Soups
Astragalus, Black Bean and Southern Jujube Soup (Bei Qi Hei Dou Nan Zao Tang)
traditionally used to strengthen protective qi, consolidate the body surface, and ease excessive sweating from deficiency
In short: Astragalus, Black Bean and Southern Jujube Soup (Bei Qi Hei Dou Nan Zao Tang) is a soup that traditionally used to strengthen protective qi, consolidate the body surface, and ease excessive sweating from deficiency. It is most often made for energy & vitality, immune support. Total time about 1 hr 10 min. Key ingredients: astragalus root, black beans.
Why people make this soup
Sweating in the heat is completely normal. But some people sweat heavily throughout the day with little exertion, or wake at night with their clothes damp — and these experiences are genuinely draining. In Chinese medicine, the first pattern (sweating during the day, often accompanied by fatigue, breathlessness, and easy colds) is called zi han or “spontaneous sweating,” and is linked to qi deficiency. The second (sweating during sleep, stopping on waking) is called dao han or “night sweating,” and is linked to yin deficiency. Both are treated as signs that the body’s surface is not holding securely. This three-ingredient soup has been Nourilo’s standard recommendation for both: astragalus to strengthen the wei qi and close the surface, black beans to consolidate essence, and southern jujubes to nourish and settle.
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.
- Astragalus root
TA-65 was associated with longer leukocyte telomeres compared with controls, but the meta-analysis found no significant improvement in frailty measures or inflammatory markers (CRP/IL-6). Mild gastrointestinal effects were reported.Limitation: Industry-funded trials reported larger effects than others, and the compound is a purified extract at doses not comparable to eating Astragalus root.PubMed 41286474 · 3 more astragalus root studies - Red dates
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 - Black soybeans
Systolic blood pressure fell more in the black soy peptide group (-9.69 mm Hg) than in the placebo group (-2.91 mm Hg) after baseline adjustment. Plasma malondialdehyde decreased and superoxide dismutase activity increased compared with placebo.Limitation: Used an isolated peptide supplement rather than whole black soybeans, and followed participants for only 8 weeks, so the results may not apply to food intake.PubMed 23924691
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.
Ingredient notes for this recipe
- Astragalus: May interact with medicines that suppress the immune system. A thorough safety evaluation has not been done, and little is known about its safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Source: NIH NCCIH — Astragalus
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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