Codonopsis, Polygonatum and Red Date Soup

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.

• Honey · Meta-analysis, 14 studies · 2021
  Compared with usual care, honey was associated with lower combined symptom scores, cough frequency and cough severity. In two pooled placebo-controlled studies, the difference in combined symptoms was not statistically significant.Limitation: Only two studies compared honey with placebo, with high heterogeneity (I2=91%); the review calls for higher-quality placebo-controlled trials.PubMed 32817011 · 3 more honey studies
• Licorice root · Randomized controlled trial, 66 participants · 2024
  Compared with placebo plus the same low-calorie diet, licorice extract was associated with greater improvements in body weight, BMI, body fat, lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR at 8 weeks.Limitation: Small sample, short 8-week duration, and an extract dose that is not comparable to licorice eaten as food; the authors call for confirmatory research.PubMed 39080737 · 3 more licorice root 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.