Soups
Chinese Yam, Goji, Cashew and Loach Fish Soup (Huai Qi Yao Guo Ni Qiu Tang)
Traditionally used to warm and support kidney and spleen yang, ease fatigue and support vitality
In short: Chinese Yam, Goji, Cashew and Loach Fish Soup (Huai Qi Yao Guo Ni Qiu Tang) is a soup that Traditionally used to warm and support kidney and spleen yang, ease fatigue and support vitality. It is most often made for digestive wellness, children's wellness, kidney & urinary wellness. Total time about 2 hr 20 min. Key ingredients: chinese yam, goji berries, cashews, ginger.
Why people make this soup
In Chinese constitutional medicine, “kidney yang deficiency” describes a cluster of symptoms that many people will recognise: always feeling cold (especially in the back and knees), low energy, poor sleep, frequent nighttime urination, and a general sense of not having enough drive. This soup is a practical, food-based response to that pattern. Loach fish — a small, mild freshwater fish common in Asian markets — is prized in Chinese food therapy for its amino acid content, which is considered beneficial for male reproductive health and general vitality. Paired with Chinese yam (which supports the spleen and kidney), cashews (warming and nourishing), goji berries and ginger, the soup is warming but not overly rich.
Nourilo notes that this soup is also a good choice for children who sweat excessively at night, have poor growth or poor absorption of nutrients — he suggests serving it two to three times a week for children in that situation.
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 - 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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