Soups
Selfheal, Jellyfish and Chrysanthemum Soup (Xia Ku Cao Hai Zhe Tang)
traditionally used to clear liver heat, ease headaches, and support healthy blood pressure
In short: Selfheal, Jellyfish and Chrysanthemum Soup (Xia Ku Cao Hai Zhe Tang) is a soup that traditionally used to clear liver heat, ease headaches, and support healthy blood pressure. It is most often made for heart & circulation, liver wellness. Total time about 150 min. Key ingredients: water chestnuts, chrysanthemum.
Why people make this soup
Jellyfish is one of those ingredients that Westerners sometimes encounter only pickled or in a salad at a Chinese restaurant, not realising it has a long history as a therapeutic food. In Chinese food therapy, jellyfish is valued precisely because it is not dramatic: it clears heat and dissolves phlegm, moistens the intestine gently, and is neither cold enough to harm a sensitive digestion nor rich enough to feel heavy. This makes it well suited for the group Nourilo has in mind — older adults, menopausal women, and people with liver-heat type patterns who need something cooling without aggravating the stomach.
Selfheal (xia ku cao, Prunella vulgaris) is the principal herb here. It is widely used in Chinese herbal medicine for conditions associated with “liver fire” — headaches, high blood pressure, red and irritated eyes, irritability, bitter taste in the mouth, and disturbed sleep. Chrysanthemum adds to this cooling action and has a particular affinity for the eyes and head. Water chestnut brings natural sweetness and a refreshing quality to the whole pot.
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.
- Chrysanthemum
Compared with the high-fat meal alone, the extract group had lower postprandial glucose at 1 hour and higher antioxidant markers (T-AOC, SOD, GSH), with lower MDA. Incremental area under the curve did not differ significantly between groups.Limitation: Small sample of healthy young adults given a single high-fat meal, so longer-term effects and effects in people with metabolic conditions are unknown.PubMed 36677639 · 1 more chrysanthemum study
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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