Precious Chinese medicinal materials often intimidate people, but today I would like to introduce this medicinal material—Poria (Fu Ling), a nourishing treasure among affordable herbs!
Common Nourishing Herb – Poria
01/ Promoting Diuresis and Reducing EdemaPoria’s most prominent function is promoting diuresis and reducing edema. It can alleviate edema in the elderly and children, whether due to cold or heat conditions. For example, swollen eyes may relate to the lungs, while edema below the waist may relate to the spleen and kidneys. Other areas of swelling in the legs and feet can also be treated with Poria.02/ Weight LossAdditionally, some people use Poria for weight loss! However, Poria is only effective for obesity caused by internal dampness; it is ineffective for other types of obesity. Therefore, it is essential to identify one’s constitution before using Poria for weight loss.
03/ Strengthening the Spleen and Nourishing the MiddleThe spleen prefers dryness and dislikes dampness. If dampness is heavy for a long time, it can obstruct the spleen, leading to spleen deficiency over time. Poria not only nourishes the spleen but also eliminates dampness, aiding in the healthy function of the spleen and stomach, which is quite rare.04/ Calming the Mind and Nourishing the HeartPoria can promote the opening of the orifices and eliminate dampness, which helps to uplift the mood and enhance intelligence. When feeling irritable, anxious, or having trouble sleeping, Poria can be used to calm the mind and nourish the heart.
Poria is included in the Yin Energy Deer Antler Paste, which is a kidney-nourishing food based on traditional Chinese medicine principles addressing Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, and kidney deficiency.
Ginseng is the king of herbal medicines, known as the “first herb for replenishing Qi”; deer antler is the king of animal medicines, known as the “first for strengthening the kidneys”; and jujube is the best for nourishing blood. When deer antler, ginseng, and jujube come together, they create the ultimate health product for replenishing both kidney Qi and blood—Yin Energy Deer Antler Paste. This product moves away from the traditional “treating the head for headaches and the feet for foot pain” approach; it addresses kidney Qi, Yin-Yang, and helps with kidney deficiency, Qi deficiency, and blood deficiency, starting from the root of kidney deficiency, as indicated by its 22-ingredient formula.
Yin Energy Deer Antler Paste improves with increased consumption and provides warming nourishment with less consumption. Its multiple effective components work synergistically, making it easier for the body to absorb, resulting in more noticeable effects.
Poria Recipes
01/ Moisturizing Skin—Red Date and Poria CongeeWhen the spleen and stomach function well, Qi and blood are abundant, resulting in a rosy complexion. Conversely, if the spleen fails to function properly, Qi, blood, and fluids will be insufficient, leading to a lack of energy and a pale complexion.
Red Date and Poria Congee
Ingredients:20 red dates, 30 grams of Poria, a few goji berries, 100 grams of japonica rice.Method:Wash and pit the red dates, crush the Poria, and cook with goji berries and japonica rice to make congee, to be eaten for breakfast.02/ Chronic Gastritis—Warm Middle and Strengthen Stomach CakeThe Warm Middle and Strengthen Stomach Cake is very effective for patients with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold. Such individuals often present with symptoms like fullness and pain in the stomach area, worsening after eating, or vomiting clear fluid, pale complexion, fatigue, and a pale tongue with white coating, and a weak pulse.
Warm Middle and Strengthen Stomach Cake
Ingredients and Method:60 grams each of yam, Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes), and Poria; 30 grams of dried ginger; 15 grams of dried tangerine peel; ground into fine powder, mix with 3 grams of pepper, combine with 1000 grams of flour, add water to knead into small cakes, and bake in the oven until cooked.03/ Chloasma—Five White CakeThe Five White Cake is very effective for alleviating chloasma with the following symptoms: gray-black patches resembling butterflies, symmetrically distributed on the wings of the nose, forehead, and around the mouth, with blurred edges, deepening from the edges to the center, accompanied by shortness of breath, fatigue, abdominal distension, poor appetite, or phlegm retention, pale tongue, greasy coating, and a wiry slippery pulse.
Five White Cake
Ingredients: 50 grams of white lentils, 50 grams of white lotus seeds, 50 grams of white Poria, 15 grams of white chrysanthemum, 50 grams of white yam, 100 grams of flour, and appropriate amount of white sugar.Method:Wash and dry the first five ingredients, grind into fine powder, mix with flour, add water to knead, or add fresh yeast to ferment. After fermentation, knead in white sugar, and steam in a bamboo steamer for 30 minutes, then cut into pieces.04/ Pediatric Anemia—Poria and Sesame CakeChildren often experience anemia due to spleen and stomach weakness, presenting with symptoms such as pale complexion, poor appetite, fatigue, lethargy, weakness in limbs, possible diarrhea, pale lips and tongue, thin white coating, and weak pulse. Children with these symptoms may try Poria and Sesame Cake.
Poria and Sesame Cake
Ingredients:200 grams of Poria, 500 grams of japonica rice, 100 grams of black sesame, and appropriate amount of white sugar.Method: Grind Poria and japonica rice into fine powder; roast and crush black sesame. Mix with water and white sugar to form a thick paste, and cook into thin cakes over low heat.05/ Chronic Glomerulonephritis—Poria BunsClinical manifestations include pale or sallow complexion, severe edema, abdominal distension, lumbar pain, poor appetite, loose stools, scanty urination, pale and swollen tongue, thin white coating, and a deep, thin or slow pulse.
Poria Buns
Method:Soak 50 grams of Poria in water until soft, slice, and simmer with about 25 milliliters of water, extracting the juice three times. Combine the filtered Poria juice with flour to make buns and steam until cooked.06/ Strengthening Spleen Dietary Therapy—Four Gods Soup“Four Gods” includes Poria, Qian Shi (Euryale Seed), Yam, and White Lotus. They all have the function of nourishing the spleen Yin and strengthening the stomach, which can treat indigestion, diarrhea, and those who cannot gain weight.Overall Effects:Eliminate dampness, clear heat, strengthen the spleen, nourish the stomach, beautify the skin, replenish heart and lungs, and regulate the liver and solidify the kidneys.
Four Gods Soup
Ingredients:10 grams of Yun Ling (White Poria);15 grams of yam slices; 15 grams of lotus seeds; 10 grams of Qian Shi; 3 bowls of water
Method:Wash Yun Ling, yam slices, lotus seeds, and Qian Shi; boil in clean water with all the ingredients, simmer for 20 minutes, then reduce to low heat and cook for two hours, adding salt to taste before serving.
Note: Although Poria is beneficial, pregnant women should use it with caution!
Because Poria promotes diuresis and drains dampness, it is downward-moving and may lead to miscarriage. Additionally, diabetic patients and those in menopause should also use it sparingly. However, if necessary, it is best to combine it with cooling and Yin-nourishing herbs such as Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia), Goji Berries, and Gan Cao (Licorice), which all have the effect of nourishing fluids, achieving the effect of nourishing kidney Yin when used together.
