Coffee in the context of traditional Chinese medicine: ancient records and modern applications

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, coffee has shown different values ​​in ancient records and modern applications. In ancient literature, coffee was regarded as a drink with the effects of refreshing the mind, warming the stomach and strengthening the spleen. In modern times, coffee is not only used as a drink to refresh the mind, but also used in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, such as regulating body functions with other ingredients. Although traditional Chinese medicine has not yet fully recognized the effectiveness of coffee, its value is still being explored. Overall, coffee has both ancient records and modern applications in traditional Chinese medicine, and its status and application prospects deserve further discussion.

In busy modern life, coffee has become an indispensable refreshing drink for many people. When we are intoxicated by the aroma and stimulation of coffee, have we ever thought about this question: What are the records of coffee in ancient Chinese medicine literature?

To explore the records of coffee in traditional Chinese medicine, we have to mention the history of coffee. The origin of coffee can be traced back to thousands of years ago, and it was introduced to China hundreds of years ago. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, the attitude towards alien species is cautious but open. Coffee, as an alien drink, is not as richly recorded in traditional Chinese medicine literature as traditional medicinal materials, but it still has its unique status.

In ancient times, coffee was introduced mainly as a foreign food or drink and had not yet been deeply studied and recorded as a medicinal material. However, there are records about coffee in some traditional Chinese medicine documents, such as "Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica", which describes its characteristics.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, coffee has the effects of refreshing the mind, warming the body, and promoting metabolism, which are similar to its effects in Western medicine research. However, traditional Chinese medicine pays more attention to balance and harmony. Even though coffee can refresh the mind, long-term excessive drinking may disrupt the body's balance and cause insomnia, palpitations and other problems. In ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine often warned people to drink in moderation and not to rely too much on it.

Coffee also has certain application examples in traditional Chinese medicine. In some traditional Chinese medicine beverages, coffee is used as one of the ingredients to enhance the taste and efficacy of the beverage. For example, in some traditional teas or therapeutic drinks, adding a proper amount of coffee can enhance the warming effect and promote blood circulation.

Due to the conflict and integration process between the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine and the integration of foreign species, the application of coffee in traditional Chinese medicine has not been widely promoted and applied. In most cases, it is still regarded as an alien food or drink rather than a traditional medicinal material.

With the development of the times and the increase in exchanges, Chinese medicine's understanding of coffee is gradually deepening. Modern Chinese medicine pays more attention to the combination and application of coffee with other food ingredients and medicinal materials in order to achieve better health effects. With the research and development of modern science and technology, some ingredients in coffee have also begun to be studied in depth in order to discover its potential value in modern medicine.

Although Chinese medicine's records and applications of coffee are not as rich and in-depth as traditional medicinal materials, it still has its unique insights and application value. While pursuing modernization, we should not forget the wisdom and open attitude of traditional medicine. As a common drink in modern life, the application and value of coffee in Chinese medicine still need to be further explored and studied.

In daily life, we can drink coffee in moderation to refresh our minds, but we should also pay attention to balance and health. We can also look forward to more research and application of coffee by Chinese medicine in the future, so that this ancient drink can play a greater value in modern life.