INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

Mulberry/Sāng Shèn 桑椹

Morus alba — the deep purple yin-and-blood nourishing berry,
cultivated alongside silkworms in China for over 4,000 years.

FORMULA ROLE

Why LunarSip uses it.

Mulberry appears in LunarSip’s Ginseng Eight Treasure Tea as a dark fruit-based herb traditionally associated with nourishment and balance. It helps soften the stronger character of ginseng, cistanche, maca, and polygonatum while adding a naturally mellow note to the formula. LunarSip uses mulberry to make the blend feel more complete: not only energizing, but also rounded, smooth, and suitable for a daily caffeine-free ritual.

HOW IT'S USED

The silkworm tree's fruit.

In Chinese herbal practices, mulberry has a uniquely deep cultural footprint — the mulberry tree (桑) provided leaves for silkworms and fruit for medicine. Li Shizhen's Ben Cao Gang Mu (1578) records that mulberry "nourishes the liver and replenishes the kidney, extinguishes wind, and generates fluids." It is the classical herb for nourishing Yin and Blood — and one of the few herbs traditionally believed to support healthy hair color through its action on liver-kidney essence.

In Western herbal traditions, Morus alba fruit is rich in anthocyanins (the deep purple pigments — including cyanidin glycosides), resveratrol, polyphenols, and vitamins. Modern pharmacology has examined antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, and hepatoprotective activities. The leaf (Morus alba leaf, distinct from the fruit) contains DNJ (1-deoxynojirimycin), a glucose-modulating compound studied separately.

THE EVIDENCE

What the research says.

Modern research onMorus albaspansphytochemistry, glucose metabolism, antioxidant activity, and cardiovascular wellness.

COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical trials of Morus alba

Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines · 2016

This comprehensive review documents that mulberry fruits "have pharmacological properties, such asantioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-obesity, and hepatoprotective activities." Authors note clinical trials on M. alba extracts have been conducted for blood glucose, cholesterol, and cognitive ability endpoints.

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FRUIT-SPECIFIC REVIEW

The Mulberry (Morus alba L.) Fruit — A Review of Characteristic Components and Health Benefits

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry · 2017

This 2017 review focuses specifically on mulberry fruit nutritive and bioactive compounds. Research suggests the fruit contributes "antioxidant, neuroprotective, antiatherosclerosis, immunomodulative, antitumor, antihyperglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities" — driven primarily by anthocyanins and polyphenols.

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META-ANALYSIS

A meta-analysis of efficacy of Morus alba Linn. to improve blood glucose and lipid profile

European Journal of Nutrition · 2017

A meta-analysis of clinical trials found that mulberry products produced "a significant reduction in postprandial glucose" at multiple time intervals, while effects on other glucose and lipid markers were not statistically significant. Authors call for higher-quality trials to confirm.

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