Prunella Vulgaris Chicken Feet Soup: Liver-Clearing Medicinal Diet

Introduction to Medicinal Diet

Prunella Vulgaris and Chicken Feet Soup is a classic medicinal dietary soup originating from the Lingnan region, featuring Prunella vulgaris (common self-heal) and chicken feet as main ingredients, supplemented with honey dates (Ziziphus jujuba var. inermis, candied) and fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) for flavor, offering dual benefits of medicinal therapy and dietary nourishment. Prunella vulgaris consists of the dried fruit-spikes of the Lamiaceae plant Prunella vulgaris, so named because it withers shortly after the summer solstice. Already classified as a medium-grade herb in the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), it is a commonly used medicinal for clearing liver fire and dispersing constrained nodules. Chicken feet are rich in collagen and various amino acids, which strengthen sinews and bones and nourish the skin. The combination allows the medicinal to leverage the food’s power and the food to amplify the medicinal’s effect, making it a seasonal delicacy for nourishing the liver in spring and clearing heat in summer.

In Guangdong’s herbal tea shops and home kitchens, Prunella vulgaris (selfheal) and chicken feet soup is often used as a “Qingbu Liang” (cooling-nourishing tonic). Its broth is clear and slightly yellow, with a sweet and moist taste, carrying the unique light herbal aroma of selfheal and the sweetness of honey dates. The chicken feet are stewed until tender, releasing collagen into the soup, which not only gives a rich mouthfeel but also ensures a gentle and lasting medicinal effect. This medicinal dish may seem simple to prepare, but it embodies the core TCM principle of “medicine and food sharing the same origin.” It is especially suitable for modern people suffering from suboptimal health conditions such as liver fire flaming upward with red and swollen eyes, etc., due to staying up late and high stress.

Efficacy of Medicinal Diet

The most prominent efficacy of Prunella vulgaris (Selfheal) stewed with chicken feet is to clear the Liver and brighten the eyes, as well as to dissipate masses and reduce swelling. Prunella vulgaris is cold in nature, with bitter and pungent flavors, and enters the Liver (LR) and Gallbladder (GB) meridians. It can clear and drain Liver Fire, and calm Liver Yang. It has a significant relieving effect on symptoms caused by Liver Fire Flaring Up, such as red, swollen, and painful eyes, headache and dizziness, and increased eye discharge. The collagen and calcium in chicken feet help repair microvessels in the eyes and improve visual fatigue. The synergistic effect of the two makes “clearing the Liver” and “nourishing the Eyes” mutually reinforcing.

Additionally, this medicated dietary remedy has the therapeutic effects of softening hardness and dissipating masses, as well as auxiliary blood pressure lowering. The active constituents in *Prunella vulgaris* (common selfheal), such as ursolic acid and oleanolic acid, have been confirmed by modern pharmacology to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and mild blood pressure-lowering properties. Meanwhile, chicken feet are rich in collagen and elastin, which enhance vascular elasticity and help stabilize blood pressure. For patients with thyroid nodules or lymphadenopathy presenting the pattern of Liver depression and Qi stagnation, regular consumption of this soup may serve as an adjunctive approach for daily regulation.

Beautifying and Nourishing the Face, and Strengthening the Sinews and Bones

The collagen in chicken feet is an important ingredient for maintaining skin elasticity and joint cartilage health. Regular consumption of this soup can improve dry skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and strengthen the resilience of ligaments and tendons. The heat-clearing effect of Prunella vulgaris (Self-heal) can reduce acne and pimples caused by Internal Heat, resulting in a clearer complexion.

The role of Traditional Chinese Medicine

From the perspective of TCM flavor and channel theory, Prunella vulgaris (selfheal) has a bitter and pungent flavor, cold nature, and specifically enters the Liver (LR) and Gallbladder (GB) channels. It can both clear and drain excess fire from the Liver and Gallbladder, and also disperse stagnant Qi in the Liver channel. The *Bencao Gangmu* records that Prunella vulgaris “treats nocturnal eye pain,” exerting a dual regulatory effect on eye disorders caused by Liver yin deficiency and Liver yang hyperactivity. Chicken feet have a sweet flavor, neutral nature, and enter the Spleen (SP), Stomach (ST), and Kidney (KI) channels. They tonify the middle and boost qi, replenish marrow and strengthen sinews. Together, one clears and the other tonifies, allowing clearing and draining without damaging the upright qi, and nourishing without contributing to heat.

In terms of compatibility, the addition of honeyed jujube (Ziziphus jujuba, honeyed jujube) and fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, ginger) carries subtle TCM intentions. Honeyed jujube is sweet and warm in nature, capable of tonifying the spleen and harmonizing the stomach, regulating the medicinal properties, and mitigating the stomach-damaging effect of the bitter-cold selfheal (Prunella vulgaris L., selfheal); fresh ginger is acrid and warm, able to disperse cold and release the exterior, promote the absorption of medicinal effects, and simultaneously remove the fishy odor of chicken feet. These four ingredients together create a pattern of “balanced cold and heat, and mutual dependence of ascending and descending” (寒热平调、升降相因), rendering the overall nature of this medicinal diet moderate and suitable for long-term consumption by a broader population.

Indications

Prunella vulgaris stewed chicken feet is most suitable for the following groups: first, office workers and students who stay up late and overuse their eyes, presenting with dry eyes, red bloodshot eyes, blurred vision, and other manifestations of Liver blood deficiency accompanied by Liver fire – this soup can clear the Liver and nourish the eyes. Second, individuals with a Liver yang hyperactivity constitution who are prone to headaches in spring, hypertension with flushed face and red eyes – the clearing and descending property of Prunella vulgaris can assist in subduing hyperactive Liver yang and relieve distending headache.

Additionally, women with conditions such as breast hyperplasia, thyroid nodules (of the Liver Depression Transforming into Fire pattern), and lymphadenitis manifesting as a “Phlegm-fire Stagnation” pattern are also suitable to take this soup as a dietary supplement under medical guidance. For menopausal women experiencing irritability, hot flashes, and dry mouth, as well as men who frequently engage in social drinking leading to exuberant Liver Fire, consuming it 2-3 times per week can likewise achieve the health benefits of clearing the Liver and detoxifying, as well as nourishing the sinews and bones.

Contraindicated Populations

Patients with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold pattern should use this medicinal diet with caution or avoid it altogether. *Prunella vulgaris* (common self-heal) is cold in nature. For those who typically present with manifestations of spleen and stomach yang deficiency such as epigastric cold pain, loose stools, poor appetite, aversion to cold and cold limbs, consuming it may aggravate deficiency-cold symptoms, leading to diarrhea or indigestion. Similarly, patients in the early stage of external wind-cold invasion (e.g., clear nasal discharge, aversion to cold, headache and body pain) should not consume cold-natured medicinal diets prematurely, as this may cause pathogenic factors to be internally trapped.

Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should also exercise caution. *Prunella vulgaris* (Selfheal) has the effect of dissipating nodules, and the impact of its active components on pregnancy is not yet fully understood. For safety reasons, it should be avoided during pregnancy. If a breastfeeding mother presents with signs of Liver Fire, she may consult a TCM practitioner and switch to a milder herbal tea substitute. Additionally, individuals with hypotension should be aware that *Prunella vulgaris* (Selfheal) has a certain hypotensive effect. Excessive intake may further lower blood pressure, leading to discomforts such as dizziness and fatigue.

Ingredient Ratio for a Formula

Main ingredients: 15 g of Prunella vulgaris (Selfheal) (dried, preferably with long spikes, reddish-brown color, and free from impurities), 8–10 fresh chicken feet (approx. 300 g). Supplementary ingredients: 2 pieces of honeyed jujube (pitted, approx. 20 g), 4 slices of fresh ginger (approx. 10 g), 5 g of Lycium barbarum (Goji berry) (optional, to enhance the effect of improving vision).

Seasoning: salt to taste, 5 ml cooking wine, 2–3 drops white vinegar (helps extract collagen from chicken feet). All ingredient ratios can be adjusted according to individual constitution: if liver fire is particularly exuberant, increase Prunella vulgaris (selfheal) to 20 g; if the spleen and stomach are relatively deficient, reduce it to 10 g and add one additional honeyed jujube and one slice of fresh ginger to buffer the cold nature.

Preparation Method

Step 1: Prepare the chicken feet – Trim the nails off the chicken feet, wash them clean, then place them in a pot of cold water. Add cooking wine and 2 slices of ginger. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue blanching for 3 minutes. Skim off any foam, remove the chicken feet, and rinse them with warm water. Set aside. This step effectively removes the fishy odor and blood from the chicken feet, resulting in a clear soup.

Step 2: Soak the Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) – Gently rinse the Selfheal under cold water twice to remove dust, then place it in a gauze bag and tie it tightly, or wrap it in a strainer bag to prevent the herb particles from dispersing into the soup and affecting the taste. Wash and pit the honeyed jujube (Ziziphus jujuba), slice the fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale), and if using, briefly soak the goji berries (Lycium barbarum) in cold water.

Step 3: Simmer the soup — Place the pre-prepared chicken feet, the Prunella vulgaris (Common Selfheal) sachet, honey dates, and the remaining ginger (Zingiber officinale) slices into a clay pot or ceramic soup pot. Add enough clean water (approximately 2000 ml). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours. If the water level decreases during simmering, replenish with an appropriate amount of boiling water.

Step 4: Seasoning and finishing—After simmering until the chicken feet become tender and gelatin is released, remove and discard the Prunella vulgaris (Common Selfheal) sachet. Add Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum) and white vinegar, then continue simmering over low heat for another 5 minutes. Before turning off the heat, season with salt (since chicken feet have natural umami, use salt sparingly). Stir well and remove from heat. Serve and enjoy.

Tips for Consumption

First, optimal consumption time and frequency: It is recommended to take it warm at 3-5 PM (the time when the Bladder Meridian (BL) is in command) or 2 hours before sleep. At these times, the body’s metabolism is relatively active, which facilitates the absorption of the medicinal effects. Consume 2-3 times per week, and do not take it continuously for more than 4 weeks. Then pause for 1-2 weeks before resuming, to avoid excessive coldness impairing the yang qi.

Secondly, seasonal variations and modifications: It is most effective when taken during spring when liver qi is ascending. In summer, add 200g of winter melon (Benincasa hispida) to the decoction to enhance the effect of clearing heat and dispelling summer-heat. In autumn, it is suitable to combine with 30g of fresh lily bulb (Lilium brownii) to also moisten dryness and nourish yin. Note: during consumption, avoid spicy, greasy, and raw or cold foods to prevent compromising the efficacy.

Third, storage and reuse methods: It is recommended to prepare and consume the soup on the same day. If it must be kept overnight, strain out the herbal dregs thoroughly, refrigerate the liquid, and bring it to a full boil before drinking. Do not reheat more than twice to prevent bacterial growth and loss of nutrients. For chicken feet, if you prefer not to eat the skin and bones, you may remove them after the soup is cooked and retain only the liquid for consumption.