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Tonic Drinks & Waters

Adzuki Bean, Mung Bean, Hyacinth Bean & Aged Tangerine Peel Drink

Traditionally supports the spleen and helps clear excess dampness from the body

In short: Adzuki Bean, Mung Bean, Hyacinth Bean & Aged Tangerine Peel Drink is a tonic drinks & water that Traditionally supports the spleen and helps clear excess dampness from the body. It is most often made for digestive wellness, cooling & summer heat. Total time about 1 hr 10 min. Key ingredients: mung bean.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
10 min
Cook
1 hr
Total
1 hr 10 min
Makes
1.2 L
Digestive WellnessCooling & Summer Heat
Adzuki Bean, Mung Bean, Hyacinth Bean & Aged Tangerine Peel Drink

Why people make this drink

During Hong Kong’s famously humid spring months, dehumidifiers run continuously and laundry never fully dries. But more than just being uncomfortable, this kind of environmental dampness has long been recognized in Chinese medicine as something that enters the body too — manifesting as heavy, achy limbs, a foggy head, facial puffiness, itchy skin, excessive drooling during sleep, or a thick, greasy coating on the tongue. The traditional response is to eat and drink things that help the spleen process this excess moisture and restore the body’s fluid balance.

This three-bean drink is one of the simplest and most practical tools for that purpose. It doesn’t taste medicinal — it’s pleasant, slightly earthy, and can be made sweet or savory to suit your preference. The combination of adzuki bean, mung bean, and hyacinth bean covers three different angles: draining excess water, clearing heat, and supporting the spleen function directly. Aged tangerine peel ties everything together by moving qi and preventing the beans from becoming too dampening themselves.

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.

  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study
  • 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
  • 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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