A reader asked that she is taking Shenling Baizhu Wan, which contains ginseng, but she has heard from Traditional Chinese Medicine that ginseng and radish are incompatible. Since her doctor instructed her to take it long-term, does this mean she can never eat radish for the rest of her life?
This is a very representative question. The incompatibility of ginseng and radish was a traditional belief held by many people. In fact, there is no such strict rule. If one must insist on it, the reason is that ginseng treats people with a deficiency of the spleen qi, while radish and radish seeds (Lai Fu Zi) have the effect of promoting digestion and guiding stagnation. If this digestive action is excessive, it could indeed damage the spleen qi. However, relying solely on the mild digestive properties of radish is not enough to cause a person to become deficient. Furthermore, it is not the case that taking ginseng followed by radish will cause any adverse reactions from their interaction. Therefore, one can certainly eat radish and ginseng together. The only contraindication is if a person is already extremely deficient and must rely on ginseng to sustain them. In such a case, consuming radish should be done with caution. In fact, it's not just radish; any slight disturbance could endanger their life. The mild effect of radish in breaking down qi would naturally also require caution.
As for this individual, she needs to take Shenling Baizhu Wan to supplement a deficient spleen. Although this formula contains ginseng, the entire formula is a very mild spleen-supplementing medicine, targeting relatively mild spleen deficiency. It works by taking it long-term for gradual conditioning. A person suitable for this medicine definitely does not have a severe case of spleen deficiency. Therefore, they have no need to avoid radish, and certainly will not become deficient from eating it.
Another point is that the chance of a conflict between radish or other foods and medication is relatively low. The main reason is that radish is a common food and has not been purified. Even if some of its components could interact with medication, the amount in each radish is not significant, as it is not purified like a Western drug. Therefore, to experience the kind of interaction people worry about, one would likely have to eat a very large quantity of radish—at least far more than the amount we consume in daily life. From this perspective, the reactions between radish and some foods with medication are also very rare.