Mulberry Fruit
桑椹 · Sāng Shèn
Builds blood and brightens tired eyes
What it does
Mulberry fruit nourishes blood, brightens tired eyes, and supports glossy hair and clear skin. In TCM, it nourishes liver-kidney yin and generates body fluids, the cooling fluids depleted by heat or dryness. The dark purple color signals high anthocyanin content, studied for cognitive function and metabolic syndrome. Distinct from mulberry leaf and root bark, which are separate herbs.
How to take it
Eat 30g fresh or 9–15g dried mulberries as a snack, with yogurt, in oats, or in smoothies. Sweet enough to enjoy plain. Available frozen in most grocery stores.
Add a handful of dried mulberries to your morning oats or smoothie
Steep 9–15g dried mulberries in hot water for 10 minutes. Drink and eat the rehydrated fruit. Pairs well with goji berry and red dates.
Try a mulberry-and-goji tea daily during periods of dry, tired eyes
Safety
- Generally very safe as food
- Skip with cold-pattern digestion or chronic loose stools
- May lower blood sugar. Monitor if you have diabetes
- Possible cross-reaction with latex or fig allergies
- Talk to your doctor before starting medicinal use, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Chinese white mulberry (Morus alba) is the tree whose leaves feed silkworms in China's millennia-old silk industry. The fruit (Sang Shen) is one of TCM's gentlest blood tonics. Modern research covers cognitive function, metabolic syndrome, and oxidative stress, with four reviews and three trials on Alzheimer's and diabetic glucose. TCM uses three parts: leaf (Sang Ye), root bark (Sang Bai Pi), and fruit (Sang Shen).