How to address hot flashes in perimenopause or menopause with Chinese soups or teas?
What are the best herbal teas for relieving menopause hot flashes? How can Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts help with hot flashes? What Chinese soups can I make for hot flashes? What teas or soups can I drink during menopause or perimenopause? Come explore this topic and more! Full list of ingredients, soups, and teas below.
One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory. In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist in each other. Our bodies, minds, and souls are designed the same way in that to be healthy, we need to be in harmony between these 2 bipolar states. Yin is receptive and passive, calm and slow, embodying cold and damp qualities (when we are sleeping). Yang is its exact opposite in aggressive and active, embodying heat, dryness, and movement (when we are awake).
One of our mission at The Chinese Soup Lady is to bring these principles into the foods and drinks we consume in order to support harmony.
How to use this guide:
- This is purely a reference guide on what to consider making for Chinese soups and teas to support hot flashes during perimenopause or menopause.
- Do see a Chinese medicine practitioner as this information is not a replacement for a doctor.
- You can follow this post for what ingredients are cooling or warming for soups and teas as a start.
Addressing Menopause Hot Flashes with Traditional Chinese Medicine: Soups, Teas, and Ingredients
Menopause and perimenopause are natural transitions, but hot flashes and night sweats can disrupt daily life. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), these symptoms signal internal imbalances—often linked to kidney Yin deficiency or a heart-kidney imbalance. By incorporating cooling soups, herbal teas, and Yin-supporting ingredients, you can harmonize your body and ease discomfort.
According to TCM, hot flashes arise from two primary imbalances:
Kidney Yin Deficiency
Yin represents the body’s cooling, nourishing energy. When depleted, it leads to heat rising, night sweats, flushed skin, and dryness. Dr. Li Xia, a Beijing-based TCM physician, explains in a China Daily Health article:
“Yin deficiency is common in menopausal women. Replenishing fluids with ingredients like lotus root and water chestnuts is key to restoring balance.”
Tongue signs: Red tongue with a thin white coating.
Heart-Kidney Imbalance
The kidneys (water) and heart (fire) struggle to harmonize, causing erratic heat surges and emotional unrest. A 2022 study by the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine highlights: “Herbs like Crinum (bai he) and honeysuckle (jin yin hua) bridge the heart-kidney disconnect, calming heat and anxiety.”
Here are tips to address hot flashes in menopause (or perimenopause):
To address the imbalance in yin and yang in the body and also between the kidney and the heart, you can:
- Rebalance the yin (provide more yin to the body). Yin is a quiet, calm state (whereas the yang state is more active) and because this calm state is missing (it’s in deficiency), we want to introduce more yin, calm, restfulness to the body, which also includes the mind.
- Cool the body. This is key. When the body is in yin deficiency, the cooling function is weak and therefore that’s why the heat takes over. It is important to cool both the body and the heart fire. There are many teas and herbs that can do this.
- Calm the mind. This is important for the overall balance of our bodies. Yin is the more calming and therefore, any herbs or ingredients that can help with this, will help us rebalance.
KEY INGREDIENTS FOR SUPPORTING HOT FLASHES
Ingredients for soups (for hot flashes)
- I love these simple commonplace soup ingredients that are amazing for hot flashes (and menopause and perimenopause). These ingredients are cooling, dispel heat from the body, replenish moisture and yin, and enhance Qi.
Why Lotus Root & Arrowroot Soothe Menopause Hot Flashes in TCM
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), menopause hot flashes often stem from Kidney Yin deficiency, where the body’s cooling, nourishing fluids are depleted, leading to rising heat. Lotus root (蓮藕) and arrowroot (粉葛) are prized for their ability to replenish Yin, clear excess heat, and restore balance.
Lotus Root acts as a natural “coolant.” Its sweet, neutral nature moistens dryness, targeting the Lungs and Stomach—key systems in fluid production. Rich in fiber and minerals, it generates body fluids (Jin Ye) while gently clearing heat, making it ideal for night sweats, flushed skin, and irritability. TCM highlight its role in calming Xin Re (heart heat), which exacerbates hot flashes.
Arrowroot (not to be confused with Western arrowroot) is slightly cold and bitter, directly cooling the Blood and quenching Xu Re (deficiency heat). It supports the Spleen and Stomach to improve digestion—a critical factor in TCM for transforming food into nourishing Yin fluids. Its starchiness also soothes mucosal dryness, addressing symptoms like dry throat or eyes common in Yin-deficient individuals.
Both ingredients are staples in TCM soups, teas, and congees to combat heat without weakening digestion.
For example:
- Cooling lung nourishing and moisturizing lotus root Chinese soup in pork broth
- How to make a Spring Lotus Root and Sweet Corn with Carrots Chinese Herbal Soup (for Dispelling Dampness and Heat)
- Making a Delicious Lotus Root with Vegetables in Pork Broth Chinese Soup (with Roasted Fresh Peanuts!)
Why Chrysanthemum, Honeysuckle, and Cooling Flower Teas Soothe Menopausal Hot Flashes in TCM
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), menopause-related hot flashes often arise from Kidney Yin deficiency, where the body’s cooling, nourishing fluids are depleted, leading to excess “deficiency heat” (Xu Re). Cooling flowers like chrysanthemum (菊花), honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua), and others address this imbalance by clearing heat and protecting Yin.
These flowers replenish Yin indirectly by reducing heat that further depletes bodily fluids. Their light, ascending properties gently cool the body without weakening digestion, a key TCM principle for sustaining vitality.
Full List of Cooling Flower Teas for Menopause (TCM Perspective):
Chrysanthemum Tea: Clears Liver heat and stabilizes mood.
Honeysuckle Tea: Detoxifies and alleviates night sweats.
Roselle Hibiscus Tea: Rich in antioxidants, cools blood heat.
Lotus Flower Tea: Soothes heart heat and calms the mind.
Mulberry Flower Tea: Clears Lung heat and dry coughs.
Jasmine Tea: Mildly cooling, harmonizes Liver Qi.
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea: Reduces inflammation and stress.
Pagoda Tree Flower Tea: Cools intestinal heat and supports digestion.
Lily Flower Tea: Moistens Lung Yin and eases anxiety.
White Chrysanthemum Tea: A stronger variant for severe heat.
Chrysanthemum (菊花 jú huā): Targets Liver and Lung heat, reducing irritability, redness, and night sweats. Its mild, sweet nature cools without overly drying, making it ideal for Yin-deficient individuals.
Honeysuckle (金銀花 jīn yín huā): Clears toxic heat and inflammations, especially in the upper body (e.g., flushed face or sore throat). It also calms heart fire (Xin Huo), which disrupts sleep during menopause. I like this small package, available from Amazon here.
Roselle (洛神花 luò shén huā): Tart and cooling, it nourishes fluids while dispersing stagnant heat, often used in summer to combat dryness. I like these tea bags from Amazon that I carry with me with I travel or commute! Perfect for the office and as gifts.
In TCM, Butterfly pea (蝴蝶豆花 hú dié dòu uuā) clears deficiency heat (Xu Re) from the Liver and Heart, common sources of menopausal hot flashes. Its cooling nature soothes irritability and night sweats, while antioxidants calm Shen (mind-spirit) to ease anxiety. Mildly diuretic, it expels excess heat without over-drying Yin—ideal for sustained balance.
Tea recipes to try for hot flashes
- I love making these simple, quick, and easy-to-make Chinese herbal tea recipes for hot flashes (menopause and perimenopause). I often carry little bags of
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