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Fresh Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb, Longan and Goji Berry Soup

Traditionally used to calm the mind, ease restlessness and poor sleep, and support emotional steadiness

In short: Fresh Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb, Longan and Goji Berry Soup is a soup that Traditionally used to calm the mind, ease restlessness and poor sleep, and support emotional steadiness. It is most often made for sleep & calm. Total time about 50 min. Key ingredients: lily bulb, longan flesh, goji berries.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Makes
600–900 ml
Sleep & Calm
Fresh Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb, Longan and Goji Berry Soup

Why people make this soup

There is a particular kind of tiredness where your body is exhausted but your mind refuses to stop — thoughts racing at 2am, heart pounding for no clear reason, a vague sense of dread you cannot name. Chinese food therapy calls this pattern a disturbance of the heart-mind (xin shen), and has been addressing it with lotus seeds, lily bulb and longan for centuries. The clever detail in this recipe is that Nourilo keeps the green embryo inside the fresh lotus seeds. It is slightly bitter, and that bitterness is precisely where the calming effect on racing thoughts and palpitations comes from in the traditional logic. Most commercial lotus seeds have the embryo removed — here, it stays in. Combined with the gentle, slightly sweet lily bulb and the blood-nourishing warmth of longan, this is a soup that tastes light and pleasant while quietly doing serious work on the nervous system.

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.

  • Lotus seeds · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Lotus seed meals had a low glycemic index (GI 21–51 across the lotus seed and adzuki bean meals), while several other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Lotus seed's in vitro hydrolysis index was also lower than that of other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal tests, so findings may not apply to people with diabetes or to long-term intake.PubMed 30875961
  • Goji berries · Meta-analysis, 161 participants · 2012
    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

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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