Part 3 of 6 in the "What Malaysians mean by heavy dampness" series. The list of the other five is at the foot of this part.

The herbal-tea shop has dampness tea, the medical hall has dampness soup packs, and the Guardian and Watsons shelves have canned 薏米 water. Before buying, who needs to ask first?

The answer first. TCM theory treats these as food therapy or prepared Chinese medicine — which is to say, they have an effect. In that theory, anything with an effect also has people it does not suit. So the question is not whether they are good, but who is drinking, and what is in it.

This part lists five ask-first situations by situation, not by constitution. Why the theory connects dampness to any of this is parts 4 and 5.

The short version

• TCM theory treats dampness teas, 薏米 water and dampness soup packs as food therapy or prepared Chinese medicine, not as a drink.
• Singapore's Ministry of Health notes that CPM carry information on documented side effects and contraindications, such as pregnancy and lactation, on their labels.
• The same page states that, in general, CPM should not be given to infants under 12 months unless advised by a TCM practitioner.
• The same page also advises: if you are currently on any medication, talk to your doctor or physician before planning to take a CPM product. Never stop your medication on your own.
• Bottled and canned dampness drinks may be sweetened; read the nutrition label before buying.

A note: this section is general information only. For conditions like these, follow your doctor's diagnosis and treatment, and seek medical attention when you need it.

First, the things that cannot wait

⚠️ A safety note: TCM and Western medicine complement each other; it is not a choice between them. For severe abdominal pain, chest tightness or breathlessness, or fever with a stiff neck, call 999 now, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Persistent high fever, blood in the stool, or unexplained weight loss means seeing a doctor first — the reason behind each is in part 6.

A note: this section is general information only. For conditions like these, follow your doctor's diagnosis and treatment, and seek medical attention when you need it.

I. Dampness teas and 薏米 water: who should ask first

Dampness teas, barley (薏米) water and dampness soup packs sit on the shelves of herbal-tea shops, Chinese medical halls, Guardian and Watsons. TCM theory treats them as food therapy or prepared Chinese medicine; in that theory, anything with an effect also has people it does not suit.

The list below is by situation, not by constitution. If any applies, ask before drinking:

• Pregnant, trying, or breastfeeding: Singapore's Ministry of Health notes that Chinese proprietary medicines carry information on documented side effects and contraindications, such as pregnancy and lactation, on their labels. For these products and bottled dampness teas, ask a registered TCM practitioner first; if the label says it is not for use in pregnancy, do not drink it.
• Infants and children: the same page states that, in general, CPM should not be given to infants under 12 months unless advised by a TCM practitioner. For older children, ask about dose and suitability first.
• On long-term Western medication: Singapore's Ministry of Health advises that if you are currently on any medication, talk to your doctor or physician before planning to take a CPM product as well. We include over-the-counter dampness drinks in that bucket. Never stop your medication on your own.
• Diabetes, or managing blood sugar: bottled dampness teas and canned 薏米 water may be sweetened. Read the nutrition label before buying; if unsure, ask the pharmacist at the pharmacy counter.
• Older adults, before surgery, or a chronic condition under regular review: tell your doctor what dampness products you drink, and let the doctor judge.

For the "before surgery" item, that page gives the reason. Singapore's Ministry of Health states that if you are scheduled for a surgical operation you should inform your doctor about any CPM you are taking, because some products may interfere or interact with the anaesthetics and other medicines used during the surgery; you may also be required to stop taking these products before the operation. Whether to stop, and when, is the doctor's decision.

A note: this section is general information only. For conditions like these, follow your doctor's diagnosis and treatment, and seek medical attention when you need it.

II. Before you buy, in Malaysia

For everyone outside those five situations, the theory's principle is this: treat it as a supplement, not as a substitute. The habits in part 2 — warm, moving, dry, ventilated — are the half the theory itself puts first, and a cup of something does not replace them.

• Dampness tea from the herbal-tea shop, soup packs from the medical hall, dampness supplements from direct sales: check the five situations above before buying.
• Confinement (坐月子): confinement diets have their own traditional arrangements. Whether dampness-clearing ingredients suit yours is a question for the TCM practitioner in charge, not an online recipe.

For the bottled or canned kind there is one more thing you can do yourself: read the sugar on the nutrition label. That is product information, not a question for the theory — the theory has nothing to say about how much sugar went into the bottle.

The words in this part

All three are words Singapore's Ministry of Health uses on that page itself, and you meet them directly on a product label or in regulatory material.

• Chinese proprietary medicine (CPM, 中成药) — Singapore's Ministry of Health defines these as medicinal products, used according to the TCM system of treatment, that have been manufactured into finished dosage forms, for example tablets, capsules or pills; the finished products contain Chinese herbs, animal parts and/or minerals as active ingredients.
• Contraindications (禁忌) — that page's own usage: the situations a label sets out in which a product is not to be used, with pregnancy and lactation as its examples.
• Documented side effects (副作用) — the other half of the same sentence: the known unwanted effects a label sets out, with nausea and vomiting as its examples.

Two words not taught, and why: neither "food therapy" nor the properties of 薏米 has a definition sentence on any regulator or public-health page we could find, so this part does not teach them and does not define them on their behalf.

Frequently asked

Does drinking dampness tea help? TCM theory treats dampness tea as food therapy or prepared Chinese medicine, something with an effect, so the theory's answer is "it depends who drinks it and what is in it". For the five situations listed above, ask first. For everyone else, the theory's principle is to treat it as a supplement, not as a substitute for changing the habits in part 2.

Can a pregnant woman drink 薏米 water? This is one we could not find a page for. We looked at the public hospital and TCM regulatory bodies in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and none of them states whether 薏米 is to be avoided in pregnancy, so this part draws no conclusion about 薏米 itself. What can be said is the first item above: Singapore's Ministry of Health notes that CPM labels carry contraindication information, such as pregnancy and lactation — so the answer is to ask a registered TCM practitioner first, and to read what the label says.

Do not: stop or reduce any Western medication because you have started a dampness tea or TCM. And do not treat a bottled dampness drink as "not really medicine, so not worth mentioning" — say it at the consultation, so the practitioner can see the whole picture.

The other five parts

• Part 1: Why do Malaysians always say "dampness is heavy"? What dampness is in TCM theory, and what the humidity figures say
• Part 2: Which daily habits count — iced drinks, air-con and long sitting, and what the theory links to dampness
• Part 4: The model inside the theory: the spleen governs transportation and transformation, and where dampness comes from
• Part 5: Iced, greasy, late, seated: which link each one loads, and how the theory reads a working day
• Part 6: When to see a doctor first — each sign, and what it can mean

👉 If you are unsure whether this packet of soup ingredients or this bottled drink actually suits you, you are welcome to book an online consultation with HansMed, where a practitioner registered under the T&CM Act 2016 can assess it with you.

Sit with a licensed TCM practitioner from wherever you are.

HansMed Modern TCM

Sources

• Singapore MOH HealthHub, Chinese Proprietary Medicine (last updated 24 July 2025) — https://www.healthhub.sg/well-being-and-lifestyle/personal-care/chinese_proprietary_medicine

本文是「马来西亚人说的「湿气重」」系列的第 3 篇，共 6 篇。另外五篇的清单在文末。

凉茶铺有祛湿茶，药材铺有祛湿汤包，Guardian 和 Watsons 的货架上有罐装薏米水。买之前，谁需要先问一声？

先给答案。 中医理论把这些东西当作食疗或中成药——也就是说，它们有作用。在这套理论里，有作用的东西，也就有不适合的对象。所以问题不是「好不好」，是「谁喝、喝什么」。

这一篇按情况列出五种先问再喝的情形，不按体质。理论为什么把「湿」和这些东西连起来，第 4 篇与第 5 篇说。

一分钟看完

• 中医理论把祛湿茶、薏米水、祛湿汤包当作食疗或中成药，不当作饮料。
• 新加坡卫生部的说明是：中成药的标签会附上已知副作用与禁忌的资讯，例如孕期与哺乳期。
• 同一说明指出，一般而言，未满 12 个月的婴儿不应服用中成药，除非中医师建议。
• 同一说明也建议：如果您正在服药，计划服用中成药前先和医生或医师谈。切勿自行停药。
• 瓶装与罐装的祛湿饮品可能含糖；买之前看营养标签。

小提醒：本段仅为一般知识说明。相关情况请以西医的诊断与治疗为主，并在需要时及时就医。

先说不能等的几件事

⚠️ 安全提醒：中医与西医是互相补位的关系，不是二选一。若出现剧烈腹痛、胸闷或呼吸困难，或发烧伴颈部僵硬，请立刻拨打 999，或前往最近的医院急诊部。

持续高烧、大便带血，或无法解释的体重下降，请先看医生——每一项的理由，见第 6 篇。

小提醒：本段仅为一般知识说明。相关情况请以西医的诊断与治疗为主，并在需要时及时就医。

一、祛湿茶、薏米水：谁要先问

祛湿茶、薏米水、祛湿汤包，在凉茶铺、药材铺和 Guardian、Watsons 的货架上都有。中医理论把它们当作食疗或中成药；在这套理论里，有作用的东西，也就有不适合的对象。

以下是按情况分的，不是按体质分。属于任何一种，请先问再喝：

• 怀孕、备孕或哺乳中：新加坡卫生部的说明是，中成药的标签会附上已知副作用与禁忌的资讯，例如孕期与哺乳期。这类产品和瓶装祛湿茶，请先问注册中医师；标签有写「孕妇忌用」的，就是不喝。
• 婴幼儿与儿童：同一说明指出，一般而言，未满 12 个月的婴儿不应服用中成药，除非中医师建议。更大的孩子，剂量和是否适合，也请先问。
• 正在长期服用西药：新加坡卫生部的建议是，如果您正在服药，计划服用中成药前先和医生或医师谈。我们把市售的祛湿饮品也归入这一类。切勿自行停药。
• 有糖尿病，或正在控制血糖的：瓶装祛湿茶、罐装薏米水可能含糖。买之前看营养标签，不确定就问药剂行的药剂师（pharmacist）。
• 乐龄人士、准备手术、慢性病定期复诊中：把您在喝的祛湿产品告诉医生，由医生判断。

「准备手术」这一项，那一页给了理由。 新加坡卫生部写明：若已安排手术，请把您在服用的中成药告知医生，因为有些产品可能与手术中使用的麻醉药及其他药物相互影响；术前也可能需要停用这些产品。停不停、什么时候停，由医生决定。

小提醒：本段仅为一般知识说明。相关情况请以西医的诊断与治疗为主，并在需要时及时就医。

二、在马来西亚买之前

这五种情况之外的人，理论的原则是：当作辅助，不当作替代品。第 2 篇那些习惯——温、动、干、通风——是理论自己放在前面的那一半；一杯汤水不替代它们。

• 凉茶铺的祛湿茶、药材铺的祛湿汤包、直销的祛湿保健品：上面五种情况先问再买。
• 坐月子：坐月子饮食有自己的传统安排，祛湿食材是否适合，请问负责的中医师，不要照网上的方子。

买瓶装或罐装的那一类，还有一件事可以自己做：看营养标签上的糖。这是产品资讯，不是理论问题——理论管不到瓶子里加了多少糖。

这篇出现的几个词

三个都是新加坡卫生部那一页自己在用的词；看产品标签或监管资料时会直接遇到。

• 中成药（Chinese proprietary medicine，CPM）——新加坡卫生部的定义是：按中医治疗体系使用、已制成成品剂型（例如片剂、胶囊、丸剂）的药品；成品以中药材、动物来源成分和／或矿物为有效成分。
• 禁忌（contraindications）——那一页的用法：标签上列出的不适用情形，它举的例子是孕期与哺乳期。
• 副作用（documented side effects）——同一句里的另一半：标签上列出的已知不良反应，它举的例子是恶心与呕吐。

没有教的两个词，和原因： 「食疗」与「薏米」的药性，在我们查得到的监管或公立医疗页面里都没有定义句，所以这一篇不教它们，也不替它们下定义。

常见问题

喝祛湿茶有帮助吗？ 中医理论把祛湿茶当作食疗或中成药，也就是有作用的东西，所以理论的回答是「看是谁喝、喝什么」。上面列的五种情况，先问再喝。其他人，理论的原则是当作辅助，不当作解决第 2 篇那些习惯的替代品。

孕妇可以喝薏米水吗？ 这一题我们查不到能引的页面。我们找过台湾与香港的公立医疗与中医药主管机构，没有一页写明薏米在孕期的宜忌，所以本篇不对薏米本身下任何结论。能说的是上面第一项：新加坡卫生部指出中成药标签会附上禁忌资讯，例如孕期与哺乳期——所以答案是先问注册中医师，看标签怎么写。

不要这样做： 不要因为开始喝祛湿茶或看中医，就自行停掉、减少任何西药。也不要把瓶装祛湿饮品当作「不算药，所以不用说」——问诊时说出来，医师才看得到全貌。

这个系列的另外五篇

• 第 1 篇：为什么大马人常说「湿气重」？—「湿」在中医理论里是什么，气象局的湿度数字怎么说
• 第 2 篇：哪些日常习惯算——冰饮、冷气、久坐，理论把什么联系到「湿」
• 第 4 篇：理论里的模型：脾主运化，和「湿」的来处
• 第 5 篇：冰、油、晚、坐：各自加载哪一环，理论怎么读一个工作日
• 第 6 篇：什么时候先看医生——每一项信号，以及它可能意味着什么

👉 如果您不确定「我这一包汤料、这一瓶饮品，到底适不适合我」，欢迎透过汉方中医的线上问诊，由依 2016 年 T&CM 法令注册的医师为您评估。

无论身在何处，与持证中医师对坐。

汉方现代中医

资料来源

• 新加坡卫生部 HealthHub，〈Chinese Proprietary Medicine〉（2025 年 7 月 24 日更新）— https://www.healthhub.sg/well-being-and-lifestyle/personal-care/chinese_proprietary_medicine