Taste of Chinese Herbs  服中药怎样不苦口？
　

by: Joe Hing kwok Chu                 按此看中文

Taste is acquired or developed, as evidenced that taste varies from culture to culture. For example, in some Asian cultures, bitter melons, used as  vegetables, are delicacies. In Western cultures, aromatic bitters are sometimes added to whiskeys.

Some herbs taste bitter. However, adding sugar to herb formulae can sometimes compromise the effectiveness of the formulae. Oftentimes adding sugar can create harmful or opposite effects, as in the formulae for diarrhea treatment or in yeast infection treatment.

The bitter taste of herbs can be lessened by adjusting the temperature of the herb decoction before using it.

Taste buds are most efficient when the temperature of the food is the about the same as that of the body.  The temperature of the mouths is usually between 36.2 ^oC to 37.4 ^oC.  The taste sensation is less when the temperature of the food is either under 36.2 ^oC or over 37.4 ^oC. When the temperature of the decoction is maintain between 20 to 30 ^oC the bitterness will be much less.

Note: If the formulae call for "drinking while warm" for the purposes of sweating, the temperature of the decoction can be over 38 ^oC but make sure it is taken carefully to prevent scalding.

Reference: Chang Yi Yong, People Hospital, Huai Yang District, Zhou Kou City, Henan Province, China

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服中藥怎樣不苦口？

河南省周口市淮陽縣人民醫院 常怡勇
　　
　　常言說良藥苦口，尤其是針對中藥湯劑而言。很多人在口服中藥時為減輕 苦感，都有在湯藥中加糖的習慣，這樣雖然可以減輕苦感，卻會嚴重影響藥效。
　　其實，隻要控制好服湯藥的溫度，就可以達到減輕苦感的目的。這是因為 人在飲食時，之所以能感覺五味，全靠味覺器官，即分布在舌面上的味覺神經纖維。人口腔內的溫度一般平衡在36.2℃∼37.4℃之間，在這種狀況下，人的味覺神經最靈敏，此時，如果所服中藥的溫度與口腔溫度一致，則湯藥的苦味也就呈最明顯狀態；相反，如果湯藥溫度在37.4℃以上或36.2℃以下口服，則苦味就會大減。但由於藥汁溫度在38℃以上時，容易燙口，不宜大口飲服，故服湯藥時，最好待藥液溫度降至36℃以下時服用為最佳。因此，服用中藥時，如果將藥溫控制在20℃∼30℃之間，此時飲服湯藥苦味也就會最輕。
　　（河南省周口市淮陽縣人民醫院 常怡勇）

《健康時報》〔20030320　№n〕
　

编者按：如在治白带或在治腹瀉藥中加糖，會得相反效果。因為糖會增加體液進入大腸致腹瀉加重；糖能增加致白带的念珠球菌的繁殖而使白帶加重。