Nourilo

Tonic Drinks & Waters

Cogongrass Root, Sugarcane, Carrot, Water Chestnut & Coix Seed Drink

Traditionally used to clear internal heat, reduce dampness, support urinary health, and calm inflammation

In short: Cogongrass Root, Sugarcane, Carrot, Water Chestnut & Coix Seed Drink is a tonic drinks & water that Traditionally used to clear internal heat, reduce dampness, support urinary health, and calm inflammation. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat, kidney & urinary wellness, sleep & calm. Total time about 75 min. Key ingredients: cogongrass root, carrot, water chestnuts, coix seed / job's tears.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
15 min
Cook
60 min
Total
75 min
Makes
About 1.2 L
Cooling & Summer HeatKidney & Urinary WellnessSleep & Calm
Cogongrass Root, Sugarcane, Carrot, Water Chestnut & Coix Seed Drink

Why people make this drink

This is one of Hong Kong’s best-loved cooling herbal drinks — a staple of home cooking when the weather is warm and sticky, when the body feels flushed and restless, or when someone in the family is coming down with a urinary complaint. In traditional Chinese food therapy, cogongrass root (mao gen / bai mao gen) is used to cool the blood and support urinary flow; sugar cane strengthens the spleen and generates body fluids; carrot helps transform food accumulation and supports measle-rash resolution; water chestnut clears heat and phlegm; and coix seed (Job’s tears) strengthens the spleen while clearing heat and dampness. Simmered together, the result is a clear, lightly sweet drink that tastes pleasant enough for children to drink willingly. Nourilo notes that this drink is also useful to make before or after vaccination, to help the body respond more calmly. It can also be used as a supportive measure during exposure to chickenpox or measles season.

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.

  • 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

Members only

Unlock the full method & Nourilo's tips

One payment, lifetime access to every one of our 2,344 recipes — step-by-step methods, preparation tips and serving notes.

  • Full step-by-step method for this and all 2,344 recipes
  • Nourilo's Tips — sourcing, substitutions and serving notes
  • One-time payment · card, Apple Pay or Google Pay · no subscription, no renewals

Checking your access…

Spot an error? Report a correction

You might also like

Related recipes

More tonic drinks & waters →

Comments

Loading comments…