Mulberry Twig and Mung Bean Chicken Soup: Medicinal Diet for Damp-Heat

Introduction to Medicinal Diet

Mulberry Twig, Mung Bean, and Chicken Soup is a classic medicinal dish originating from the folk traditions of Lingnan, combining the two main effects of clearing heat and unblocking collaterals. It features mulberry twig (Ramulus Mori), mung bean (Vigna radiata), and chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) as its primary ingredients. The soup is clear in color, refreshing in taste, and especially favored by health-conscious individuals during seasons of heavy summer dampness. Mulberry twig, the tender branch of the mulberry tree (Morus alba), has been commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine since ancient times to dispel wind and unblock collaterals. Mung bean is praised in the *Compendium of Materia Medica* (Bencao Gangmu) as a “beneficial grain for the world,” excelling in clearing heat and resolving toxins. Chicken warms the middle and supplements qi, while enriching essence and marrow. The combination of these three ingredients makes the entire soup nourishing without causing stagnation, and cooling without being excessively cold. This dish can be served as a daily accompaniment to meals or used as a restorative dietary therapy for Damp-Heat Bi Pain, as well as for summerheat vexation and thirst.

The name of this medicinal diet, “Mulberry Twig and Mung Bean Chicken Soup,” already reveals its core formulation strategy: *Ramulus Mori* (mulberry twig) guides the medicinal properties into the meridians, *Phaseoli Radiati Semen* (mung bean) clears internal heat, and chicken provides high-quality protein and a savory base. In preparation, the mulberry twig is decocted to extract its juice, then simmered together with mung beans and chicken, allowing the medicinal power and food flavors to fully blend. The resulting soup carries a subtle fragrance from the mung beans and a light herbal note from the mulberry twig, with the chicken tender and the mung beans soft and creamy—making it highly palatable. Especially in the modern context of prolonged sitting, lack of exercise, and a rich, fatty diet, this medicinal diet, with its gentle yet effective regulating effects, has become a top choice for many households to dispel dampness and clear heat.

Efficacy of Medicinal Diet

The core effects of Mulberry Twig and Mung Bean Chicken Soup can be summarized as “clearing heat and draining dampness, unblocking collaterals and relaxing sinews.” It is effective in alleviating symptoms such as heavy joints, limited flexion and extension, and muscle soreness caused by damp-heat accumulation. The polysaccharides and flavonoids in mung bean (Semen Phaseoli Radiati) help the body clear internal heat, while active compounds such as mulberrin and mulberroside from mulberry twig (Ramulus Mori) improve local microcirculation and reduce inflammatory responses. Regular consumption of this soup also helps resolve heat signs such as thirst and scanty dark urine resulting from summer damp-heat or spicy diet.

In addition to clearing damp-heat, this soup also provides certain nourishing benefits. The chicken supplies easily absorbable protein and various amino acids, which can supplement the middle qi and strengthen physical vitality, preventing the consumption of healthy qi that may result from merely clearing heat. The synergistic action of mulberry twig (Ramulus Mori) and mung bean (Phaseolus radiatus) guides the nourishing power of the chicken to be distributed throughout the four limbs and meridians, rather than remaining solely in the middle jiao. Hence, this medicinal food simultaneously expels pathogenic factors while supporting the upright (healthy qi), making it especially suitable for those with a constitution tending toward deficiency who need both to clear heat and eliminate dampness, yet fear harming the spleen and stomach. Regular moderate consumption over time can also help improve issues such as greasy skin and recurrent sores caused by the stagnation of dampness.

The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine

From the perspective of TCM theory, the combination of Sangzhi (Mori Ramulus, Mulberry Twig) and Lüdou (Vigna radiata, Mung Bean) in a chicken soup embodies the formula principle of “expelling pathogens without impairing the healthy qi” (祛邪而不伤正). Sangzhi is neutral in nature and slightly bitter in taste, entering the Liver Meridian (LR). It excels at dispelling wind and dampness, and unblocking the joints and collaterals, being particularly suited for bi (impediment) pain in the upper limbs and shoulders. According to *Bencao Xinyao* (本草撮要), “when combined with Guizhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus, Cassia Twig), it treats shoulder and arm pain; when combined with Fangji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix, Tetrandra Root), it treats damp-heat edema.” Lüdou is cold in nature and sweet in taste, entering the Heart (HT) and Stomach (ST) Meridians. It clears heat and resolves toxicity, dispels summer heat, and promotes urination, making it a specific remedy for summer heat vexation and thirst. Combined, the two herbs work together—one to unblock collaterals, the other to clear heat—so that damp turbidity and heat pathogen each have a pathway of elimination, preventing them from becoming lingering and intractable.

The addition of chicken to the decoction is not merely for enhancing flavor, but also subtly embodies the principle of “reinforcing Earth to restrain Water.” Chicken enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians, supplements the center and boosts qi, thereby empowering the Spleen and Stomach’s transformation and transportation functions, allowing water-dampness to resolve on its own. At the same time, chicken’s warm and moistening nature counteracts the coldness of mung bean (Phaseolus radiatus), preventing excessive damage to yang qi. The entire soup integrates three levels of action: clearing, unblocking, and supplementing. Mung bean clears heat, mulberry twig (Ramulus Mori) unblocks the collaterals, and chicken supplements deficiency. These three components complement each other, so that damp-heat is eliminated without damaging body fluids, the channels and collaterals are unblocked while qi and blood have a source. For patterns characterized by damp-heat bi obstruction with concurrent qi and yin deficiency, this soup can be considered a dietary therapy formula that treats both the root and the branch.

Essentials of Formula Compatibility

The combination of Mulberry Twig (Ramulus Mori) and Mung Bean (Phaseolus radiatus) is particularly ingenious: Mulberry Twig focuses on “unblocking,” allowing heat pathogen to dissipate from the channels along with dampness; Mung Bean takes the function of “clearing,” enabling heat toxin to be separated and drained through urination. One disperses, one drains—resolving pathogenic factors both externally and internally. Chicken, serving as a “guide drug,” not only provides a nutritive base but also moderates the medicinal properties, making the entire formula balanced in both offense and defense—suitable for long-term regulation.

Indications

The Mulberry Twig (Morus alba Ramulus) and Mung Bean (Vigna radiata) Chicken Soup is most suitable for individuals with a Damp-Heat constitution or those affected by Summerheat-Dampness during summer and autumn. Such individuals typically present with: a heavy sensation in the body, greasy face and scalp, sticky or bitter taste in the mouth, sticky and unformed stools, and scanty dark urine. In women, this may be accompanied by profuse yellowish vaginal discharge. For office workers who spend long hours at a desk, experiencing neck and shoulder stiffness with pain and signs of internal heat and fire rising, this soup helps unblock the meridians and collaterals while clearing and resolving stagnant heat. Additionally, for patients with Damp-Heat pattern arthritis—characterized by red, swollen, hot, and painful joints with limited mobility that worsens with heat—adjunctive use of this soup under medical guidance often yields significant relief.

During specific solar terms or environmental conditions, the suitability of this medicinal diet is particularly pronounced. For example, in Late Summer (the sixth lunar month) when dampness is heaviest, or for individuals living in damp-heat regions such as Lingnan and Sichuan, consuming this soup once or twice a week can effectively prevent Dampness encumbering the Spleen. For those experiencing muscle soreness and internal heat accumulation after exercise, as well as mild skin acne or eczema due to improper diet, this soup can assist in clearing Heat and expelling Turbidity. For elderly individuals presenting with a Damp-Heat pattern and impeded Meridian flow, moderate consumption of this soup can help alleviate limited extension and flexion of the limbs and morning stiffness.

Contraindicated Populations

Patients with spleen-stomach deficiency cold should use this soup with caution. If you tend to feel cold easily, prefer warmth and pressure on the abdomen, have loose, unformed stools, and experience diarrhea after consuming cold foods, this indicates insufficiency of middle yang. The cold nature of mung bean may further damage spleen yang and aggravate deficiency cold symptoms. If such individuals truly need to use it, reduce the amount of mung bean and increase warming middle ingredients such as ginger and tangerine peel to counteract its cold nature; best to adjust the ratio under the guidance of a TCM practitioner. Pregnant women and those during menstruation should also be cautious. Mulberry twig has mild blood-activating and collateral-dredging effects, and excessive consumption may disturb fetal qi or increase menstrual flow. It is recommended that pregnant women and those with heavy menstruation avoid consumption.

Patients with wind-cold-dampness bi syndrome (wind-cold-damp impediment) should not consume this soup. Those presenting with cold pain in the joints, pain relieved by heat application and aggravated by cold, accompanied by cold extremities, pale tongue with white coating, etc., belong to cold-dampness or wind-cold patterns, which are exactly opposite to the damp-heat pattern indicated for Mulberry Twig (Ramulus Mori) and Mung Bean (Phaseolus radiatus) Chicken Soup. Mistaken use of cooling, cold-natured ingredients may further congeal and stagnate cold-dampness, leading to aggravated pain. In addition, individuals allergic to chicken or legumes, and those in the acute phase of gastroenteritis (with severe vomiting and diarrhea) should also temporarily avoid this soup. Patients with chronic nephritis or renal insufficiency should have the protein and potassium content in the soup controlled under the guidance of a dietitian and should not follow the original recipe blindly.

Ingredient Proportion in Formula

The following formula is a precise quantity for two servings (approximately 4 bowls of soup), and it is recommended to adjust proportionally: 30 grams of dried Mulberry Twig (Ramulus Mori) (if using fresh, double to 60 grams), 50 grams of Mung Bean (Phaseoli Radiati Semen), 200 grams of chicken thigh or breast meat (bone-in preferred; chicken carcass or frame can be used to enhance soup flavor), 15 grams of Fresh Ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) (about 5 slices), and 1500 milliliters of clean water. For seasoning, only 2-3 grams of salt (about half a teaspoon) is needed; do not add extra oil or MSG to avoid compromising the pure and clear nature of this medicinal nourishment.

Key points for selecting ingredients: Mulberry twig (Ramulus Mori) is best when tender with a yellowish-white cross-section; dried products are generally available in pharmacies. Mung beans (Phaseolus radiatus) should be plump, free from insect damage, and freshly harvested—old beans yield less paste and have inferior flavor. For chicken, free-range or backyard-raised varieties are preferred, as they have thinner skin, less fat, and produce a richer broth. Fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) is essential—it neutralizes the cold nature of mung beans while removing fishy odors and enhancing aroma. To boost the diuretic effect, add 15 g of adzuki beans (Phaseolus calcaratus); to strengthen collateral-unblocking action, combine with 10 g of Chinese clematis root (Radix Clematidis), but the latter should be used only under a physician’s guidance.

Preparation Method

Step one: Process the Mulberry Twig (Mori Ramulus). Quickly rinse the dried Mulberry Twig under running water, then place it in a clay pot or stainless steel pot. Add 500 ml of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and decoct for 20 minutes. Strain the decoction and set aside. The residue can be re-decocted with an additional 300 ml of water, combining both decoctions. Discard the Mulberry Twig. This method maximizes the extraction of active constituents while preventing the fibers from affecting the texture of the decoction.

Step 2: Prepare the ingredients. Soak the mung beans in cold water for at least 2 hours in advance to allow them to soften and break down easily. Cut the chicken into 3–4 cm square pieces. Place the chicken in a pot with cold water, add 2 slices of ginger and a small amount of cooking wine. Bring to a boil, then skim off the foam. Remove the chicken and rinse with warm water before setting aside. This blanching step removes blood impurities and any unpleasant odor, ensuring a clear broth. Step 3: Cook the soup. Put the prepared chicken, soaked mung beans, and remaining ginger slices into a soup pot. Pour in the Mulberry Twig (Ramulus Mori) decoction, then add enough water to reach a total volume of approximately 1500 ml. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and maintain a gentle simmer. Cook slowly for 40–50 minutes, until the mung beans have burst open and the chicken is tender. Finally, season with salt, stir well, and turn off the heat. Before serving, you may sprinkle in a small amount of goji berries (Fructus Lycii) for color, though this is optional.

Drinking Tips

First, there are specific considerations regarding the timing of consumption. It is recommended to drink it warm between 9–11 AM (the Spleen Meridian governing time) or 3–5 PM (the Bladder Meridian governing time), as the body’s Yang Qi is relatively abundant during these periods, and the Bladder Meridian governs the exterior of the body, facilitating the dispersion of Damp-Heat through urination. Consume it as a soup one hour after meals; avoid drinking large amounts on an empty stomach to prevent the cold nature of mung bean from irritating the gastrointestinal tract. Each serving should be one small bowl (200–250 ml), taken 1–2 times daily. Continuous consumption should not exceed 5 days; if long-term regulation is needed, allow a 2–3 day interval before resuming.

Second, the constitution micro-adjustment method: If you feel a cold sensation in the abdomen after drinking, add 3-5 pieces of Fructus Jujubae (Chinese red date) or 1 small slice of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (tangerine peel) to the soup to warm the Middle and protect the Stomach. If heat signs are pronounced, with marked sore throat, increase Phaseoli Radiati Semen (mung bean) to 60 g and add 20 g of fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma (fresh reed rhizome) to the soup. During medication (especially anticoagulants and antihypertensives), consult a physician before consumption, as Mori Ramulus (mulberry twig) may affect drug metabolism. This soup should not be stored overnight; it is recommended to prepare fresh daily. Any leftovers must be refrigerated and consumed within 24 hours, and be sure to bring it to a full boil before drinking again.

Third, special populations should take note. Children (over 6 years old) can drink half the dosage, mainly for preventing prickly heat and summer heat during summer, but the chicken skin must be removed to reduce greasiness. Patients in the acute stage of gout should avoid consuming this soup, as chicken has a moderate purine content, which may trigger uric acid fluctuations. This soup is primarily for regulation and cannot replace formal medical treatment. If symptoms do not improve after three days of consumption, or if they worsen, please seek medical attention promptly for pattern differentiation and treatment.