‘Fake Americano’ to cope with heatwave: doctors in China warn against using traditional Chinese medicine to create ‘risky’ trendy drink
- A drink made by mixing a bottle of a Chinese herbal liquid named Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Shui with water and ice cubes is alarming doctors in China
- Medical warnings say drinking too much of the liquid, which contains alcohol, can cause nausea and vomiting and heart palpitations
The dangerous new trend has emerged in the last few weeks with growing numbers of mainland internet users sharing pictures of their versions of what they are calling an “iced Chineseno”.
The drink is made by mixing a small bottle of a Chinese herbal liquid named Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Shui with water and ice cubes.
Jin Hui, a doctor from Zhongda Hospital affiliated with Southeast University in Nanjing of Jiangsu, eastern China, said it’s not safe to drink Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Shui as an everyday drink.
“Firstly, this drug’s label warns people not to drink it with cold food. So it’s not in line with the instructions to mix it with iced water,” Jin told Jiangsu TV.
“Secondly, people should not wilfully drink it just like they drink beverages. They also should not regard this medicine as a health enhancement product, as we don’t advise the public to have this drug when they want to prevent themselves from having heatstroke,” she said.
“It’s quite likely that internet users will have an excessive amount of this drug. It’s risky and they could experience side-effects.”
