What You Should Know About COFFEE (Chinese Medicine)
✔ Flavour: Slightly bitter and astringent | Nature: Mildly warm
✔ Medium to dark roasts → “hotter”, more drying; may contribute to internal heat
✔ Light roasts → Gentler, more sour; may help soothe the Liver and uplift mood
☕ All influence coffee’s energetic nature:
- roasting level (light, medium, dark)
- temperature (hot vs. iced)
- brewing style (espresso vs. drip)
👉🏼 So its effects can’t be generalized!
❗Caution for certain body constitutions:
- Yin Deficiency (e.g. dry mouth, insomnia, irritability)
- Damp-Heat (e.g. acne-prone, bad breath, restlessness)
👉🏼 Too much medium/dark roast coffee may worsen internal heat leave you even more tired in the long run.
✅ TCM Tip: Address the root cause of tiredness
+ reduce coffee intake
+ support with Qi-tonifying/restorative herbs
= better energy, no need to depend on caffeine!
💊 Taking Chinese herbs?
Leave at least a 2-hour gap between coffee and herbal medicine to avoid interactions or reduced absorption.
Content on this site is general health education. It does not replace individual diagnosis or treatment by a doctor or registered Chinese medicine practitioner. In an emergency call 999 or go to A&E.
