Chinese medicine granules vs Chinese medicine tablets

The Origin of Chinese Medicine Granules

Chinese medicine granules, called scientific concentrated Chinese medicine (or simply scientific Chinese medicine/Ke Zhong) in Taiwan and Chinese medicine granules without decoction in mainland China, are made by boiling, extracting, filtering, and concentrating single or compound Chinese medicinal materials using the process of granules, and then making them into granules.

The technology of Chinese medicine granules was invented by Japanese Otozo Nagakura in 1956. Later, this technology was brought to Taiwan by Hsu Hung-yuan (Shuntendo Pharmaceutical) for application and promotion, and then gradually spread to Hong Kong.

Advantages and disadvantages of Chinese medicine granules

Chinese herbal medicine granules are similar to concentrated coffee. The most direct advantage is that they are easy to store and carry. They can be dissolved directly with hot water and taken. This is different from directly grinding Chinese herbal medicines into powder. Powdered Chinese herbal medicines cannot be directly dissolved with hot water, which will leave a lot of residue.

The disadvantage is that excipients need to be added during the production process of granules to allow the concentrated Chinese medicine powder (as fine as flour) to be adsorbed on it to form granules. Excipients are made of starch or dextrin (also used in tablet production), which may not be suitable for long-term use for patients who are concerned about high blood sugar.

Another controversial issue in the industry is that the combination of single-ingredient Chinese medicine granules into prescriptions lacks the chemical reaction during the co-decocting process of traditional decoctions. However, there are currently few comparative experiments on the therapeutic effects of granular powders and decoctions, and it is not clear whether there is a significant difference.

The choice between decoction and granule powder

How to choose between Chinese medicine decoctions and granule powders should depend on personal conditions and needs.

If you need to travel and it is inconvenient to carry the medicine, or you are too busy to decoct the medicine, or you live in an environment that does not allow decoction, etc., it would be more appropriate to choose granules. If the granules cannot be completely dissolved when taken (mostly the dispensing agent cannot be completely dissolved), you can choose to use freshly boiled water to dissolve and stir immediately, and cover the cup with a lid and bake for 5 minutes, which should improve this situation.

For patients who have the conditions and time to decoct medicines, traditional decoctions are still recommended for treatment. First of all, Chinese medicine is individualized treatment. The Chinese medicine prescription for each patient is formulated and added or subtracted according to their current situation. During the decoction process, some medicines need to be decocted first (such as dragon bone and oyster), added later (such as mint and patchouli), or melted (such as donkey-hide gelatin), or steamed (such as cinnamon), which can also better take into account. Patients with high blood sugar who need to take Chinese medicine for a long time are also recommended to use decoctions as the main method, and granules can be used as a backup for short-term treatment.

Q&A

1) When drinking medicine powder, should you pour the powder first or the water first?

First pour hot water, then add the concentrated Chinese medicine powder into the hot water. Do not stir immediately. Wait for 3 to 5 minutes to allow the powder to soak in the water. Then stir. The powder will dissolve relatively easily.

When drinking herbal powder, pour hot water first, then add concentrated herbal powder, and avoid stirring immediately. (Unsplash/ steve_j)

2) What should I pay attention to if I prepare Chinese medicine myself?

Among Chinese medicinal materials, leaves, stems and other larger parts can be rinsed; however, seeds are smaller in size and may be lost if they are directly rinsed. It is recommended to put them in a fish soup bag before rinsing. After rinsing, soak the herbs for 30 minutes before decocting.

After rinsing, the herbs should be soaked for 30 minutes before decocting.

You can choose to use a clay pot or a stainless steel pot to cook Chinese medicine. Generally, boil it over high heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then simmer it over low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. Pay attention to whether there are herbs in the herbal medicine package that need to be decocted first or added later. Generally, decocted herbs should be boiled for 30 minutes first, and herbs added later should be boiled for the last 5 to 10 minutes.

3) When is the best time to take Chinese medicine?

If the doctor does not give any special instructions, Chinese medicine should be taken when you are neither too full nor too hungry, that is, half full. It is generally recommended that patients take Chinese medicine at 10 am and 4 pm, when people are generally neither full nor hungry.

However, sometimes doctors will specifically instruct you on when to take medicine, and may ask you to take it on an empty stomach. Please follow the doctor's instructions. For example, herbs that replenish qi should be taken during the day to avoid affecting sleep at night; but some herbs that calm the nerves need to be taken two hours before going to bed.

Most Chinese medicines need to be taken hot unless the doctor specifically instructs you to do so.

4 ) Are Chinese medicine pills better than Chinese medicine powder?

Not necessarily. It depends on the condition and the concentration of the pill.

5) Will reheating Chinese medicine weaken its efficacy?

It is generally not recommended to stir the pot, because each Chinese herbal medicine has a different release time. Some herbs have been boiled for too long and have no medicinal effect anymore, so stirring the pot will be useless.

6) Can boiled Chinese medicine be placed in the refrigerator and turned over the next day?

The cooked Chinese medicine can be placed in the refrigerator and reheated when needed.

The cooked Chinese medicine can be placed in the refrigerator and reheated when needed. You can choose to reheat it by steaming or boiling, but it is not recommended to reheat the cooked Chinese medicine in a microwave.

7) Can Chinese medicine be taken with nutritional supplements? Or do they need to be taken at intervals?

It is best to take nutritional supplements one to two hours after taking Chinese medicine.

The above information is for reference only. If you have any questions, please consult a registered Chinese medicine practitioner.