Soups

Reed Root, Mint, Bamboo Leaf and Barley Tea

Traditionally used to clear residual heat and support recovery from chickenpox

In short: Reed Root, Mint, Bamboo Leaf and Barley Tea is a soup that Traditionally used to clear residual heat and support recovery from chickenpox. It is most often made for children's wellness, skin & natural beauty, energy & vitality. Total time about 65 min. Key ingredients: reed rhizome, rock sugar.

Prep
10 min
Cook
55 min
Total
65 min
Makes
approximately 600 ml
Reed Root, Mint, Bamboo Leaf and Barley Tea

Why people make this tea

Chickenpox tends to peak in cooler weather — and when a child has passed the acute phase and the main rash is fading, there is often a lingering period of mild restlessness: residual warmth in the body, some itching, reduced appetite, and just a general sense that the system has been through something and is still winding down. This is the window where Nourilo recommends this tea. It is not a treatment for active chickenpox; it is a gentle, cleansing support for the days after the main illness, when the body is clearing out leftover heat and toxins.

Traditional Chinese medicine distinguishes between two types of chickenpox presentation: a milder “wind-heat with dampness” type where the rash is lighter and spread out, and a more intense “damp-heat blazing” type with dense rash, high persistent fever, restlessness and dark-coloured urine. This tea is suited to the milder type and the recovery period. The intense type needs a doctor.

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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