Soups

Adzuki Bean, Longan, Ginger, and Red Date Soup

traditionally associated with strengthening the spleen, nourishing blood, and supporting water metabolism after childbirth

In short: Adzuki Bean, Longan, Ginger, and Red Date Soup is a soup that traditionally associated with strengthening the spleen, nourishing blood, and supporting water metabolism after childbirth. It is most often made for digestive wellness, women's wellness, children's wellness. Total time about 75 min. Key ingredients: adzuki beans, longan flesh, ginger, red dates.

Prep
15 min
Cook
60 min
Total
75 min
Makes
600 ml
Adzuki Bean, Longan, Ginger, and Red Date Soup

Why people make this soup

Some degree of puffiness is normal in the days and weeks after giving birth — the body redistributes the extra fluid accumulated during pregnancy. But when a new mother is visibly swollen, pale, exhausted, eating poorly, and experiencing heart palpitations or a heavy, bloated feeling, traditional Chinese food therapy sees this as a pattern of blood and qi deficiency combined with fluid accumulation. The spleen — which in Chinese medicine governs fluid metabolism and the production of qi and blood from food — has been strained by the demands of pregnancy and labor.

This simple four-ingredient soup brings together adzuki beans (a traditional food-therapy staple for draining dampness and swelling), warming longan and ginger (to gently raise qi and warm the middle), and red dates (to support blood and calm the heart). The result is a warming, subtly sweet broth that is easy to prepare and gentle enough for a new mother’s depleted system.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study
  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies
  • Red dates · Meta-analysis, 483 participants · 2025
    Jujube was associated with significantly lower BMI and triglycerides, and lower fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. LDL and total cholesterol fell only in some subgroups. HDL, AST and ALT did not change significantly.Limitation: The authors state the overall quality of the evidence is limited, and results varied significantly by dose, treatment duration and disease type.PubMed 40399274 · 3 more red dates studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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