Rice Bean (Chi Xiao Dou)

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Promotes urination and reduces edema ... Chi Xiao Dou is a classic food-medicine bean for swelling, water retention, and dampness that is still accessible enough for dietetic use.
• Clears heat and resolves toxic swelling ... traditional use includes sores, abscesses, and carbuncle-type lesions, often in soups or paired formulas rather than harsh isolated dosing.
• Helps drain damp-heat and support jaundice recovery ... the bean's gentle draining nature explains its long history in food-style medicinal combinations.

Secondary Actions

• This page follows the local accepted Vigna umbellata lane for Chi Xiao Dou and should stay distinct from mung bean, soybean, or hyacinth bean records.
• Chi Xiao Dou sits close to food therapy, but that should not hide its traditional role in edema and toxic-swelling formulas.

Classic Formulas

• Li Yu Chi Xiao Dou Tang ... classical carp and red-bean soup for edema, ascites, and water retention patterns.
• Chi Xiao Dou Dang Gui San ... traditional intestinal-abscess and swelling context in which the bean is paired for drainage and discharge of pus.
• Food-therapy pairings with Yi Yi Ren or Dong Gua Pi ... gentle damp-draining strategy for swelling and summer-damp burden.

Classical References

• Traditional materia medica describes Chi Xiao Dou as a sweet-sour, neutral bean that promotes urination, reduces swelling, and resolves sores.
• Its long-standing use in soups and medicinal foods helps explain why it bridges ordinary diet and formal herbal therapy.