Article written by Physician Edward Ho, a licensed TCM practitioner registered with Singapore’s TCM Practitioners Board, has been volunteering at Chung Hwa Medical Institution, Toa Payoh, since 2014. He was awarded the exceptional Physician Award for a few consecutive years since 2019. Edward holds a Bachelor’s in TCM from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and an Advanced Diploma in TCM from the Singapore College of TCM.

Alcohol consumption has long been associated with human history. The positive effects of alcohol consumption, as commonly cited, include:

  • Relaxation and Stress Relief – alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that can create a temporary sense of calm, reduced sadness or anxiety, and help people feel more at ease in social or personal settings.
  • Increased Sociability – moderate alcohol consumption can lower inhibitions, enhance mood, and promote feeling of social connection, making it easier for individuals to engage in conversations and enjoy social interactions.
  • Mood Enhancement – alcohol can temporarily elevate mood, create a feeling of euphoria, or provide a sense of escape from daily stressors, contributing to an enjoyable experience for some.

Humans consume alcohol for various reasons, such as:

  • Cultural traditions to highlight cultural significance and communal camaraderie.
  • Celebrating political, military, social, economic, and education achievements
  • Socializing in connections, relation and team building. And partnerships.
  • Sharing of common interests to enhance interactions and sense of identity.
  • Rituals and routines to establish continued presence in social contexts.
  • Ice-breaking to promote fun and enjoyment for business development.

Traditionally, humans consume a variety of alcohol beverages:

  • Beer
  • Wine
  • Liquor

As the market expands, new types emerged:

  • Cocktail / mix and match
  • Sake / Soju
  • Handcraft / special brew

THE USE OF WINE IN TCM
Wine has been an integral part of the rich and diverse culture of the Chinese. It is associated with the divine and royal spheres. It is a symbol of prestige, uniqueness, wealth and integrity. On the other hand, wine has a stimulating effect to our body, affecting our spleen, stomach, liver, heart and lung as it enters our system.
Wine is known in TCM literature for its ability to promote blood circulation, enhance “qi” circulation (行气), and disperse cold (祛寒). Traditionally, wine has been mostly used as tonic to disperse dampness (祛风湿), cold (祛寒), enhance blood circulation (行气活血), making it useful in treating specific types of conditions.
Some Chinese remedies are recommended to be taken with wine instead of water because the wine transports them precisely where it is needed.
There are many therapeutic indications for wine consumption:

  • removes energy stagnation in the meridians,
  • harmonizes qi (energy) and blood,
  • is a tonic for Yang energy,
  • pushes cold out of the body,
  • is light, and improves blood circulation.

TCM or herbal ingredients can bring another dimension to wine consumption. DOM Benedictine, for example, is popular consumed during confinement. It is a French liqueur made from a blend of 27 herbs and spices, a ‘cocktail’ with a fixed formula. It has a dark amber color with aromas of citrus, mint, honey, and aromatic herbs. It has a silky and creamy palate with delicate honey and lemon aromas and soft almonds. The liqueur is 40% alcohol by volume.
It is therefore not surprising that the cocktail mode of mix-and-match of wine with selected TCM and herbal ingredients has grown in its popularity. The HFTea series, with the established quality and functionality, can be readily used to create a new breed of cocktails that associate TCM into the lifestyle of a modern generation.

A NOVEL APPEAL
However, these functional aspects may not have been widely accepted as lifestyle products. There is therefore an opportunity for a novel appeal of associating TCM with social alcohol consumption.
Several academic studies [by NUHS, USA] highlighted the potential benefits of TCM wines:

  1. Antioxidant Properties: One study evaluated the antioxidant properties of a medicinal wine made with Rhodiola rosea and Codonopsis pilosula, demonstrating its potential to fight oxidative stress.
    Anti-Fatigue Effects: Another study focused on the antioxidant and anti-fatigue properties of a medicinal wine made from Astragalus and Angelica, indicating its ability to enhance vitality and reduce fatigue.
  2. These findings provided the scientific backing about TCM wines. The research supports the idea that these beverages can offer more than just a pleasant drinking experience—they can also contribute to overall health and well-being.

 

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Beauty Series

Vitality Series

Remedy Series

As a TCM physician, I must put in a word of caution about over-consumption.

The key to enjoying wine is in moderation.  The definition of “moderate drinking” has been a source of some confusion. Moderate drinking consists of an average of one drink per day for women and up to two for men. One drink is considered 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits at 40% level.

Long-term alcohol misuse can cause a number of physical symptoms, including cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy, polyneuropathy, dementia, heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, peptic ulcers and sexual dysfunction, and can eventually be fatal.

Over-consumption of any alcohol is also contraindicated in TCM. Abuse of alcohol may weaken 肝脾, causing deficiency in their ability to 升清降浊, resulting in the accumulation of dampness in the body, which can be difficult to treat. A secondary concern of regularly high alcohol consumption is that it is generally void of nutrition but high in calories. Alcohol abusers often skip meals in order to drink more, leading to many undesirable effects to our body.