A premium version of the plum drink, enhanced with medicinal herbs by the Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine. (Photo provided to Xinhua Daily)

Hospitals specializing in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Jiangsu Province are gaining popularity with their healthy drinks, especially during the summer months.

Dr. Yu Bo from the Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine explained that some drinks are enhanced with medicinal herbs like chrysanthemum for added benefits. The premium version features the medicinal plant Dendrobium officinale, and some can help mitigate the effects of alcohol and manage weight. Furthermore, Yu has personally developed a drink promoting hair health based on his research and user feedbacks.

The online shopping mall of the Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine recommends a variety of products, from tea to foot bath ingredients, pillows designed to improve sleep quality, and biscuits enhanced with TCM ingredients. The monthly sales of single items can range from 800 to 1,000 orders on the online store.

Since 2022, the Second Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine has been offering tea drinks adjusted with Chinese medicine. Wang Dong, director of the hospital's health management center, said that the hospital sells 1,000-1,500 scented sachets and around 2,000 tea drinks monthly.

Special tea drinks are available at the Kunshan Hospital of Chinese Medicine for about six years. Dr. Xu Cheng said tea drinks are primarily for medical treatment, such as lowering blood pressure. The hospital’s plum drink and beauty drinks use milder TCM ingredients that are also consumed as food. The popular TCM products include a blinder that can help ease eye fatigue, and a bag that can relax muscles or joints.

The rising popularity of these TCM-inspired products marks an innovative approach and an apt response to the needs of fast-paced modern life. Li Wen, a pharmacist at the Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine, explained that every recipe of TCM tea drink was made and tasted by pharmacists, and improved in cooperation with the clinician as needed, to ensure the taste and therapeutic efficacy of the medicinal tea.

But Yu Bo reminded that the drinks need to be tailored to the individual, and any long-term use of the medicinal tea drinks should follow doctor’s guidance.

"Many tea bags are also herbal prescriptions. They are not mass-produced indiscriminately for everyone. Clinicians should make necessary adjustments to the prescription to suit individuals,” Wang Dong added.