微波爐加熱中藥湯劑：一場“分子危機”的鬧劇
在當今快節奏的生活裏，微波爐宛如廚房中的“超級英雄”，能以風馳電掣之速讓美食“重獲新生”。可要是把中藥湯劑放進這“魔法盒子”里加熱，那可就像一場鬧劇，背後藏着不爲人知的“分子危機”。
揮發性成分：一場“說走就走”的逃亡
想象一下，中藥湯劑裏的芳香類揮發性成分，就像一羣活潑好動的小精靈。傳統煎煮時，那緩慢升溫的過程，就像給小精靈們營造了一個溫馨舒適的“慢舞派對”，它們悠然自得地待在湯劑裏，發揮着各自的藥效。
然而，當微波爐開啓，那快速升溫的“熱浪”就像突然響起的搖滾音樂，把小精靈們嚇得驚慌失措。它們迫不及待地“說走就走”，揮發到空氣中，留下藥效大打折扣的湯劑。有研究表明，微波加熱會使這些揮發性成分的損失率大幅上升，原本能發揮強大功效的湯劑，瞬間變得“有氣無力”。這就好比一場精彩的演出，演員們還沒好好展示就紛紛離場，觀衆（我們的身體）能滿意嗎？
化學成分：一場“熱敏感”的災難
中藥裏的苷類、生物鹼等成分，就像一羣嬌貴的“小公主”，對溫度極爲敏感。微波加熱產生的高溫，就像一場突如其來的“災難派對”，讓這些“小公主”們遭受氧化、水解或聚合反應的“折磨”。
就拿麻黃鹼和薄荷揮發油來說，它們就像中藥裏的“明星演員”，在藥效舞臺上扮演着重要角色。可微波加熱一上來，它們就像遭遇了“惡霸”，原本穩定的結構被破壞，藥理活性也隨之喪失。有數據表明，在微波加熱的條件下，這些熱敏感成分的破壞率顯著增加，原本能治病救人的良藥，可能就因爲這一加熱方式而失去了“魔力”。
分子結構：一場“局部過熱”的悲劇
微波還有個讓人頭疼的特性——非均勻加熱。這就好比在一個房間裏，有的地方溫暖如春，有的地方卻酷熱難耐。當中藥湯劑在微波爐裏被加熱時，局部過熱就像一場“悲劇”在分子層面悄然上演。
藥物分子結構就像一羣精心排列的“小士兵”，在適宜的溫度下整齊有序地發揮着作用。可局部過熱就像一顆“炸彈”，把“小士兵”們的排列打亂，導致它們變性或失活。特別是那些酶類或蛋白質成分，就像“指揮官”，在高溫下可能完全失效，整個“軍隊”（藥效）也就失去了戰鬥力。想象一下，一場原本勝券在握的戰役，因爲指揮官的失誤而全軍覆沒，這是多麼令人惋惜的事情啊！
煎煮過程：一場“無法模擬”的遺憾
中藥煎煮，那可是一門大學問。“先武火後文火”的煎煮方式，就像一場精心策劃的“舞蹈表演”。武火就像激昂的開場，讓藥物迅速釋放有效成分；文火則像舒緩的結尾，讓成分充分溶出，達到最佳的藥效。
可微波爐呢，就像一個不懂舞蹈規則的“門外漢”，根本無法精確模擬這一過程。它要麼讓成分溶出不足，就像舞蹈表演還沒開始就結束了；要麼過度破壞，就像把精彩的舞蹈攪得一團糟。有研究對比發現，傳統煎煮方式下中藥有效成分的溶出率明顯高於微波加熱，這就好比一場比賽，傳統煎煮輕鬆獲勝，而微波加熱只能望洋興嘆。
替代加熱：一場“迴歸傳統”的智慧
既然微波爐加熱中藥湯劑有這麼多弊端，那我們該怎麼辦呢？其實，老祖宗早就給我們留下了寶貴的財富。優先選擇砂鍋、陶瓷鍋等傳統方式，就像回到了溫暖的家，讓中藥在溫和的環境中慢慢釋放藥效。
或者採用隔水加熱、熱奶器等方法，就像給中藥穿上了一層“保護衣”，讓它在加熱過程中不受外界干擾，保持藥效的穩定性。這些傳統方法，就像一位位經驗豐富的“老師”，耐心地引導着中藥發揮最大的功效。
在這個科技飛速發展的時代，我們不能盲目追求便捷而忽略了傳統智慧。微波爐雖然方便，但在加熱中藥湯劑這件事上，它就像一個“搗亂鬼”，給我們的健康帶來了潛在的隱患。讓我們迴歸傳統，用智慧的方式對待中藥，讓這古老的良方在新時代繼續綻放光彩。畢竟，健康纔是我們最寶貴的財富，可不能因爲一時的便捷而因小失大啊！
作者簡介：梁世傑 中醫高年資主治醫師，本科學歷，從事中醫臨牀工作24年，積累了較豐富的臨牀經驗。師從首都醫科大學附屬北京中醫院肝病科主任醫師、著名老中醫陳勇，侍診多載，深得器重，盡得真傳！擅用“商湯經方分類療法”、專病專方結合“焦樹德學術思想”“關幼波十綱辨證”學術思想治療疑難雜症爲特色。現任北京樹德堂中醫研究院研究員，北京中醫藥薪火傳承新3+3工程—焦樹德門人（陳勇）傳承工作站研究員，國際易聯易學與養生專委會常務理事，中國中醫藥研究促進會焦樹德學術傳承專業委員會委員，中國藥文化研究會中醫藥慢病防治分會首批癌症領域入庫專家。榮獲2020年中國中醫藥研究促進會仲景醫學分會舉辦的第八屆醫聖仲景南陽論壇“經方名醫”榮譽稱號。2023年首屆京津冀“扁鵲杯”燕趙醫學研究主題徵文優秀獎獲得者。事蹟入選《當代科學家》雜誌、《中華英才》雜誌。
Microwave heating traditional Chinese medicine soup: a farce of a "molecular crisis"
In today''s fast-paced life, the microwave is like a "superhero" in the kitchen, which can "rejuvenate" food with speed. But if you put a Chinese herbal remedy into this "magic box" and heat it, it would be like a farce, with an unknown "molecular crisis" behind it.
Volatile ingredients: a "go away" escape
Imagine the aromatic volatile ingredients in a Chinese herbal remedy that look like a pack of lively elves. When traditional cooking, the slow-warming process creates a warm and comfortable "slow dance party" for the elves, who content themselves with their respective medicinal effects in the soup.
However, when the microwave is turned on, the rapidly heating "heat wave" is like suddenly rock music, making the elves panic. They can''t wait to "go ahead" and evaporate into the air, leaving behind a soup that has a much diminished potency. Studies have shown that microwaves will cause a substantial increase in the percent of loss of these volatile components, which can play a powerful soup, instantly become "powerless." It''s like a great show, and the actors leave before they can show it properly. Can the audience (our bodies) be satisfied?
Chemical composition: a "thermally sensitive" disaster
The components of enzymes, alkaloids and other ingredients in Chinese medicine are like a group of expensive "little princesses" that are extremely sensitive to temperature. The high temperatures generated by microwave heating are like a sudden "catastrophe party" that leaves these little princesses suffering from oxidation, hydrolysis or polymerization reactions.
Take ephedrine and peppermint volatile oil, for example. They are like "star actors" in traditional Chinese medicine, playing an important role in the efficacy stage. However, upon the introduction of microwave heating, they were like encountering a "bully," and the original stable structure was destroyed, and the pharmacological activity was lost. Some data show that under microwave heating, the damage rate of these heat-sensitive components increases significantly, and medicines that can cure diseases and save people may lose their "magic" because of this heating method.
Molecular Structure: A Tragedy of Local Overheating
Microwave also has a headache feature - non-uniform heating. It''s like being in a room where some parts of the room are as warm as spring and some parts of it are very hot. When a Chinese herbal remedy is heated in a microwave, local overheating is like a "tragedy" quietly playing out at the molecular level.
The molecular structure of a drug works like a group of carefully arranged "small soldiers" that function in a neat and orderly manner at the right temperature. But local overheating is like a "bomb" that disrupts the arrangement of the "little soldiers," causing them to become desexual or inactivate. In particular, enzymes or protein components, like "commanders," may lose their effectiveness at high temperatures, and the entire "army" (effectiveness) loses its combat power. Imagine a battle that was almost certainly won, but which was lost because of a mistake by the commander. What a pity!
The cooking process: an "unimaginable" regret
Traditional Chinese cooking is a university subject. The way fire is cooked first, then fire is like a choreographed dance performance. Fire is like an aggressive opening, allowing drugs to quickly release their effective ingredients. The flame is like a soothing end, allowing the ingredients to fully dissolve to achieve the best medicinal effect.
But the microwave oven, like an "outsider" who doesn''t understand the rules of dance, can''t accurately simulate this process. It either causes the ingredients to dissolve insufficiently, like a dance performance that ends before it begins; Or it''s too destructive, like messing up a wonderful dance. Some studies have found that the dissolved rate of effective ingredients of Chinese medicine under traditional cooking is significantly higher than microwave heating, which is like a game, where traditional heating easily wins, while microwave heater can only be admired.
Alternative heating: a "return to traditional" wisdom
Since there are so many drawbacks to microwave heating of herbal remedies, what should we do about it? In fact, our ancestors left us valuable wealth long ago. Prioritizing traditional methods such as sand pots and ceramic pots is like going back to the warm home and letting Chinese medicine slowly release its benefits in a gentle environment.
Alternatively, use insulated heating, hot milk carriers and other methods, like putting a "protection coat" on Chinese medicine, so that it is not disturbed by the outside world during the heating process, and maintains the stability of the medicinal effect. These traditional methods, like each of the experienced "teachers," patiently guide the Chinese medicine to achieve its maximum effectiveness.
In this era of rapid development of technology, we cannot blindly pursue convenience and ignore traditional wisdom. Although the microwave oven is convenient, it is like a "troubledevil" when it comes to heating traditional Chinese medicine soups, posing potential dangers to our health. Let us return to tradition and treat Chinese medicine in a wise way so that this ancient remedy can continue to blossom in a new era. After all, health is our most valuable asset, and it cannot be made worse by temporary convenience.
Author Bio: Liang Shijie is a senior medical practitioner in traditional Chinese medicine with an undergraduate degree. He has been engaged in traditional medicine clinical work for 24 years and has accumulated a wealth of clinical experience. Following Chen Yong, chief physician of liver disease at Beijing Traditional Medicine Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, and renowned old Chinese medicine, he has been treated for many years and received great attention. He specializes in the treatment of difficult diseases using "conversational traditional therapy" and special treatments combined with the academic ideas of Jiao Shude and Guan Yubo''s ten-level diagnosis.He is currently a researcher at the Shude Tang TCM Research Institute in Beijing, a fellow at the new 3 + 3 project of traditional Chinese medicine flame inheritance in Beijing - a scholar at the inheritance workstation of Jiao Shude''s protégés (Chen Yong),He is a standing committee member of the International Expert Committee on E-learning and Health Care, a member of the Jiao Shude Academic Heritage Special Committee of the Chinese Association for the Advancement of Chinese Medicine Research, and the first cancer specialist to be included in the chapter of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Culture Research Association. Won the 2020 China Association for the Promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhongjing Medical Branch held the eighth session of the Medical Saint Zhongjing Nanyang Forum "Classic Prescription Famous Doctor" honorary title. The winner of the first Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei "Pingui Cup" Yanzhao Medical Research Essay Award in 2023. His work was featured in the journal Current Scientist and the journal Chinese Talent.
