Witnessed by: TCM
Adzuki bean (Phaseolus calcaratus), of the Fabaceae family. Twining annual legume grown as a pulse crop; native range: eastern Asia, long cultivated across China. Globally recognized as chi xiao dou (赤小豆) in Chinese, and rice bean, red mung bean in English. The part used is seed. Small oblong dull-red beans, hard and starchy, faintly sweet when cooked.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
ADZUKI BEAN
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- adzuki bean
- Scientific name
- Phaseolus calcaratus Roxb.
- Family
- Fabaceae
Form
- Part used
- seed
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sweet · sour
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Heart · Small Intestine
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- promotes urination and drains dampness, reduces swelling, resolves toxicity and disperses pus
Cautions
- Contraindications
- prolonged use in the thin or fluid-depleted may over-drain and dry
- Toxicity
- a food-grade bean, regarded as safe
This is the card. Sign in for the full four-tradition entry — the aligned TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani reading, actions, dosing and cautions.