Soups
Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb and Longan Soup
traditionally used to calm the mind and support restful sleep
In short: Lotus Seed, Lily Bulb and Longan Soup is a soup that traditionally used to calm the mind and support restful sleep. It is most often made for skin & natural beauty, sleep & calm. Total time about 1 hr 45 min. Key ingredients: lotus seeds, lily bulb, red dates, rock sugar.
Why people make this soup
Poor sleep is genuinely exhausting, and it tends to get more common as people age. Traditional Chinese food therapy has long turned to certain plant foods — lotus seeds, lily bulb, longan flesh, spiny jujube seed — to gently settle an overactive mind and nourish what practitioners call the “heart” (which includes the nervous and emotional systems, not just the organ itself). This sweet soup brings all four of those calming botanicals together in one pot with red dates for warmth and sweetness. Many families keep it as a regular evening ritual during high-stress periods, and it doubles well as a children’s soup for mental focus and sleep.
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
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 - Red dates
Jujube was associated with significantly lower BMI and triglycerides, and lower fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. LDL and total cholesterol fell only in some subgroups. HDL, AST and ALT did not change significantly.Limitation: The authors state the overall quality of the evidence is limited, and results varied significantly by dose, treatment duration and disease type.PubMed 40399274 · 3 more red dates 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.
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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