Traditionally, Kampo medicine has been taken by decocting various natural raw herbs in specific proportions. In modern times, it's convenient to obtain powdered Kampo medicine that simply requires adding hot water, but even now, when preparing personalized medicine rather than pre-made formulas, you will need to decoct dried raw herbs yourself. Here, we would like to introduce the general method of decocting Kampo medicine, which may not be very familiar to us today.

Step-by-step Guide: "How to Decoction Kampo Medicine"

  • STEP1
    Preparation of Raw Herbs
    Quickly rinse the raw herbs with water.
  • STEP2
    Boiling the Raw Herbs
    Place the raw herbs in a pot, pour in water until it's three times the volume of the herbs, and bring to a strong boil.
  • STEP3
    Simmering the Raw Herbs
    Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for about 1 hour.
  • STEP4
    Extraction of Raw Herbs
    Turn off the heat. Once it has cooled down sufficiently, separate the decocted medicine (liquid) from the spent raw herbs (dregs) and store them separately in the refrigerator.

Handling of Raw Herbs

The raw herb portion can be reused multiple times until its color and aroma disappear, so do not discard it after a single use; please store it in the refrigerator.
The decoction time varies depending on the type of raw herb, so please confirm with the Kampo doctor each time.

Summary of Kampo Medicine Decoction

Decocting raw herbs may seem troublesome and difficult at first, but it is not that hard once you get used to it.
Additionally, if you dislike the smell filling the room when you have children at home, or if you do not have a large pot for decocting, our clinic also offers a raw herb decoction service for 300 baht.
Please feel free to ask us about it.