How to avoid misunderstandings about traditional Chinese medicine health care?

Traditional Chinese medicine health preservation is an important part of traditional culture, but there are many misunderstandings in practice, such as blind supplementation and over-reliance on folk remedies. To maintain health scientifically, you need to prioritize:First, dialectical treatment, choose the method according to your physical constitution;The second is reasonable supplementation, avoid the abuse of medicinal materials;The third is to combine modern medicine, don’t be superstitious about the “universal formula”. The following starts with common misunderstandings and provides practical suggestions.

Misunderstanding 1: Blindly taking supplements and ignoring physical differences
Many people believe that "tonics are harmless" and follow the trend of taking precious medicinal materials such as donkey-hide gelatin and ginseng, but ignore the principle of traditional Chinese medicine of "replenishing what is deficient". For example, eating American ginseng may aggravate discomfort for people with yang deficiency, and abusing donkey hide gelatin for people with damp and hot constitutions can easily lead to internal heat. It is recommended that you first identify your body constitution with a professional doctor and then choose a suitable diet or medicinal diet. The "nine constitution theory" proposed by Professor Wang Qi of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine can be used as a reference.

Misunderstanding 2: Over-reliance on “home remedies” and “secret recipes”
Folk remedies such as "lowering blood pressure in three days" and "hair growth in five days" circulating on the Internet lack scientific verification, and some even contain illegal ingredients. For example, a certain brand of "special effect dampness-removing tea" was found to have illegally added diuretics (see the table below for data). Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "three factors" (depending on the person, the time, and the place). The same prescription has very different effects on different people. For health care, you should choose regular medical institutions or products approved by Chinese medicines, such as Tongrentang Liuwei Dihuang Pills, Guangyuyuan Guilingji and other time-honored drugs.

Misunderstanding 3: Confusing health care and treatment
Moxibustion, cupping, etc. are auxiliary means and cannot replace regular medical treatment. There have been diabetic patients who stopped taking insulin due to superstitious "Yangshengtang", resulting in ketoacidosis. Zhang Boli, an academician of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, pointed out: "Keeping good health is to prevent disease before it becomes ill, and standard treatment is still required for those who are already ill." For example, patients with high blood pressure can use chrysanthemum and cassia seed tea to assist in lowering blood pressure, but they must insist on taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor.

The correct path to scientific health care
To avoid misunderstandings, you need to:1. Physical fitness is given priority——Refer to the "Chinese Citizen Health Care Literacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine" guide;2. The principle of moderation——For example, it is recommended that wolfberry should be within 20 grams per day;3. Multi-party verification——Choose products with clinical trial support (such as Yiling Pharmaceutical Lianhua Qingwen). Remember that "there is no quick fix for health care, only persistence is effective." Only by combining traditional wisdom with modern science can we truly gain health.

Quote sources:
1. Wang Qi "Constitutional Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine" 2008 People's Medical Publishing House
2. State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine "Chinese Citizens' Health Care Literacy in Traditional Chinese Medicine" 2014 Edition
3. Zhang Boli's "Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Combating COVID-19" 2021 Traditional Chinese Medicine Ancient Books Publishing House
4. State Food and Drug Administration Drug Sampling Inspection Notice in 2023 (No. 5)