Soups
Bei Qi Poria Damp-Clearing Soup (Bei Qi Fu Ling Qu Shi Tang)
supports spleen function, traditionally associated with reducing fluid retention and fatigue
In short: Bei Qi Poria Damp-Clearing Soup (Bei Qi Fu Ling Qu Shi Tang) is a soup that supports spleen function, traditionally associated with reducing fluid retention and fatigue. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness, cooling & summer heat. Total time about 1 hr 10 min. Key ingredients: astragalus root, poria, red dates.
Why people make this soup
Many people today live under sustained stress, skip meals, or eat at odd hours — all of which, in Chinese medicine thinking, can gradually weaken the spleen’s ability to transform and transport fluids through the body. When that happens, dampness accumulates: you feel heavy, puffy (especially around the face or ankles), persistently low on energy, and your digestion feels sluggish. This straightforward four-herb soup addresses exactly that pattern. The formula is anchored by a generous amount of astragalus root (bei qi), used here at a higher dose than usual — the other herbs, poria and alisma, work alongside it to move fluid through the body rather than letting it stagnate.
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
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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