Can Chinese medicine be boiled overnight?

Before decocting, Chinese medicinal materials must be fully soaked. The main purpose is to make the medicine sufficiently moist, activate the ingredients, remove the residue in the medicine, and make its ingredients boiled to the greatest extent, thus ensuring the efficacy of the medicine. So can Chinese medicinal materials be boiled again overnight?

It is not recommended to fry it multiple times.

It’s best to cook it all at once. Some Chinese medicinal materials contain volatile substances. After being left overnight, the medicinal properties may evaporate and they will no longer be effective. Introduce the appropriate method of boiling medicine in detail. I look forward to helping you.

Decoction of Chinese herbal medicines

1. Stone pots, porcelain containers, and stainless steel plates are recommended for decocting Chinese medicine. Copper utensils are prohibited.

2. Chinese medicinal materials should be soaked in cold water for about 20 minutes before decocting. The amount of water needed to decoct Chinese medicine is generally enough to cover 1-3 cm of the medicine surface. The water requirement can be appropriately increased for medicines that are used in large quantities or are loose and hygroscopic.

3. The decocting time of Chinese medicine should be determined according to its efficacy, generally 30 minutes. Antipyretic, heat-clearing, and aromatic drugs are not suitable for long-term decoction. They should be decocted for 15-20 minutes after boiling. Bring the tonic medicine to a boil over low heat, then simmer over low heat for 40-60 minutes. When decocting Chinese medicine, stir the fragrant family 2-3 times. Each dose of Chinese medicinal materials is generally decocted twice, and the second decocting time can be slightly shorter.

4. Dosage for decoction: 50-100mL per dose for children and adolescents. For adults, take 150-200 mL per dose.

5. Methods of decocting unique medicines:

1. “Decoction the Chinese medicine first”: Boil for 10-15 minutes, then add other medicines and decoct together.

2. "Post-stun": When the general medicine is about to be decocted to the predetermined amount, it can be decocted for 5 minutes.

3. "Melted medicine": It should be decocted with other medicines until the predetermined dosage is reached. Take the medicine juice, decoct it on low heat, and continue to stir and dissolve it.

4. “Take medicine with water”: Add the medicine into decocted medicine juice or boiling water and take it.

5. Other special medicines should be decocted according to the doctor's instructions.

How to consume Chinese herbal medicine:

1. Decoction one dose per day, decoct two juices for each dose, take one juice each in the morning and evening, usually after meals.

2. Pills are generally taken twice a day. It is best to dissolve the medicine before taking it, which is conducive to digestion and absorption and improves efficacy.

Undecocted Chinese medicine must be properly stored to avoid moisture and mildew.

Chinese medicinal materials are generally soaked for 1 to 2 hours before boiling for the best effect, but the length of soaking time must also be considered comprehensively based on various factors such as the season and the materials of the medicine. The soaking time can be relatively shorter in summer and relatively longer in winter.

There are also some medicines that have special requirements. The doctor will give professional instructions and you just need to follow the regulations.

Under normal circumstances, it is not necessary to soak for such a long time. For some medicines, soaking for a long time will affect the drug ingredients. Also, if the season is not right, soaking overnight may cause the medicine to mold.