🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Many people today enjoy medicinal wine without understanding its pharmacology, yet few recognize the potential harms. Medicinal wine is prepared by soaking different Chinese herbs in white liquor or yellow wine. Like other medications, it is a form of traditional Chinese medicine with specific formulations, mainly used for rheumatic pain, trauma, or tonification for physical weakness. If consumed improperly, it may lead to new health problems. For instance, long-term consumption of Three-Sperm Wine might cause yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity, leading to severe depletion of kidney energy and reduced sexual function. Experts therefore warn against the following common misconceptions among enthusiasts:
1. Medicinal wine can be consumed long-term. Typically, medicinal wine falls into two categories: therapeutic and tonic. Therapeutic wines have specific medical purposes, whereas most commercially available wines are tonic in nature, offering health benefits. Only a small portion is suitable for daily use (mainly containing herbs like Goji berries and Astragalus).
2. Medicinal wine can be consumed during meals. Drinking alcohol during meals irritates the digestive tract and impairs the effectiveness of the medicine.
3. No need to control dosage when drinking medicinal wine. Excessive intake causes harm similar to overdosing on medication, seriously affecting health. Therapeutic wines must follow medical advice; for tonic wines, the optimal daily intake is 1–2 liang (50–100 ml).
4. Medicinal wine enhances virility. Many believe medicinal wine boosts sexual performance. Experts point out that while some "yang-strengthening" wines may produce short-term effects, many male conditions are not caused by kidney yang deficiency. Blind use may worsen the condition.
5. Medicinal wine does not need to be tailored to individual differences. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes selecting wine based on individual constitution. Those with slim builds tend toward yin deficiency and blood deficiency, prone to internal heat and fluid depletion; they should choose yin-nourishing and blood-tonifying wines. Those with heavier builds tend toward yang deficiency and qi deficiency, prone to phlegm and cold sensitivity; they should use yang-warming and qi-tonifying wines.
Moreover, experts advise: if you are healthy, avoid medicinal wine, especially young people. If you truly wish to consume it, consult a doctor first. Since medicinal wine is made with alcohol, anyone with alcohol contraindications should also avoid it. *China Traditional Medicine News*