Soups
Five-Finger Peach Root, Ginger and Lamb Soup
traditionally used to warm the body, support qi, and ease cold sensitivity and joint discomfort
In short: Five-Finger Peach Root, Ginger and Lamb Soup is a soup that traditionally used to warm the body, support qi, and ease cold sensitivity and joint discomfort. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, energy & vitality, bone & joint wellness. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: goji berries, red dates, ginger.
Why people make this soup
Five-finger peach root (wu zhi mao tao) is a star ingredient in Hong Kong and Guangdong kitchens — mild, gentle, and loved for the faint coconut-like fragrance it gives to soups. It has earned the nickname “Southern Astragalus” (nan qi) because its qi-supporting properties are similar to the better-known astragalus root (huang qi), though a little gentler. When this root is paired with lamb — warming, nourishing, and deeply satisfying in cold weather — and fresh ginger, the soup becomes an excellent remedy for the kind of cold that goes all the way to the hands and feet, or for someone who just feels persistently tired and chilled.
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.
- Goji berries
Compared with placebo (n=80), the goji juice group (n=81) reported greater improvements in several self-rated symptoms, including stress, mental acuity, sleep quality and overall well-being, under a random effects model.Limitation: Outcomes were self-reported symptom questionnaires, and several symptoms showed significant heterogeneity across the four pooled trials of a single branded juice.PubMed 22897500 · 3 more goji berries 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 - Ginger
Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger 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
- Goji berries: A few cases of raised INR (a bleeding-risk marker) have been reported in people taking warfarin after drinking concentrated goji tea or wine. If you take a blood thinner, check with your doctor. Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering — Lycium
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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