The Timeless Benefits of Fu Ling (Poria) in Traditional Chinese Medicine

TCM Book Club Issue 2744

Daily updates to accompany the growth of TCM practitioners

I Introduction:

Fu Ling (Poria)

In your eyes

Am I so

Indispensable

I am ordinary

Yet essential

Do you know

Your peace of mind

Is actually due to my presence

—— Zi Jing Jiang

(Editor/Wang Chao)

Chinese Medicine also has Circular Motion — Fu Ling (Excerpt)

Speaker/Hu Hao

Linglan TCM, fellow practitioners, friends, hello. Today we will learn about a new herb: Fu Ling.

1. Medicinal Source

Fu Ling is known to come from the dried sclerotium of the fungus Poria cocos, which is a perennial medicinal fungus. What is this sclerotium? It is a dormant body formed by the aggregation of mycelium and nutrients, also known as a storage body, somewhat similar to a radish or potato.

To survive, this sclerotium must parasitize on pine roots. Some parts of the pine roots may be slightly decayed, and it grows the fungus using the pine roots as a nutrient base, with its fruiting body resembling a mushroom.

Fu Ling prefers a humid and warm growing environment, generally thriving at temperatures between 18-35°C, with the optimal temperature being 18°C. In autumn and winter, or below zero, it usually enters a dormant period, as it is sensitive to severe cold. Once spring arrives and it warms up, it begins to grow very quickly. Typically, it can be harvested after about 3 to 4 years of cultivation, but wild varieties can last over 10 years, with legends of Fu Ling lasting a hundred or even a thousand years.

Generally, soil that has been cultivated for Fu Ling cannot be replanted for three to five years, as the nutrients will be depleted.

In terms of medicinal use, we have Fu Ling Pi (Fu Ling skin), Chi Fu Ling (Red Poria), Bai Fu Ling (White Poria), and Fu Shen (Poria Spirit). Fu Ling Pi is the outer black-brown skin; after removing the outer black skin, we have Chi Fu Ling, which is slightly reddish and is generally believed to enter the blood level. Bai Fu Ling is our main medicinal part, usually considered to enter the Qi level. Fu Shen is the part that contains the pine root.

We generally choose Bai Fu Ling, which should have no strong odor, a slightly sweet and mild taste, and a chewy texture that sticks to the teeth, indicating high quality. Visually, it should be solid and porcelain-like, which is considered top-grade.

2. Main Effects

Strengthening the Spleen and Draining Dampness

As we know, over 70% of the human body is water, but much of this water can be waste that the body has not fully utilized, leading to phlegm, edema, and various pathological products. Fu Ling can help expel this water through the pores or urination. In the process of expelling, it does not harm Yin and has a certain nourishing effect, being able to both drain and tonify, while also indirectly nourishing other organs.

Classic representative formulas include Si Jun Zi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction) and Shen Ling Bai Zhu San (Ginseng and Poria Powder), which treat Spleen Qi deficiency with dampness or Spleen deficiency with diarrhea. It can be combined with formulas for treating the stomach, such as Er Chen Tang (Two Aged Decoction) or Ban Xia Fu Ling Tang (Pinellia and Poria Decoction), which address phlegm and dampness in the stomach. There is also the classic formula for treating plum pit Qi, Ban Xia Hou Po Tang (Pinellia and Magnolia Bark Decoction), which includes Fu Ling, Su Ye (Perilla Leaf), and Ginger. For gynecological issues, we have Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan (Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill).

For phlegm and fluids that condense into phlegm and flow into the meridians, we have Zhi Mi Fu Ling Wan (Finger-Pointing Poria Pill). These are some common uses of Fu Ling.

Treating Heart Disorders

It is known that the heart and small intestine are interrelated, and many practitioners have discussed that Fu Ling can indeed nourish the heart and calm the spirit. It is used to treat heart disorders such as forgetfulness, insomnia, urinary difficulties, turbid urination, or frequent urination. In men, it may manifest as nocturnal emissions, while children may experience bedwetting, which is essentially a shared condition of the heart and small intestine.

Another common deficiency syndrome is heart deficiency, which can lead to sweating in the heart area, often referred to as “heart sweat.” This occurs when one thinks too much and sweats, but does not sweat when not thinking. This is a deficiency syndrome. Fu Ling can be used in these situations. In the Compendium of Materia Medica, it is recorded that using Ai Ye (Mugwort) with Fu Ling, adjusting Fu Ling powder, and consuming it daily for a period can lead to improvement.

3. Typical Medical Case

Finally, let me introduce a medical case. A patient frequently experienced hair loss and had tried many hair growth medications without success. Later, he consulted a doctor who diagnosed that his hair loss was due to excessive consumption of cold foods. The doctor prescribed one kilogram of Fu Ling, instructing him to use 30 to 50 grams daily, boiled in water as tea.

After finishing the one kilogram of Fu Ling, he found that his hair gradually grew back. What does this indicate? Fu Ling can help drain the water from the stomach and intestines, and once the water is eliminated, the heart fire decreases, allowing hair to grow back. Many patients experience hair loss due to excessive heat, but why does the heat become excessive? It is because the dampness in the middle jiao obstructs the interaction between the heart and kidneys, which can also lead to hair loss.

Additionally, the editor notes: Teacher Hu believes that Chinese medicine should be learned in this way: in the section on the circular motion of frost mulberry leaves (click the link to read the article), methods for washing hair with frost mulberry leaves to treat hair loss were introduced. This year, during the Frost Descent festival, I encouraged friends in my circle to pick frost mulberry leaves. A few days ago, I received feedback:

Is Teacher Hu like a little ding-dong? So many little tips? Highly recommended to all friends! Truly!

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