Are you eating herbal medicine snacks correctly?

The concepts of health and wellness are increasingly important to people. Many have integrated health-conscious ideas into various aspects of their lives, which has also provided businesses with good ideas, leading to the emergence of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) snacks.所谓中药零食，是指那些含有中药成分的零食，其中的中药成分是卫生部门批准的药食同源的可添加物质。The most common of these foods mainly include donkey-hide gelatin jujubes, Poria cakes, mint candies, and Guilinggao, but are these snacks suitable for everyone to eat?

阿胶枣

薄荷糖

Some people often suck on mint candies to remove bad breath from their mouths, and some office workers also keep mint candies as a regular snack. Authentic mint candies contain a small amount of mint extract, which has effects such as dispelling wind-heat, clearing the throat, promoting eruption and detoxification, soothing the liver to relieve depression, and stopping itching. It helps to relieve symptoms like colds with fever, headaches, sore throat, anhidrosis, and wind-fire red eyes. However, those with yin deficiency and blood dryness, liver yang hyperactivity, or deficiency-type excessive sweating should not chew mint candies frequently.

阿胶枣

The main ingredients of donkey-hide gelatin jujubes are red dates and donkey-hide gelatin, which have the effect of nourishing blood. Donkey-hide gelatin itself also has functions of tonifying the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and calming the mind, and nourishing yin and moistening dryness. It is suitable for women's health and wellness, so many women like to eat it as a nutritional snack. However, donkey-hide gelatin jujubes are not easy to digest and absorb, especially for those with stomach heat or indigestion. The amount eaten must be controlled, and it is best not to eat more than 7 at a time.

茯苓饼龟苓膏 Guilinggao is favored by people because of its mild nature, neither too cold nor too drying, making it suitable for all ages. It has effects such as clearing heat and removing dampness, promoting blood circulation and muscle growth, stopping itching, removing acne, moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements, nourishing yin and tonifying the kidneys, and beautifying and refreshing the mind. However, it is not suitable for people with a cold and deficient constitution or symptoms like diarrhea, as it can worsen the cold diarrhea.

酸梅汤

The main ingredient of sour plum soup is the plum, whose citric acid helps the body absorb vitamins and enzymes, which helps prevent diseases and relieve fatigue. Plums are very effective for relieving bad breath and hangovers, and also have effects such as stopping diarrhea and dysentery, relieving coughs, and promoting fluid production. However, people with colds, fever, or coughs should not drink sour plum soup, and patients with initial-stage bacillary dysentery or enteritis should also avoid it. Women during their menstrual period and pregnant women before and after childbirth should also avoid drinking it.

凉茶

The main ingredients of herbal tea include chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, selfheal, licorice, etc. These Chinese herbs have effects of clearing heat and removing dampness, and nourishing yin to reduce fire, which helps relieve symptoms like swollen gums, mouth ulcers, and constipation. However, people with cold hands and feet, a cold stomach, yang deficiency, or frequently loose stools should drink it with caution.