Digestion
Dry Mouth & Thirst
Constantly dry mouth, sticky saliva, waking up thirsty.
⚡ Quick & easy version · 2 min
Cucumber & Pear
Only a few things you probably already have at home.
You need
- ◆Cucumber or pear
- ◆Water
Steps
- Snack on cucumber or pear slices.
- Sip water often instead of a lot at once.
American Ginseng & Ophiopogon Tea
You need
- ◆3–5 g American ginseng slices
- ◆10 g ophiopogon
- ◆500 ml water
How to make it
- 1
Simmer 20 min.
- 2
Sip warm through the day. Chew the ginseng slices afterwards.
Mung Bean Soup
You need
- ◆100 g mung beans
- ◆1.5 L water
- ◆Rock sugar to taste
How to make it
- 1
Rinse beans and boil 30–40 min until they burst.
- 2
Sweeten lightly, drink the liquid cool in summer.
Helpful herbs
The TCM view
Stomach and Kidney Yin deficiency or heat consuming fluids. Typical herbs: Mai Men Dong, Sha Shen, Yu Zhu, pear and mung bean.
Food tips
Eat / do
- Watermelon, cucumber, pear
- Sipping water often
- Soups
Avoid
- Alcohol
- Salty snacks
- Smoking
- Mouth-breathing at night
Sources
- Bensky et al. – Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (Eastland Press)
- Scheid, Bensky et al. – Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies (Eastland Press)
- NCCIH – Herbs at a Glance (US National Institutes of Health)
- NCCIH – Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know
- Memorial Sloan Kettering – About Herbs database (interactions & safety)
- Thuisarts.nl – Dutch GP advice (when to see a doctor)
⚠ Safety
- Constant thirst with lots of urination can be diabetes – get a blood test.
- Many medicines cause dry mouth; ask your pharmacist.
- Not a replacement for medical care. Ask a doctor before use if pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication.