Soups

Kudzu, Water Chestnut, Three-Bean and Job's Tears Pork Rib Soup

Traditionally taken to clear lung heat and support the body in flu season

In short: Kudzu, Water Chestnut, Three-Bean and Job's Tears Pork Rib Soup is a soup that Traditionally taken to clear lung heat and support the body in flu season. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, skin & natural beauty, blood sugar balance. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: kudzu root, water chestnuts, hyacinth beans, mung beans.

Prep
20 min
Cook
2 hr
Total
2 hr 20 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Kudzu, Water Chestnut, Three-Bean and Job's Tears Pork Rib Soup

Why people make this soup

When the forecast turns colder, flu viruses tend to get livelier — so over the Lunar New Year visiting season, Nourilo likes a little extra defence. Kudzu is traditionally used to clear and moisten lung heat and ease muscle tension and fever, while water chestnut is a favourite food during respiratory-bug season and after all that festive fried food. Together with three beans and Job’s tears, this makes a fresh, light soup associated with supporting the respiratory tract and easing neck, shoulder and head aches.

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.

  • Kudzu root · Randomized controlled trial, 20 participants · 2015
    The kudzu group reduced intake from 3.0 to 1.9 beers after treatment, while the placebo group rose from 2.7 to 3.4. Kudzu-treated participants also drank more slowly.Limitation: Very small sample (10 per group) with a single dose in a laboratory setting, so results may not carry over to everyday drinking.PubMed 26048637 · 2 more kudzu root studies
  • 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
  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) 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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