What Foods Should Not Be Eaten When Taking Traditional Chinese Medicine

Generally speaking, there are no absolute dietary restrictions when taking traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), although it is not recommended to consume cold beverages, chili peppers, fatty meat, crabs, lamb, or similar foods. Detailed explanations are as follows:

1. Cold Beverages

Such as iced coffee, iced milk, iced milk tea, etc., these cold beverages may irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. They may also interfere with the effectiveness of TCM, thus affecting the treatment outcome.

2. Chili Peppers

Chili peppers are spicy and irritating foods. These types of food may stimulate the gastrointestinal mucosa, accelerating intestinal excretion. If the medication remains in the intestines for too short a time, it may affect drug absorption, leading to reduced efficacy.

3. Fatty Meat

Such as pork fat, beef fat, etc., these foods are high in fat and overly greasy. Consumption may increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, impair digestion, and be detrimental to the effectiveness of the medicine.

4. Crabs

Crabs are a type of seafood that is relatively cold in nature. Consumption may easily trigger allergic reactions, causing symptoms such as skin itching and redness. Taking TCM at this time may worsen the condition and hinder recovery.

5. Lamb

Lamb is warming in nature and may easily cause excessive internal heat, leading to symptoms such as mouth ulcers and sore throat. Consuming lamb while taking TCM may interfere with the medicine's effectiveness, thus affecting disease control and being harmful to health.

In addition, it is best to avoid eating foods such as fried dough sticks (youtiao), fried chicken, ginger, and similar items while taking TCM. Also, TCM should be taken under the guidance of a physician, avoiding unauthorized combinations with other TCM formulations.