Do not put these 5 medicinal materials in the refrigerator. The storage methods of traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese patent medicine are very different!

Many people throw the Chinese herbal medicines bought in the pharmacy directly into the refrigerator, thinking that it can not only avoid mold and insects, but also prolong the life of the medicine, save trouble and kill three birds with one stone.

Proprietary Chinese medicines are also favored by patients with chronic diseases and are always kept at home. However, if it is stored improperly, it will easily affect its quality, thereby reducing the efficacy and even endangering human health.

Now I will tell you the precautions for storing Chinese medicine and proprietary Chinese medicine at home~

Don't put these 5 herbs in the refrigerator

In fact, most Chinese herbal medicines are not suitable for storage in the refrigerator because they are mixed with other foods for a long time, which is prone to bacterial cross-infection, which will destroy the efficacy of the medicine and cause side effects when people eat it. Under normal circumstances, it is recommended to store dried medicinal materials in a cool place, but for the 5 precious medicinal materials that are used daily, more attention should be paid to the preservation.

1. Ejiao

For Ejiao that has not been opened, because it is packaged in aluminum foil, it can prevent air from entering, prevent oxidation and moisture, and store it directly at room temperature and seal it, or store it in the refrigerator. However, for Ejiao that has been unpacked and not eaten at one time, it is best to put Ejiao in a bag, tie the mouth tightly, and then put it into a sealed glass jar or quicklime jar. If possible, put a desiccant in the tank.

2. Ginseng

Ginseng has the functions of calming the nerves and nourishing the mind, invigorating the spleen and benefiting the lungs. The elderly, the weak, and sub-healthy white-collar workers can take good care of the body. Fresh ginseng can be sealed and stored in the refrigerator. Dried ginseng is prone to mold and insects if it is not stored properly, first wrap it in white paper, and then put it into cans, boxes, and cylinders, and keep the lid tightly in a cool, dry place.

3. American ginseng The preservation method of American ginseng is different from that of ginseng. When storing American ginseng, it is best to choose a brown bottle, which can resist oxidation. If it is a light-colored glass bottle, it is easy to discolor the American ginseng.

4. Cordyceps sinensis

Generally speaking, the preservation of Cordyceps sinensis mainly depends on the quantity. A small amount of Cordyceps sinensis can be stored in an airtight jar together with paeoni. If it is a large amount of Cordyceps sinensis, a desiccant should be added, and then placed in a glass bottle to dry and store.

5. Angelica

Southerners like to add some medicinal herbs when making soup, such as Angelica sinensis, Codonopsis pilosula, etc., which have the functions of invigorating blood, nourishing qi and strengthening spleen. Dried angelica is suitable for storage in a cool and dry place, which can make the medicinal properties of the medicinal material not lose so fast, so that it has a longer shelf life. By the way, Angelica contains a lot of oil, which is easy to cause insects and mildew, so try to buy as little as possible.

How to store proprietary Chinese medicines at home

1. Sealed storage

Proprietary Chinese medicines in various dosage forms should be sealed and stored. Even for Chinese patent medicines that have been opened, different sealing measures such as tightening the bottle cap, sealing or clamping the packaging box or bag should be taken according to different dosage forms and packaging. If the Chinese patent medicine is placed in the air, microorganisms (bacteria, mold, yeast, etc.) and insects are easily mixed and reproduced, causing various deterioration phenomena, especially liquid or Chinese patent medicines containing nutrients, such as pills, syrups , cream nourishment, etc. are more susceptible to pollution, resulting in mildew and moth-eaten. In addition, the oxygen in the air is prone to chemical reactions such as oxidation with some chemical components of Chinese patent medicines, resulting in discoloration, oiling and other deterioration phenomena. I would also like to remind everyone here that it is not advisable to drink liquid oral Chinese patent medicine directly with the mouth to the bottle. First, it will contaminate the remaining liquid in the bottle, and second, saliva will stick to the bottle mouth and easily cause mildew. The correct approach should be to pour out the prescribed dose each time, and immediately tighten the cap for storage.

2. Pay attention to the storage environment

If the ambient temperature is too high, it is easy to cause the capsule to soften and stick, and the tincture and medicinal wine to volatilize. Excessive humidity can cause granules and powders to absorb moisture and agglomerate; low humidity can cause the adhesive plaster to lose its viscosity, and some components in the medicine may be weathered and other deterioration phenomena. Generally, it should be stored in a clean, cool and dry place. Unless there are special provisions in the manual, the temperature range is 10℃~20℃, and the relative humidity is 35%~75%. Do not store on drying benches, kitchen stoves, or places near sinks and direct sunlight. In summer, the quality of the stored Chinese patent medicines should be checked frequently, and if any deterioration is found, they should be discarded.

3. Separate storage

Internal and external medicines should be stored separately. External medicines are mostly irritating, corrosive, and toxic, and oral administration will cause serious consequences. Externally-used Chinese patent medicines mostly contain volatile components, and if they are mixed together, it will easily cause the oral medicines to become off-flavor, thereby affecting the efficacy of the medicines. In order to find the desired Chinese patent medicines quickly and easily, the medicines should be classified and stored according to the diseases to be treated. It should also be noted that in order to avoid accidents caused by children's misuse of proprietary Chinese medicines, it is best to lock the place where the medicine is stored, or keep it out of the reach of children.

4. Keep the labels intact

The labels, instructions, and outer packaging of proprietary Chinese medicines are printed with important information such as the drug name, composition, efficacy, indications, usage and dosage, precautions, validity period, storage requirements, etc., which are of great significance for guiding patients to use the medicine safely and rationally. Therefore there should be no damage or loss. Otherwise, it is better to discard it.

5. It should not be stored for a long time

Some Chinese patent medicines are not easy to be noticed from the appearance after they have deteriorated, such as mildew in powders and granules, and moth-eaten water pills. Therefore, do not take Chinese patent medicines that have exceeded the shelf life, and must not take Chinese patent medicines that are not before the shelf life if they have deteriorated symptoms such as moth-eaten, mildew, and bad taste. Proprietary Chinese medicines that have been opened should be taken in a timely manner. Some proprietary Chinese medicine formulations that require relatively high cleanliness, such as eye drops, etc., if they are not used up within the specified time, do not continue to use them. Because the conditions for storing Chinese patent medicines at home are limited after all, it is generally not suitable for long-term storage of Chinese patent medicines in large quantities.

Source: Wellness China