The culture of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history. Since the time of “Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs,” “medicine” and “food” have been inseparable. In the development of food and medicine, a unique culture of “food as medicine” has formed, believing that many foods are both food and medicine, capable of preventing and treating diseases.

In recent years, the National Health Commission has successively issued relevant policies to standardize food-medicine products. Currently, there are over a hundred substances that are traditionally considered food and are included in the “Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China” (hereinafter referred to as the “Chinese Pharmacopoeia”).

The series on food-medicine substances by pharmacists will introduce these substances one by one.

In daily life, many people often experience gastrointestinal discomfort, which is actually due to dampness in the body. So what can we eat to eliminate dampness? The correct answer is —Fu Ling!

Fu Ling (Poria) is a unique ingredient that can be used as both food and medicine. Although it may not look impressive, it is full of benefits. Fu Ling is a fungus that grows on the roots of pine trees, and the medicinal part is the dried sclerotium. As early as in the Western Han Dynasty’s “Huainanzi,” there is a record stating, “Under the thousand-year-old pine, there is Fu Ling.”

Fu Ling has a neutral nature and flavor, and can be used as both food and medicine. When processed into powder, it can be made into Fu Ling cake, Fu Ling wontons, and Fu Ling pastries, which are all famous local snacks.

Fu Ling is known as the “treasure of all seasons” because its effects are very broad. Regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter, it can exert its unique effects when combined with various ingredients or medicinal herbs.

It was first recorded in the “Shennong Bencao Jing” and has been widely documented in subsequent medical texts from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The “Bencao Gangmu” states: “Fu Ling has a bland flavor and can permeate; its nature ascends, generates body fluids, opens pores, nourishes the water source and descends, and promotes urination.”

The “Pharmacopoeia” records that Fu Ling is sweet, bland, and neutral. It enters the Heart (Xin), Lung (Fei), Spleen (Pi), and Kidney (Shen) meridians. It promotes urination, drains dampness, strengthens the spleen, and calms the heart. It is used for edema, reduced urination, phlegm, dizziness, spleen deficiency with poor appetite, diarrhea, anxiety, and insomnia.

There are many records of Fu Ling’s effects in ancient texts:

“Shennong Bencao Jing”: “It is used for chest and flank counterflow, worry, anger, fear, and palpitations… promotes urination.”

“Bencao Yanyi”: “Fu Ling and Fu Shen have many functions in promoting water metabolism, and are indispensable for benefiting the heart and spleen.”

“Bencao Gangmu”: “Later generations must use Fu Shen to treat heart diseases. Therefore, the ancient Zhang family said: Wind dizziness and heart deficiency cannot be eliminated without Fu Shen, but Fu Ling has also treated heart diseases.” It also states, “The skin of Fu Ling is used for edema and skin swelling, promotes urination, and opens pores.”

“Shibu Zhai Yishu”: “Fu Ling alone is the main medicine for treating phlegm. The root of phlegm is water, and Fu Ling can promote water. The movement of phlegm is dampness, and Fu Ling can promote dampness.”

Based on the records in the classics, the effects of Fu Ling can be summarized as follows:

Promotes Urination and Reduces Edema

Fu Ling is sweet and can tonify the spleen, bland and can drain, with a neutral nature, it can both dispel evil and support the righteous. It is a key herb for promoting urination and reducing edema, and can be used to treat various types of edema.

For water dampness stagnation, urinary difficulty due to bladder qi not functioning, and edema and fullness, it is often combined with Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig), Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes), and Ze Xie (Alisma) as in the “Shang Han Lun” Wu Ling San; if it is due to kidney yang deficiency and cold water stagnation, it is combined with Fu Zi (Aconite), Bai Zhu, and Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger) as in the “Shang Han Lun” Zhen Wu Tang; if it is due to yang deficiency and qi not transforming, with swelling of the limbs and skin, it is combined with Fang Ji (Stephania) and Huang Qi (Astragalus) as in the “Jin Kui Yao Lue” Fang Ji Fu Ling Tang; if it is due to yin deficiency with urinary difficulty and edema, it is combined with Zhu Ling (Polyporus), Ze Xie, and E Jiao (Donkey-hide Gelatin) as in the “Shang Han Lun” Zhu Ling Tang; if there is water dampness stagnation causing edema with body heat and dry stools, it is combined with Mu Tong (Akebia) and Jiao Mu (Pepper) as in the “Ji Sheng Fang” Shu Zao Yin Zi.

Drains Dampness and Strengthens the Spleen

Fu Ling both strengthens the spleen and drains dampness, preventing dampness from accumulating and phlegm from forming. When water and phlegm stagnate in the chest and flanks, symptoms include fullness in the chest and flanks, dizziness, and palpitations, it is often combined with Gui Zhi, Bai Zhu, and Gan Cao (Licorice) as in the “Shang Han Lun” Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang; if phlegm and water stagnate in the stomach, with symptoms of vomiting, dizziness, and palpitations, it is combined with Ban Xia (Pinellia) and Sheng Jiang as in the “Jin Kui Yao Lue” Xiao Ban Xia Jia Fu Ling Tang.

This herb can both strengthen the spleen and tonify the middle, while also draining dampness and stopping diarrhea. It is used for spleen and stomach deficiency with poor appetite and diarrhea, often combined with Ren Shen (Ginseng), Bai Zhu, and Gan Cao as in the “Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang” Si Jun Zi Tang; especially suitable for long-term diarrhea due to spleen deficiency and excess dampness, often combined with Yi Yi Ren (Job’s Tears) and Shan Yao (Chinese Yam) as in the “Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang” Shen Ling Bai Zhu San.

Calms the Heart and Settles the Spirit

Fu Ling benefits the qi of the heart and spleen, transforms phlegm and water dampness, thus achieving the effect of calming the heart and settling the spirit.

For palpitations and anxiety due to deficiency of both heart and spleen, with insufficient qi and blood, forgetfulness, and insomnia, it is often combined with Ren Shen, Dang Gui (Angelica), and Suan Zao Ren (Sour Jujube Seed) as in the “Ji Sheng Fang” Gui Pi Tang and “Shi Yi De Xiao Fang” Yi Rong Tang; for palpitations due to phlegm and water accumulation in the heart and stomach, it is combined with Ban Xia, Chen Pi (Tangerine Peel), and Chen Xiang (Agarwood) as in the “Shi Yi De Xiao Fang” Fu Ling Yin Zi; if it is due to the heart and kidney not communicating, causing anxiety and insomnia, it can be combined with Chang Pu (Acorus) and Yuan Zhi (Polygala) to benefit qi, calm the spirit, and settle the mind, as in the “Yi Xue Xin Wu” An Shen Ding Zhi Wan; for emotional distress and insomnia, palpitations, it is combined with Fu Shen (Poria Spirit) and Xiang Fu (Cyperus) as in the “Shen Shi Zun Sheng Shu” Jiao Gan Dan.

Fu Ling is harvested from July to September. After being dug up, the soil is removed, and it is piled up to “sweat” before being spread out to dry until the surface is dry, then “sweated” again, repeating several times until wrinkles appear and most of the internal moisture is lost, then it is air-dried, referred to as “Fu Ling Ge.” After soaking, it is slightly steamed, sliced, and dried; or the fresh Fu Ling can be cut according to different parts and air-dried for raw use.

There are two processing methods for medicinal Fu Ling:

1. Fu Ling: Take the original herb, separate by size, soak, wash, moisten, slightly steam, and while hot, cut into thick slices or pieces, then dry.

2. Zhu Fu Ling: Take Fu Ling slices, mix with a specified amount of fine Zhu Sha (Cinnabar) powder. For every 100 kg of Fu Ling, use 2 kg of Zhu Sha.

[ I ] Fu Ling Tea

Ingredients: 10g Fu Ling, 5g Lu Gen (Reed Root), 3g Flower Tea.

Method: Brew with 300ml of boiling water and drink until the flavor is mild.

Effects: Promotes urination, drains dampness, clears the heart, and calms the spirit.

[ II ] Fu Ling Red Bean and Job’s Tears Porridge

Ingredients: 20g Bai Fu Ling (White Poria) powder, 50g Red Beans, 10g Job’s Tears.

Method: First soak the red beans for half a day, then cook with Job’s Tears to make porridge. After the red beans are soft, add Fu Ling powder and cook into porridge.

Usage: Add a little white sugar and consume as desired.

Effects: Has effects of promoting urination, draining dampness, strengthening the spleen, and stopping diarrhea.

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