Herbal & Flower Teas

Ophiopogon and Golden Monk Fruit Tea

traditionally associated with nourishing yin, moistening the lungs, and relieving thirst and heat-related irritability

In short: Ophiopogon and Golden Monk Fruit Tea is a herbal & flower tea that traditionally associated with nourishing yin, moistening the lungs, and relieving thirst and heat-related irritability. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, blood sugar balance, everyday balance. Total time about 20 min. Key ingredients: ophiopogon root, golden monk fruit.

Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total
20 min
Makes
2 cups
Ophiopogon and Golden Monk Fruit Tea

Why people make this tea

Summer heat tends to dry people out — a sweaty commute, long days, air-conditioned offices — and the result is often a persistent dry throat, a craving for cold drinks, and a general sense of restlessness or irritability that cold water alone does not fix. In Cantonese food therapy, this is a yin-deficiency pattern: the body’s cooling, moistening reserves have been depleted. Ophiopogon (mai dong) is a slender, sweet-tasting root that has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries specifically for this pattern — moistening the lungs, nourishing the heart, and encouraging the body to generate its own fluids. Paired with golden monk fruit — a low-temperature-roasted version of the traditional dried monk fruit, which avoids the smoky flavour of conventional preparation — the result is a tea that is naturally very sweet, pleasant enough to drink cold or warm, and associated with helping manage blood sugar rather than raising it. Nourilo keeps this tea on regular rotation in summer.

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.

  • Golden monk fruit · Systematic review, 5 studies · 2025
    Across five randomized trials, monk fruit extract was associated with 10-18% lower postprandial glucose and 12-22% lower insulin responses. No severe adverse effects were observed.Limitation: Only five trials were included, and the authors state that long-term clinical trials are needed to confirm safety and efficacy.PubMed 40362742 · 2 more golden monk fruit 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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