Red Bean and Poria Tea (Chi Xiao Dou Fu Ling Cha)

Main Ingredients

• Small red beans (slender shape, NOT round adzuki beans) 15g
• Poria cocos (white poria chunks or slices) 10g
• Water approx. 800ml
• Rock sugar or honey to taste

Steps

1. Rinse the small red beans and coix seeds (if used) twice. Rinse the Poria slices to remove surface dust.

   

2. Soak the small red beans in water for over 1 hour to allow full hydration for easier cooking. If not soaked, extend the cooking time accordingly.

   

3. For those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold, dry-toast the small red beans and coix seeds in a pan over low heat without oil until slightly yellow and fragrant. This moderates their cool nature.

   

4. Place all ingredients into a herbal kettle or clay pot with approx. 800ml water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. If using a herbal kettle, select the "herbal tea" or "medicinal diet" mode.

   

5. Strain the tea and let it cool to warm before drinking. Add half a spoon of honey for sweetness if desired. The bean residue can be eaten or discarded.

   

TCM Notes

Spleen-strengthening, dampness-draining & edema-reducing (core benefit): Small red beans promote diuresis and drain dampness; Poria cocos reduces edema and strengthens the spleen. Together, they promote the excretion of excess fluid, relieving limb edema, poor urination, body heaviness, and limb soreness caused by dampness retention. Spleen-strengthening, mind-calming & sleep-improving: Poria cocos strengthens the spleen and calms the mind. It helps improve poor appetite, indigestion caused by spleen deficiency with dampness, as well as restlessness, insomnia, and excessive dreaming. Laxative & bowel-regulating: Small red beans are rich in dietary fiber (approx. 7.7g per 100g), promoting intestinal motility and relieving constipation. Detoxifying & weight management support: Small red beans have detoxifying and swelling-reducing effects; the dietary fiber in coix seeds and red beans increases satiety and reduces food intake, indirectly supporting weight loss.

Suitable for：Those with heavy internal dampness – body heaviness, limb soreness, fatigue Those with edema, puffy eyelids in the morning, or swollen legs in the afternoon Those with spleen deficiency and dampness excess – poor appetite, sticky loose stools Office workers with sedentary lifestyles and accumulated internal dampness Those with abdominal obesity or needing weight management support Residents in humid climates requiring regular dampness-preventive care

Not suitable for：Pregnant women (Strictly avoid!) : Small red beans and coix seeds are cooling in nature – consumption may cause uterine coldness and, in severe cases, increase miscarriage risk. Women during menstruation (Use with caution) : Cooling tea may cause abdominal coldness and worsen menstrual cramps. Those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold (Use with caution or avoid!) : Symptoms include cold intolerance, abdominal pain, loose stools, and stomach pain after eating cold foods – the tea is cooling and may worsen deficiency-cold symptoms. If consuming, toast the coix seeds first and add ginger or red dates to balance the coolness. Those with yin deficiency or yang deficiency (Use with caution) : The strong diuretic and heat-clearing effects may worsen deficiency symptoms. Those with constipation (Use with caution) : The diuretic effect may reduce intestinal moisture and worsen constipation. Those allergic to small red beans or Poria cocos (Avoid) .