Soups

Fresh Millettia, Tu Fu Ling, Five-Finger Fig & Chestnut Soup

Traditionally strengthens the spleen, drains dampness and eases aching joints and limbs

In short: Fresh Millettia, Tu Fu Ling, Five-Finger Fig & Chestnut Soup is a soup that Traditionally strengthens the spleen, drains dampness and eases aching joints and limbs. It is most often made for digestive wellness, cooling & summer heat, skin & natural beauty. Total time about 1 hr 45 min. Key ingredients: job's tears / chinese pearl barley, chestnuts.

Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Total
1 hr 45 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Fresh Millettia, Tu Fu Ling, Five-Finger Fig & Chestnut Soup

Why people make this soup

Fresh millettia root, smilax (tu fu ling), five-finger fig, rice bean and Job’s tears make a soup traditionally valued for strengthening the spleen, draining dampness, and easing rheumatic aches and a weak, sore back and legs — and it tastes good even without meat. Many root vegetables are traditionally associated with loosening the sinews and easing the joints, and these particular herbs are mild and not strongly medicinal in flavour, which is why home cooks love them. Nourilo combines fresh millettia with a classic dampness-clearing blend of smilax, five-finger fig, rice bean and Job’s tears, and adds chestnuts for natural sweetness.

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.

  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) 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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