Soups

Fresh Purslane and Psoralea Soup

Traditionally clears heat-damp and supports women's intimate health

In short: Fresh Purslane and Psoralea Soup is a soup that Traditionally clears heat-damp and supports women's intimate health. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat, women's wellness, oral & throat comfort. Total time about 40 min. Key ingredients: purslane, ginger, red dates, rice wine.

Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Makes
600 ml
Fresh Purslane and Psoralea Soup

Why people make this soup

Purslane (also called gua zi cai or “five-element vegetable”) tastes mildly sour and is one of the most traditional Chinese folk greens. It is traditionally credited with clearing heat-damp and is associated in old texts with easing damp-heat in women. Modern study has also looked at the many compounds purslane contains. Brewed as this soup with psoralea, it is traditionally taken to clear heat-damp and support women dealing with itching, redness, or watery, off-smelling discharge — and is sometimes used for thrush or trichomonas concerns in both women and men.

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.

  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies
  • Red dates · Meta-analysis, 483 participants · 2025
    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
  • Honey · Meta-analysis, 14 studies · 2021
    Compared with usual care, honey was associated with lower combined symptom scores, cough frequency and cough severity. In two pooled placebo-controlled studies, the difference in combined symptoms was not statistically significant.Limitation: Only two studies compared honey with placebo, with high heterogeneity (I2=91%); the review calls for higher-quality placebo-controlled trials.PubMed 32817011 · 3 more honey 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

  • Honey: Never give honey to babies under 1 year old — it can cause infant botulism, a very serious illness. Source: NHS — Foods to avoid giving babies
  • Rice wine / alcohol: This recipe contains alcohol. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the NHS recommends not drinking alcohol; leave it out or choose another recipe. Source: NHS — Alcohol in pregnancy

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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