Kudzu, Three-Bean and Job's-Tears Pork Rib Soup

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.

• Kudzu root · Randomized controlled trial, 20 participants · 2015
  The kudzu group reduced intake from 3.0 to 1.9 beers after treatment, while the placebo group rose from 2.7 to 3.4. Kudzu-treated participants also drank more slowly.Limitation: Very small sample (10 per group) with a single dose in a laboratory setting, so results may not carry over to everyday drinking.PubMed 26048637 · 2 more kudzu root studies
• Mung beans · Randomized crossover trial, 20 participants · 2019
  Breath hydrogen and methane were higher after wheat than after rice or mung bean noodles. Bloating scores after mung bean did not differ significantly from wheat, and mung bean produced gas levels similar to rice.Limitation: Small sample of 20 patients, with single meals tested rather than habitual intake, so longer-term effects of mung bean on symptoms are unknown.PubMed 31484315 · 1 more mung beans study
• Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
  Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.