Soups
He Shou Wu, Walnut, Black Sesame, Goji and Longan Soup
traditionally used to nourish liver and kidneys, support memory and brain vitality in both children and older adults
In short: He Shou Wu, Walnut, Black Sesame, Goji and Longan Soup is a soup that traditionally used to nourish liver and kidneys, support memory and brain vitality in both children and older adults. It is most often made for children's wellness, liver wellness, kidney & urinary wellness. Total time about 1 hr 15 min. Key ingredients: goji berries, walnuts, black sesame seeds, lean pork.
Why people make this soup
In many families, food therapy used to be planned around the adults — but Nourilo observes that today it is often the children who are the focus. During the school years, children benefit from ingredients that support brain development and focus. And as people age, maintaining mental sharpness and physical vitality becomes an equally important concern. This soup addresses both: walnuts, black sesame, goji berries and longan are all well-known in East Asian food traditions for their association with nourishing the liver, kidneys and brain, while he shou wu adds depth to the liver- and kidney-supporting action. It is a gentle everyday tonic, not a medicine.
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 - Walnuts
Office systolic BP changed by -4.61 mm Hg with walnuts versus -0.59 mm Hg in controls (P=0.051); 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP difference was not significant (P=0.111). No diastolic BP changes were observed.Limitation: Only 236 of 305 participants (75%) completed the study, and the main between-group differences did not reach conventional significance.PubMed 30879358 · 2 more walnuts 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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