditional Chinese medicine because it is too bad and too bitter, so many people think that adding a little sugar should be okay. In fact, you cannot add sugar casually to traditional Chinese medicine. You should know that honey, sugar and the like can also be one of the ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine. If you add these rashly, it is very likely that the medicinal properties of the traditional Chinese medicine will change, and its medicinal properties will not be able to be exerted after drinking it. Therefore, adding sugar to traditional Chinese medicine cannot be done casually. If you think the taste is bad, you can also ask a doctor. If the doctor says it is okay, it will not affect it.

When decocting Chinese medicine for their children, many mothers are afraid that the taste is too bitter and the children will make a fuss and refuse to drink it, so they put a lot of sugar in the decoction. In fact, Chinese medicine is not "sweet". Experts point out that there are certain taboos in eating sucrose. People with thick and greasy tongue coating, or abdominal bloating, fullness, dampness and heat should not eat sucrose. If you add sugar when taking traditional Chinese medicine for removing dampness and regulating qi, it will make the disease worse. Some cold Chinese medicines are not suitable for adding sugar. Sugar is warm in nature and will reduce the efficacy of the medicine.

In fact, there is another way to make Chinese medicine less bitter. Experts say that the bitterness of Chinese medicine can be easily reduced by controlling the temperature of the decoction when it is taken orally. Studies have shown that the bitterness of decoctions will be reduced if they are taken orally at a temperature of around 36.2°C. Therefore, when we take decoctions, it is best to put the boiled Chinese medicine aside and let it sit for a few minutes, and drink it when the temperature of the medicine drops to warm and not hot before drinking, because the bitterness is the lightest at this time and it is easier to swallow.

In addition, experts say that special utensils should be used to decoct Chinese medicine, and it is best to use clay pots or sand pots, because their chemical properties are stable, they are not easy to react chemically with the ingredients in the medicine, and they are heated evenly and have good heat preservation properties. Avoid using utensils such as aluminum, iron, and copper.

Another way is to find ways to make the taste better, such as controlling the temperature of the soup, which is one of the ways that can help make the soup no longer so unpalatable. For example, if the temperature of Chinese medicine is controlled at 36.2, the bitterness of the medicine will be reduced and you can drink it at this time.