Elderly People Should Be Cautious When Consuming Medicinal Wine
Many elderly people choose medicinal wine for winter tonification because it is easy to prepare, use, and store. Simply soak herbs in white liquor for a period, allowing the active components to leach into the wine, which can then be consumed. Moreover, due to alcohol’s antibacterial properties, it can be stored for a long time under sealed conditions.
Despite these advantages, medicinal wine is not suitable for the elderly. The concentration of herbal ingredients in medicinal wine is extremely low. To achieve therapeutic or health benefits, one would need to consume large amounts or drink continuously over a long period. By the time the wine becomes effective, the toxic effects of alcohol may already have appeared.
Long-term consumption of medicinal wine—even in small daily doses—can lead to chronic alcohol accumulation poisoning in older adults, whose liver and kidney functions decline with age. This risk is no less serious than acute poisoning.
According to statistics, elderly people who drink white liquor regularly have significantly higher rates of cataracts and osteoporosis—more than double that of non-drinkers. Alcohol suppresses thyroid hormone secretion, reducing calcium and vitamin D absorption in the intestines, leading to irritability, memory decline, and weakened myocardial contraction. Wang Anlan, *Health Consultation Newspaper*