Q Can a tonic containing deer antler be taken by someone with a lot of heat in their body?
A Deer antler has a warm, hot nature, so it should be used cautiously in constitutions with excess-heat patterns. Only after a pulse diagnosis distinguishes the nature of the heat (deficiency-heat vs. excess-heat) is it prescribed for suitable cases.
Detailed Answer
Deer antler (鹿茸) is warm in nature and supplements Yang Qi and Kidney Essence. It may not suit people who normally run hot, sweat easily, and flush easily—an excess-heat constitution. On the other hand, for deficiency-heat (heat sensations arising from Qi and Blood deficiency), deer antler combined appropriately can actually help restore balance. This is difficult to judge without a pulse diagnosis.
Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective
At Dongjedang Korean Medicine Clinic, we always distinguish excess-heat from deficiency-heat via pulse diagnosis before prescribing a deer antler tonic. If there's heat but it's deficiency-heat, deer antler can still be used; if it's excess-heat, we compose the formula together with heat-clearing herbs.
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