Does TCM health care require long-term persistence?

Traditional Chinese medicine health care emphasizes "preventing disease" and "holistic conditioning". Its core concept is to achieve physical and mental balance through long-term lifestyle adjustments. Health-preserving effects are not achieved overnight and require persistence, but the specific methods vary from person to person. The main contents include:1. Long-term necessity(For example, physical conditioning requires time to accumulate);2. Flexible adjustment(depending on seasons and physical changes);3. Scientific verification(Some methods need to be supported by modern medicine). The following will focus on these three points.

The long-term nature of traditional Chinese medicine’s health care: the foundation lies in “preventing disease”

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the balance of yin and yang in the human body is a dynamic process that requires continuous maintenance. For example, the "Huangdi Neijing" states that "nourishing yang in spring and summer, nourishing yin in autumn and winter" shows that health preservation needs to comply with the laws of nature and persist for a long time. Traditional methods such as moxibustion and dietary therapy may have slow results in the short term, but they can improve physical fitness in the long term. Zhang Jingyue, a physician in the Ming Dynasty, also emphasized in "Jingyue Complete Book": "Keeping good health is like accumulating salary, it is not a day's work." Modern research shows that persisting in Baduanjin for more than 3 months can significantly improve immunity (data shown in Table 1). However, it should be noted that not all methods need to be adhered to for life. If acute symptoms are treated, the plan can be adjusted.

Flexible adjustment: avoid dogmatic insistence

Long-term health maintenance ≠ set in stone. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "three factors" (depending on the person, the time, and the place). For example, it is advisable to drink mung bean soup to clear away heat in summer, but it needs to be stopped in winter; long-term drinking of ginger tea for people with yin deficiency constitution may aggravate internal heat. The "Nine Physique Theory" proposed by Professor Wang Qi's team at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine points out that physique will change with age and environment, and health care plans also need to be dynamically adjusted. Manufacturers such asTongrentangThe "Four Seasons Health Tea" launches different formulas according to solar terms to avoid single use for a long time.

The combination of science and tradition: verifying long-term effects

Some TCM health regimens have been proven to have long-term value through modern research. For example, research by the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences found that consistent drinkingChrysanthemum Cassia Seed Tea(Manufacturer:Baiyun Mountain) can help regulate blood pressure for more than 6 months. However, we need to be wary of exaggerated propaganda such as "thousand-year Polygonum multiflorum multiflorum hair". The "Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Care Service Standards" issued by the National Health Commission clearly requires that health care institutions must not promise to "cure all diseases" and consumers should choose methods with scientific basis.

Summary: Persist for a long time, but not blindly

The essence of TCM health care is lifestyle medicine, which requires long-term investment, but should be planned scientifically:1. Core methods(Such as regular work and rest, emotional regulation) need to be practiced throughout life;2. Auxiliary means(such as medicinal diet, moxibustion) adjusted according to stages;3. Combined with physical examination data, to avoid ineffective persistence. As Deng Tietao, a master of traditional Chinese medicine, said: "Keeping good health is like drizzle that moistens things. The value lies in long-lasting and the effectiveness lies in nature." It is recommended to refer to authoritative materials such as the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" or the guidance plan of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of a tertiary hospital.

Quote sources:

1. "Huangdi Neijing" (Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, theoretical basis of traditional Chinese medicine)
2. Wang Qi's "Nine Constitutions of Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Preservation" (2009, basis for classification of constitutions)
3. National Health Commission's "Standards for Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Care Services (2020 Edition)" (Policy Guidance)
4. Product mentioned: Tong Ren Tang Four Seasons Health Tea, Baiyun Mountain Chrysanthemum Cassia Seed Tea (both certified by the National Food and Drug Administration)