Winter Herbal Cuisine Supplements Beware of Toxic Substances
Recently, food safety committees in Yunnan and other regions have issued warning announcements, reminding the public to prevent food poisoning in the autumn and winter, especially when using herbal cuisine for supplementation. Experts caution that one must not overlook the toxicity of "both food and medicine" ingredients when taking herbal supplements.
Chu Xiao'ou, director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Tsinghua University, points out that while many herbal cuisine recipes are popular among the public, it is not recommended for individuals to purchase them on their own. This is because many ingredients in these recipes are not merely food but also possess medicinal properties. Some of these substances can be toxic, and their unregulated consumption can easily lead to poisoning.
In fact, the Ministry of Health has previously published a list of 87 materials that are classified as both food and medicine. This category includes relatively safe items such as dried tangerine peel, red dates, and Chinese yam. Another category includes substances that can be used as additives in health foods under the guidance of a doctor. Common examples include Angelica sinensis, Schisandra chinensis, pearl powder, and propolis. The third category consists of materials that are forbidden to be added to herbal cuisine, such as Dysosma pleiantha, Semen Strychni, and Dysosma versipellis. These herbs are classified as "toxic substances" in Traditional Chinese Medicine and will certainly cause harm to the human body if inadvertently added. Furthermore, there are numerous taboos regarding the combination of Chinese medicine and food. For instance, pig blood should not be taken with Rehmannia root; carp should not be taken with cinnabar; radish should not be taken with Rehmannia root or Fo-ti; and dog meat should not be taken with apricot kernels.