Mulberry Fruit: Benefits and Optimal Combinations

Core Health Benefits:

Nourishes yin and tonifies the kidneys; relieves fatigue; protects blood vessels

Introduction:

Every summer, people enjoy a small, dark-colored berry—the mulberry. Also known as “mulberry fruit” or “mulberry date,” mulberries are cold in nature and sweet in taste. Their primary nutrients include sugars, tannins, malic acid, niacin, linoleic acid, and various vitamins. With their sweet-and-tart flavor and refreshing texture, mulberries can be consumed both as food and as medicine. Today, we’ll explore the health benefits and therapeutic effects of mulberries.

Health Benefits and Therapeutic Effects:

Nourishes Yin and Tonifies the Kidneys

Mulberries combined with goji berries (Lycium barbarum). Dried mulberries are sweet and enter the kidney meridian; regular consumption nourishes the kidneys. Rich in protein, tannic acid, vitamins, amino acids, carotene, and minerals, mulberries support overall kidney health. Goji berries are sweet and neutral in nature, entering the liver and kidney meridians; they effectively nourish yin and tonify the kidneys. When soaked together in water for drinking, dried mulberries and goji berries synergistically enhance their yin-nourishing and kidney-tonifying effects—helping alleviate symptoms associated with kidney deficiency, such as soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, and tinnitus.

Relieves Fatigue

Mulberries combined with japonica rice. Mulberries possess high nutritional value and offer multiple benefits, including nourishing the liver and kidneys, enriching the blood, dispelling wind-cold, strengthening the limbs, and clearing deficient heat. When prepared as a congee, this combination supports liver and kidney function, nourishes the blood, moistens dryness, and alleviates mental fatigue. It may also improve symptoms such as memory decline, poor concentration, excessive dreaming, and insomnia.

Protects Blood Vessels

Mulberries combined with foxtail millet. Foxtail millet is highly nourishing. Mulberries contain abundant essential amino acids, as well as fructose and glucose—both easily absorbed by the human body—contributing to the prevention of atherosclerosis and protection of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. When consumed together, these two ingredients synergistically promote cardiovascular health.

Nutritional Value:

Mulberries—also called “mulberry fruit,” “mulberry drupe,” “mulberry date,” or “black mulberry”—come in black and white varieties. Sweet and juicy, they are among the most commonly consumed fruits. Botanically, mulberries consist of numerous small drupes fused into an oblong aggregate fruit, typically yellowish-brown, reddish-brown, or deep purple in color; creamy-white varieties are relatively rare. When selecting mulberries, choose large, plump fruits with deep purple-red skin and high sugar content. They usually ripen around April each year and can be eaten fresh or dried. Mulberries boast exceptional nutritional and medicinal value, containing sugars, protein, fat, tannic acid, malic acid, vitamin A, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, vitamin C, iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, carotene, and anthocyanins. Their nutrient density is approximately 5–6 times that of apples and four times that of grapes, conferring diverse health benefits. Mulberries are widely regarded as “the optimal fruit of the 21st century.” They contain tannic acid, fatty acids, and malic acid—all of which aid digestion of fats, proteins, and starches; stimulate gastric juice secretion; and promote gastrointestinal motility. Thus, mulberries help strengthen the spleen and stomach and improve digestion—making them especially beneficial for individuals experiencing indigestion, loss of appetite, postprandial abdominal distension, or intestinal rumbling.

Precautions:

Recommended for:

Generally suitable for all populations.

Not recommended for:

Children. Mulberries contain relatively high levels of tannic acid—a natural trypsin (a type of protease) inhibitor—which may interfere with the absorption of iron, calcium, and zinc in the body.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Wishing you a joyful and healthy life!