Introduction: In autumn and winter, the climate is dry, and many people often experience coughs and a sore throat. Therefore, keeping a bottle of Qiuli Paste on one's desk has become a habit for many. However, Qiuli Paste is not suitable for everyone, and it should not be consumed like a beverage.
Qiuli Paste is a medicinal paste made from main ingredients like white pears (such as Ya Pear or Snowflake Pear), processed with other traditional Chinese medicines that relieve cough, promote fluid production, and moisten the lungs, such as Rehmannia root, Kudzu root, Ophiopogon root, and Fritillary bulb. Clinically, it is often used to treat respiratory ailments such as lung heat and thirst caused by heat-dryness injuring fluids, dry stools, lung yin deficiency from overexertion, coughing up white phlegm, and prolonged cough with hemoptysis.
Because the main ingredient of Qiuli Paste, pear, is cooling in nature, and the other herbs used to nourish yin and promote fluid production are also cooling, it is best for people with a weak spleen and stomach, cold hands and feet, or loose stools to avoid it. This is to prevent their deficiency-cold symptoms from worsening and to reduce the likelihood of diarrhea. Even for those who are prone to "heatiness" and have dry stools, it should not be consumed as a beverage.
Some people believe that the more concentrated the Qiuli Paste, the better, and that it is best to drink it directly. In fact, Qiuli Paste contains a lot of sugar and has a high osmotic pressure, which can irritate the oral and throat mucosa when consumed directly. The correct method is to take one or two spoonfuls and dissolve them in warm water before consuming.