Mulberry Fruit
桑葚 · Sāngshèn
Morus alba
Family: Moraceae · Part used: Ripe fruit (sun-dried) · Origin: Dechang, Sichuan, China
Nature
Cold
Flavor
Sweet, sour
Meridian
Heart, Liver, Kidney
The deep-purple mulberry nourishes yin and blood of the heart, liver, and kidneys — traditionally used for premature graying, dry eyes, and the thirst of wasting disorders. Sun-dried at peak ripeness, the berries concentrate anthocyanins into a tart-sweet treasure that modern research has embraced for the very compounds tradition prized.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Nourishes yin and blood
- •Generates fluids and moistens dryness
- •Benefits the hair and eyes (traditional)
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Premature gray hair
- •Dizziness and tinnitus
- •Dry mouth and thirst
- •Constipation from blood dryness
- •Insomnia from yin deficiency
📖 Usage & Dosage
9–15 g in decoction, or 10–20 g steeped as tea or soaked in wine; also delicious rehydrated in oatmeal.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Sang Shen Honey Tea
Dried mulberries 15 g steeped 10 minutes with honey — a yin-nourishing daily drink.
Sang Shen Wine
Mulberries 200 g soaked in rice wine 500 ml for 30 days — the traditional liver-kidney tonic.
🔬 Modern Research
Mulberry anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside) and resveratrol are intensively studied for glycemic control, vascular health, and antioxidant defense.
⚠️ Contraindications
Avoid with spleen-deficiency diarrhea (its cold, moist nature).
