Congee & Porridge
Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee
traditionally associated with calming the heart and mind, easing night sweats, and supporting restful sleep
In short: Wheat Berry and Red Date Congee is a congee & porridge that traditionally associated with calming the heart and mind, easing night sweats, and supporting restful sleep. It is most often made for women's wellness, heart & circulation, sleep & calm. Total time about 1 hr 10 min. Key ingredients: white rice, red dates.
Why people make this congee
When a woman enters menopause, her body undergoes profound shifts that can leave her feeling unsettled in ways that are hard to name — heart palpitations, a sense of anxiety without a clear cause, broken sleep, night sweats, and a general feeling of being unmoored. In traditional Chinese medicine this cluster of symptoms is understood as an insufficiency of heart qi and heart blood. One of the most time-honoured remedies is a formula called Gan Mai Da Zao Tang — roasted licorice, wheat, and red dates — and this congee is its kitchen interpretation. By cooking wheat berries and rice together with red dates into a warm, mildly sweet porridge, Nourilo creates something that is both genuinely comforting to eat and traditionally associated with steadying the mind and reducing night sweats. The flavour is gentle, wholesome, and easy to eat every day.
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.
- Red dates
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
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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