Even if you have clearly differentiated your syndrome type according to Traditional Chinese Medicine and are taking health supplements that are对症 (suited to your condition), it is not advisable to take them for a long period. This is because relying excessively on external sources to "sustain life" can cause the body to become lax and its functions to diminish. First: It's Difficult for the Elderly to Feel Happy About Health Supplements.
A popular saying has emerged in society: "In the 1980s, we ate to fill our stomachs; in the 1990s, we ate well; in the new century, we eat for health and longevity." I believe this is true. Although health and longevity cannot be achieved solely by eating health supplements, they do have a health-promoting effect on the human body.
However, in recent years, as the health craze has heated up, the market has been flooded with a dazzling array of health supplements. Some manufacturers and sellers have set up various traps to deceive and harm consumers, creating a phenomenon where "those who eat health supplements don't buy them, and those who buy them don't eat them." A recent joint survey by the China Consumers' Association and the China Health Care Science and Technology Society showed that over 30% of health supplements engage in exaggerated promotion, trickery, and making claims out of thin air, with over 40% involved in hyperbolic advertising. Can one see clearly through the fog of health supplements? In the eyes of many ordinary consumers, health supplements are "high-end products" or "luxury goods." Because the prices are too high and the contrast with the original functional value of food is too great, it's no wonder that the elderly find it hard to feel happy about health supplements. Second: Doctors Advise Against Randomly Taking Health Supplements.
Regarding health supplements, the benevolent see benevolence, and the wise see wisdom. As a doctor, I believe it is best not to take health supplements indiscriminately.
First, one must understand what a health supplement is. According to the "Measures for the Administration of Health Foods," a health food is defined as a food that indicates it has specific health functions, suitable for consumption by specific populations, and regulates bodily functions without the purpose of treating diseases. This shows that health supplements are not for everyone, as it is impossible for one type of health supplement to be suitable for all people. China's health supplements originate from medicinal diets and have definite effects, but they are highly targeted. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses "cold" and "heat" to describe two opposing pathological states caused by yin-yang imbalance in the body. Cold syndrome is mainly manifested as aversion to cold and preference for warmth, cold limbs, abdominal pain that feels better with pressure, a white tongue coating, and a slow pulse. Heat syndrome is mainly manifested as fever and thirst, a red face and red ears, abdominal pain that worsens with pressure, a yellow tongue coating, and a rapid pulse. According to the TCM treatment principle of "treating cold with heat and treating heat with cold," using the different properties of health supplements to achieve the goal of supporting yang and suppressing yin, or nourishing yin and subduing yang, or supplementing both yin and yang is无可非议 (unobjectionable). If one supplements indiscriminately without distinguishing between the two, for example, a person with excess heat takes a warming tonic, or a person with a constitution of deficiency-cold mistakenly takes a cooling health supplement, the result will be "adding frost to snow." Supplementing when the body is not deficient can even trigger some diseases.
Indeed, there are many people who are deficient in the population, characterized by low function in various tissues, organs, and the overall body, requiring supplementation. Traditional Chinese Medicine calls various pathological states "deficiency of vital qi," and the illnesses caused by them are called "deficiency syndromes." The main manifestations are palpitations and shortness of breath, general fatigue, loss of appetite, indigestion, a weak cough, and soreness in the lower back and knees. For this type of deficiency syndrome, taking health supplements that nourish qi and blood can have a certain effect. However, according to the principle of "for insufficiency of form, warm it with qi; for insufficiency of essence, supplement it with flavor," for those with a cold constitution, it is better to use food therapy with warming foods like lamb and dog meat; for those with a heat constitution, cooling foods for supplementation can be used, such as yam, fungus, and soy milk, which nourish yin without being greasy, supplement without stagnating, and strengthen the kidneys and nourish yin. The effect is even better. No wonder experts say: eating well is better than anything else. In fact, the real health food refers to: "Five grains are for nourishment, five fruits are for assistance, five livestock are for benefit, and five vegetables are for supplementation." The elderly often say that buying health supplements from the market is mostly the "filial piety" of their children. Whether they work or not, they may provide some psychological balance, but for serious illnesses, one still has to go to the hospital, which is also true.
The "dependency" on health supplements may produce negative feedback regulation, much like the copper ball valve in a water reservoir. When the water level rises to a certain height, the floating copper ball valve automatically closes the valve. For example, the abuse of aphrodisiac health supplements artificially raises the level of male hormones in the blood, which inhibits the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, causing a decrease or cessation in the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and gonadotropins. The testes, lacking this "stimulus," then "slack off." Over time, testicular tissue can atrophy, degenerate, weaken, or even lose its ability to continue secreting, leading to an exhaustion of the source of male hormones in the body and causing irreversible permanent impotence. It is clear that the elderly must not be tempted by health supplements and should摆脱嗜补之习 (break the habit of excessive supplementation). Third: The Elderly Hope for Senior Health Supplements.
Of course, the elderly will not "stop eating for fear of choking" because of health supplements. According to the physiological characteristics of the elderly, developing food for them must be easy to digest, delicious, well-balanced in calories, diverse, and fresh in texture. The quantity should be such that it can be finished in 1-2 servings; it should be a "medicine-food homology" nutritional food that enhances resistance, mainly with higher content of vitamins, calcium, iron, etc.; natural foods that are low in sugar, salt, fat, and cholesterol, and high in protein can all be directions for developing senior foods. As long as it can be guaranteed to "escort food safety," high-quality and affordable health supplements that the elderly can afford and that are beneficial to their health will, of course, make them happy. However, the research and production of senior foods in our country are quite weak, and no industrial system for senior foods has been formed. It is urgent to pay more attention to the health foods for the elderly and develop a high-quality market for them.