Traditional Chinese Medicine is used to remedy literally thousands of physical ailments. It therefore comes as little surprise that there are TCM solutions addressing the prevention and treatment of COVID. Among them, hot drinks, porridge and even a foot bath.
The remedies have been recently publicised to the general public after the Nanjing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine brought together a group of experts to come up with various TCM prevention formula.
As reported by the Yangtze Evening News on 17 December, the various concoctions formulated are in accordance with the “Guidelines for Home based Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention of COVID Infected Persons”.
Common to most of the treatments is that considered to be one of the most important herbs in TCM, astragalus (黄芪). Also called milk vetch, astragalus is derived from a type of bean or legume, and has been used in TCM for centuries.
According to WebMD, astragalus is “often promoted for its effects on the immune system, liver, and cardiovascular system”. From a COVID perspective, astragalus can also be prescribed for the treatment of upper respiratory infections.
Interested readers may refer to the aforementioned news report for the Chinese names of necessary ingredients, all available for purchase at their local TCM pharmacy.
4 TCM Home Treatments for Prevention & Cure of COVID
TCM Tea
12g baked astragalus, 12g tangerine peel, 6g perilla leaf, 5 red dates (jujube), 3 slices of ginger. Mix with boiling water once each day and drink frequently instead of tea.
Dangshen & Astragalus TCM Congee
15g Codonopsis pilosula (a.k.a poor man’s ginseng), 15g astragalus, 30g Chinese yams, 60g non-glutinous rice (Japonica rice). Wash the ingredients, add an appropriate quantity of water and cook into porridge.
Ginger Perilla Brown Sugar TCM Hot Drink
3-5 pieces ginger with skin, 6g perilla leaf, brown sugar as desired. Add the ingredients to 500ml water and boil for 15 minutes.
TCM Foot Bath
10g astragalus, 10g angelica sinensis, 10g cinnamon stick, 10g red Chinese peony, 10g Notopterygium root, 10g safflower, 10g mugwort leaf, 10g ginger. Add the ingredients to an appropriate amount of water and boil for 30 minutes. Then add to cooler water in a foot bath.
