Soups

Capillary Wormwood, Mung Bean and Smilax Soup

Traditionally used to clear damp-heat and support the liver and skin

In short: Capillary Wormwood, Mung Bean and Smilax Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to clear damp-heat and support the liver and skin. It is most often made for digestive wellness, cooling & summer heat, skin & natural beauty. Total time about 1 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: mung beans, honey dates.

Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr
Total
1 hr 15 min
Makes
1.2 L
Capillary Wormwood, Mung Bean and Smilax Soup

Why people make this soup

Roughly 8% of people in Hong Kong are hepatitis B carriers, so good hygiene — separate chopsticks when sharing meals, not sharing razors or toothbrushes — matters. This “capillary wormwood damp-clearing soup” is traditionally associated with clearing damp-heat and supporting the liver. Combined with mung bean and smilax, it is also traditionally used by people with damp-heat skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and ringworm.

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.

  • Mung beans · Randomized crossover trial, 20 participants · 2019
    Breath hydrogen and methane were higher after wheat than after rice or mung bean noodles. Bloating scores after mung bean did not differ significantly from wheat, and mung bean produced gas levels similar to rice.Limitation: Small sample of 20 patients, with single meals tested rather than habitual intake, so longer-term effects of mung bean on symptoms are unknown.PubMed 31484315 · 1 more mung beans study

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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