Does Flavored Medicine Need a Bracha?
In recent years, pharmaceutical establishments have found ways to flavor medicine. Whether a medication has a sweetened capsule or a syrup mixed through it, does one have to recite a Bracha on these medications?
The Gemara in Brachos discusses why we make brachos in the first place. We make a Bracha Rishona because it is forbidden to enjoy something God made without saying a blessing. The question that is discussed is what is considered Hanah (enjoyment). Enjoyment is not only considered the taste one enjoys but also the satiation that one experiences.
However, the Gemara later says that one does not make a bracha for a Refuah purpose (36a). Although this is true, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if the Refuah item contains food, one must make a bracha. The Gemara brings down a case where someone mixed olive oil and beet soup to help soothe the pain in his throat. (ibid). Another Gemara (44b) states that if one drinks water to quench his thirst, he needs to recite the bracha, but if he is choking on a bone, he does not need to recite Shehakol.
Tosfos (45a) qualifies the Gemaras statement to water specifically, which usually gives no pleasure. But he states that this would not extend to other drinks. Tosfos derives this from the earlier gemara we mentioned with the case of oil mixed with beet soup. The fact that the primary purpose of consumption is for refuah, one must still recite a Bracha because one would still derive pleasure without the medical benefits. Tosfos also qualifies by the Gemara of oil mixed with beet juice as any food item used for medical benefit; if it also derives pleasure, one must recite a bracha.
The Shulchan Orech rules as so (204:08), and the Mishna Berura clarifies and adds that even if one personally finds the food item not to his taste, he still recites the bracha since he becomes satiated from it. However, if the food tastes terrible and there is no enjoyment, then one does not have to recite a bracha. Therefore, we would say that one should recite the bracha on sweet-tasting medication.
However, the Poskim ask if all these rulings apply to modern medicine as the medicines we discussed thus far are natural foods that anyone would. In contrast, modern-day medications are synthetic sweetened substances made for medications. Therefore, would one still recite a Bracha?
Rav Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 40:97) zt’l and the Nishmas Avraham zt’ (O.C. 204:5:2) rules in the name of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach as follows. Modern-day medications are broken down into different categories. Vitamins that taste sweet and that one enjoys, recites a Bracha. Medicines with a sweet coating would also require a Bracha because before one tastes the medication, one tastes the sweet capsule first. Therefore, one derives pleasure from the capsule before the medicine is consumed. However, medications with syrup that are mixed throughout, since no healthy person would consume them in general, plus they are not considered natural, no bracha is recited. The Nishmas Avraham also cites Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l and Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, who drew no distinctions between the various cases and ruled that one must recite a Bracha on any sweet-tasting medication.
Although there is much discussion amongst the poskim whether to make a bracha, the Tzitz Eliezer recommended reciting a Yehi Ratzon that is commonly recited before taking a medication. This would address the concern of eliminating the issue of enjoying something God made without saying a blessing. The Yehi Ratzon is as follows:
“May it be Your will, Hashem my God, that this act should be a Refua for me, for You are a Healer without charge.” According to the Tzitz Eliezer, reciting the Yehi Ratzon is sufficient to eliminate the Isur of deriving pleasure from this world without reciting a Bracha.”