Soups

Rehmannia Mung Bean Pigeon Soup (Sheng Di Lu Dou Ru Ge Tang)

traditionally used to clear heat and dampness, support skin health, and ease folliculitis and acne

In short: Rehmannia Mung Bean Pigeon Soup (Sheng Di Lu Dou Ru Ge Tang) is a soup that traditionally used to clear heat and dampness, support skin health, and ease folliculitis and acne. It is most often made for cooling & summer heat, skin & natural beauty. Total time about 110 min. Key ingredients: mung beans, tangerine peel, red dates.

Prep
20 min
Cook
90 min
Total
110 min
Makes
1.2 L
Rehmannia Mung Bean Pigeon Soup (Sheng Di Lu Dou Ru Ge Tang)

Why people make this soup

Folliculitis — inflammation of the hair follicles — is quite common and can appear on the scalp, face, chest, back, upper arms, shoulders, and buttocks. Early signs include redness and itching around individual follicles; in more severe cases, raised bumps, cysts, or even pus may develop. Acne is closely related: while folliculitis is typically caused by bacterial, fungal, or mite infection, acne is mainly driven by blocked pores — from oil, environmental debris, or the skin’s own sebaceous secretions.

During adolescence especially, the oil glands work overtime, and if the skin is not well cleansed or the diet is rich in fried and greasy foods, oil can build up in the follicles and form blackheads or breakouts. Traditional Chinese food therapy recommends reducing internal heat and dampness as one approach to supporting skin health from the inside. This soup — combining the cooling, blood-nourishing qualities of rehmannia with the heat-clearing properties of mung beans and coix seed — has been used for generations for exactly this purpose.

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.

  • Mung beans · Randomized crossover trial, 20 participants · 2019
    Breath hydrogen and methane were higher after wheat than after rice or mung bean noodles. Bloating scores after mung bean did not differ significantly from wheat, and mung bean produced gas levels similar to rice.Limitation: Small sample of 20 patients, with single meals tested rather than habitual intake, so longer-term effects of mung bean on symptoms are unknown.PubMed 31484315 · 1 more mung beans study
  • 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
  • Tangerine peel · Randomized controlled trial, 72 participants · 2025
    The tangerine peel drink group showed significant reductions in body weight and triglycerides after the intervention compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Safety markers showed no adverse effects. Gut microbiota and serum metabolite profiles also differed.Limitation: Small pilot trial with only 55 of 72 participants completing. The fermented product is not the same as plain tangerine peel, and the control group is not described.PubMed 40225325

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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