Can an Iron Pot Be Used to Boil Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Many people like to use traditional Chinese medicine to regulate their bodies. Nowadays, most traditional Chinese medicine clinics will boil the medicine, package it, and sell it to patients, so that customers do not need to boil the medicine at home. Some elderly people prefer to boil traditional Chinese medicine at home. Can they use iron pots to boil traditional Chinese medicine? It is best to use earthenware pots to boil traditional Chinese medicine because boiling it in iron pots may cause chemical reactions, affect the efficacy of the medicine, and produce new substances.
Iron pots contain metal components and can easily react with the herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. If the herbs contain tannic acid, boiling them in iron pots can easily combine and produce new substances, affecting the efficacy of the medicine. In addition, traditional Chinese medicine boiled in iron pots has a rusty taste, which can also affect the taste.
Boiling traditional Chinese medicine in iron pots can affect its efficacy. Traditional Chinese medicine is generally composed of multiple herbs. Iron pots contain iron elements, and the chemical properties of iron elements are unstable, which can easily cause chemical reactions and affect the efficacy of the medicine.
Firstly, the best utensils for boiling traditional Chinese medicine are clay pots, earthenware pots, or stainless steel utensils. Iron and aluminum utensils that are prone to corrosion should be avoided. Secondly, similar to soaking soybeans before making soymilk, traditional Chinese medicine should be soaked in cold water for 1-2 hours (except for those soaked in vinegar or wine), or at least 20 minutes before boiling. Thirdly, tap water can be used for boiling, and the water level should be 1-3 centimeters above the surface of the herbs. If there are too many herbs or they are easy to absorb water, the amount of water can be appropriately increased. Fourthly, during boiling, first use high heat to boil the medicine, then switch to low heat for slow boiling. Fifthly, when starting to boil the medicine, the lid should be tightly covered. When the water boils, two chopsticks can be used to prop up the lid, leaving some gaps for steam to escape. Some traditional Chinese medicines contain volatile components, such as Mentha and Agastache, which are used to treat exterior diseases, and valuable medicinal materials such as American ginseng. During boiling, their active ingredients are easily dispersed into the air, so the lid should be kept on during boiling. Sixthly, stir the medicine during boiling to ensure that the medicine is fully extracted. Each dose of traditional Chinese medicine is usually boiled twice, with the second boiling time being slightly shorter. Some herbs require special treatment, such as boiling first, adding later, or taking orally. The pharmacist will explain these instructions when dispensing the medicine. Lastly, the boiling time directly affects the efficacy of the medicine. The boiling time starts from when the medicine boils. Generally, traditional Chinese medicine used to treat exterior diseases such as colds can be boiled for 10-15 minutes, while tonifying medicines need to be boiled for 40-60 minutes. Other types of traditional Chinese medicine can be boiled for 20-25 minutes.
