Tonifying Pastes Are Not Necessarily Better When More Expensive
Are more expensive tonifying pastes necessarily better for health? Yesterday, reporters learned from hospitals such as Yueyang, Longhua, and Shuguang, as well as several pharmacies, that many people mistakenly believe that higher-priced tonifying pastes are superior—an erroneous assumption. Prescriptions should be personalized.
Winter tonic pastes have become fashionable. The timing for booking tonifying paste appointments at Shanghai’s traditional Chinese medicine hospitals has been advancing each year. Officials at Longhua Hospital reported that bookings began in late October, and the peak season has passed. In recent years, the number of people booking tonifying pastes has increased by over 1,000 annually, with white-collar workers and young people becoming the main demographic.
According to Dr. Li Gang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Shuguang Hospital, prescriptions must be individualized. A typical tonifying paste costs between 500 and over 1,000 yuan. However, when doctors prescribe lower-cost pastes priced around 500 yuan, many doubt their effectiveness. Some financially capable individuals insist on adding expensive herbs like Cordyceps Sinensis.
Experts point out that the key to selecting tonifying pastes lies in suitability for one’s own condition. Sometimes, expensive pastes may actually harm health. According to research, Cordyceps Sinensis is generally suitable for patients with lung qi deficiency, kidney yang deficiency, cold sensitivity, frequent urination, etc. However, individuals with yin deficiency may experience dry mouth, nosebleeds, and other symptoms after consuming it.
Shanghai pharmacy pharmacists remind consumers that tonifying pastes are not suitable for everyone. Those with poor gastrointestinal function and poor nutrient absorption; healthy adolescents; individuals with acute illnesses or infections; patients in active phases of chronic diseases; and those suffering from gastritis, diarrhea, cholecystitis, chronic hepatitis, or high levels of immunoglobulins and antibodies should avoid taking tonifying pastes.