The Evolution of Soup Cleanses Across Cultures

A hearty bowl of potato split pea soup—packed with fiber and flavor to support your gut health with every comforting spoonful.

Soup has nourished bodies and spirits for millennia, serving as both comfort and therapy. Long before the term “soup cleanses” entered modern wellness lexicons, ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and beyond relied on liquid diets to support health, ritual, and recovery.

Evolution of Soup Cleanses

Many ancient practices laid the foundation for today’s modern cleanse routines. This section traces the Evolution of Soup Cleanses from early temple gruels to contemporary gut-reset broths.

Ancient Civilizations and Early Liquid Diets

Mesopotamia & Egypt (circa 3000–1500 BC)

In Mesopotamia, writings on cuneiform tablets describe brothy gruels made from barley, legumes, and dates, which were used to sustain temple workers and patients undergoing fasting rituals. Meanwhile, the Ancient Egyptians prepared seasoned lentils and onion broths—often infused with medicinal herbs like coriander—to aid digestion and maintain nutrition during periods of religious fasting and convalescence. These early practices laid the groundwork for therapeutic liquid diets by emphasizing rest for the gut and steady delivery of vital nutrients.

Persia’s Royal Preparations

In the royal kitchens of ancient Persia, cooks simmered bones, grains, and fragrant herbs to create cleansing broths before ceremonial fasts. These nutrient-dense liquids were believed to purify the body and prime it for spiritual observance, foreshadowing modern soup-cleansing ideas.

Medieval Monastic Practices and Healing Broths

Monasteries across Europe maintained infirmary kitchens where clear broths—made from barley, cabbage, and wild mushrooms—were prescribed to the sick. By replacing solid foods with easily digested liquids, monks promoted hydration, electrolyte balance, and intestinal mucosal repair, employing a proto–soup cleansing approach to gut healing.

Ayurvedic Kitchari & Eastern Detox Traditions

In Ayurveda, kitchari—a porridge made from mung beans, rice, and warming spices—has been a central component of panchakarma (detoxification) protocols for over two thousand years. By providing gentle proteins, soluble fiber, and balancing spices, kitchari-based broths support digestive “fire,” reduce ama (toxins), and nurture the gut lining, mirroring contemporary soup cleansing regimens.

Coastal Wisdom: Seaweed & Fish Broths

Japan’s coastal communities perfected dashi—broth made from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes to replace electrolytes lost at sea. Rich in umami and trace iodine, dashi provides minerals that modern gut science recognizes as essential for maintaining the gut barrier and modulating inflammation.

Indigenous American Nutrient-Dense Broths

Native American tribes crafted pemmican—a concentrated mixture of dried meat, fat, and berries—to supplement their soups during extended expeditions. These broths delivered protein, healthy fats, and antioxidants in a portable form, paralleling today’s bone-broth–focused soup cleanses.

Modern Revival: Functional & Fusion Broths

Holistic health advocates today blend traditional recipes with new superfoods—think turmeric-ginger bone broths and medicinal herb infusions—for targeted gut support. Short-term soup cleansing (1–7 days) reemerged as a popular reset, emphasizing collagen, electrolytes, and phytonutrients to calm inflammation and promote gut recovery.

Gut-Science Behind Soup Cleansing

• Collagen & Gelatin: Slow-simmered broths release collagen that converts to gelatin, supporting the integrity of the mucosal lining and maintaining tight junction health, thereby reducing gut permeability and inflammation.

• Hydration & Electrolytes: The high water content and naturally occurring minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium) in broths facilitate smooth muscle contractions and enhance nutrient absorption.

• Minimal Mechanical Digestion: Liquids require less breakdown, allowing enterocytes to focus on repair and nutrient uptake during a soup cleanse.

• Mindful Ritual: The practice of sipping warm broths encourages slower consumption and engages the gut-brain axis for optimal digestion.

DIY Soup-Cleansing Tips

1. Select Your Base: Choose bone broth for amino acids or vegetable broth for antioxidants and gentle fiber.

2. Flavor with Care: Use anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric or ginger sparingly to avoid irritation.

3. Herbal Enhancements: Infuse fennel, chamomile, or mint to soothe cramps and support microbial balance.

4. Structured Protocol: Plan 3–5 broth servings per day, journal symptoms, and gradually reintroduce solids post-cleanse.

From Mesopotamian temple gruels to Japanese dashi, the practice of therapeutic liquid diets has crossed centuries and continents. Today’s soup cleansing routines honor these time-tested traditions, blending gut-science insights with ancestral wisdom. With each nourishing sip, you connect to a legacy of healing and move one step closer to balanced digestive wellness.