Poria

Poria likes to grow in the rhizosphere or humus of maple, birch, mallee and other trees with Armillaria spp. It has a symbiotic relationship with Armillaria spp. and Armillaria spp. and trees. It is a typical "fungal nutrition type", that is, the growth and development of one fungus depends on another fungus to complete its growth and development. Wherever Armillaria spp. is found growing, it is very likely that Poria is growing under the nearby soil layer; or at the roots of maple, birch and other trees, if the ground is raised and soft, with yellow and dry grass in between, there is Poria underneath; or in the early morning when the forest surface is relatively dry when the rain and dew have not yet dried, or in the dry places after a shower, it is very likely that Poria is growing.

Ecological habits

Polyporus likes to grow in the rhizosphere or humus of maple, birch, and mallee with lignum corpus. It has a symbiotic relationship with lignum corpus and lignum corpus and trees. It is a typical "fungal nutrition type", that is, the growth and development of a fungus depends on another fungus to complete its growth and development. Wherever lignum corpus is found, it is very likely that Polyporus grows under the soil layer nearby; or at the roots of maple, birch and other trees, if the ground is raised and soft, and there are yellow and dry grasses, there is Polyporus underneath; or in the early morning when the rain and dew have not yet disappeared, the surface of the forest is relatively dry, or after a shower, the surface is relatively dry, it is very likely that Polyporus grows. It can also be excavated by the method of "looking for lignum corpus" to dig. Specifically, after digging the first nest of Polyporus, continue digging along the horizontal root direction, and you will find a new nest. In addition to parallel nests, Polyporus also has the habit of layered nests. After digging the upper layer of lignum corpus, there are still mycelial cords growing downward at the bottom of the nest. It is very likely that new nests will be found in the lower layer, and the yield of the lower layer will be greater than that of the upper layer.

The efficacy and function of Poria cocos

1. Palpitations, insomnia, etc.

The effects and functions of pig Poria can nourish the heart and soothe the mind, so it can be used to a certain extent for symptoms such as restlessness, palpitations, and insomnia. It is often used in combination with ginseng, polygala, and spinach seeds.

2. Difficulty urinating, edema, etc.

Poria cocos has the function of promoting diuresis and eliminating dampness, and its medicinal properties are mild. It can promote diuresis without hurting the vital energy, and is an important medicine for promoting diuresis and eliminating dampness. It can be used in combination with any symptom of dysuria and stagnation of water and dampness, whether it is biased towards cold and dampness, dampness and heat, or spleen deficiency and dampness. For those who are biased towards cold and dampness, it can be used with cinnamon twig, white atractylodes, etc.; for those who are biased towards dampness and heat, it can be used with umbellate, oriental water chestnuts, etc.; for those who are spleen deficiency, it can be used with codonopsis, astragalus, white atractylodes, etc.; for those who are cold and weak, it can also be used with aconite, white atractylodes, etc.

3. Cough due to phlegm and fluid

Phlegm and dampness enter the meridians, shoulder and back pain. Poria can not only promote water and eliminate dampness, but also strengthen the spleen. It has a therapeutic effect on the symptoms of spleen deficiency that cannot transport and transform water and dampness, and stagnation and transformation of phlegm and fluid. It can be used with Pinellia and Tangerine Peel, or with Cinnamon Twig and Atractylodes Macrocephala to treat phlegm and dampness enter the meridians, shoulder and back pain, and can be used with Pinellia and Citrus Aurantium.

4. Anti-cancer effect

It is commonly used clinically to treat esophageal cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, tongue cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, ulcerative melanoma and other cancers caused by spleen deficiency and dampness, phlegm and fluid retention, and damp-heat accumulation.

5. Spleen deficiency, diarrhea and leukorrhea

The efficacy and function of pig Poria cocos can not only strengthen the spleen, but also drain dampness. For diarrhea and leukorrhea caused by spleen deficiency and dysfunction, the application of Poria cocos has the effect of taking both the symptoms and the root causes into consideration. It is often used in combination with Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Chinese yam, etc. It can be used as an auxiliary medicine to nourish the lungs and spleen and treat qi deficiency.

Nutritional value of Poria cocos

1. Diuresis and Dampness: Poria has a light taste, which is lighter than ginseng. It enters the spleen to clear the water channel. It is used to treat diarrhea, dampness, stranguria, edema, and jaundice. This is the most effective way. It is often used to treat urinary problems, edema, leucorrhea, jaundice, beriberi, etc.

2. Heat-clearing and thirst-quenching: Poria is mild and penetrating, and the qi rises and the rain can fall, so it can open the pores and facilitate urination. "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" also mentions that "if the pulse is floating, fever, thirsty and wanting to drink water, and urination is not smooth, Zhuling Decoction is the main treatment."

3. Treat malaria and stop diarrhea: Poria has a sweet, mild and slightly bitter taste. Although the bitter taste can descend, the sweet and mild taste can penetrate and disperse. It can rise and descend, and descend and rise. Therefore, it is good at opening the pores, regulating the superficial yang and internal yin qi, and promoting urination. Therefore, it was used in ancient times to treat malaria.

Medicinal value of Poria

[Nature and flavor] Sweet and light in taste, neutral in nature.

[entry into meridians] Heart, spleen, stomach, lung, and kidney meridians.

【Effects】It can promote diuresis and eliminate dampness. It is mainly used to treat urinary incontinence, edema, diarrhea, stranguria, and leucorrhea.

Discussions on Poria cocos

1. "Introduction to Medicine": Treats heatstroke and thirst.

2. Materia Medica: It can relieve severe fever caused by typhoid fever, epidemic diseases, induce sweating, and treat swelling and acute abdominal pain.

3. "Zhenzhunang": It can quench thirst and treat stranguria.

4. "The Origin of Medicine": Very dry and removes dampness.

Side effects of Poria

【Modern Research】

Chemical composition: This product contains Polyporus umbellatus glucan I, steroid compounds, free and bound biotin, crude protein, etc.

Pharmacological effects: Its diuretic mechanism is due to the inhibition of reabsorption of water and electrolytes by the renal tubules. Polyporus polysaccharide has anti-tumor and hepatitis prevention and treatment effects. Polyporus water and alcohol extracts have immune-promoting and antibacterial effects respectively.

Clinical research: It is reported that oral administration of Polyporus polysaccharide capsules is effective in treating chronic hepatitis B (Clinical Collection 2001, 7:313). Polyporus polysaccharide injection, injected intramuscularly, is effective in treating weak children with low immune function (Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990, 3:40).

Adverse reaction mechanism

Poria polysaccharide is mainly a polymer, containing impurities and protein antigens, which can cause allergic reactions.

【Adverse Reactions】

Overdose of this product may cause excessive urine output, dry mouth, irritability, etc. Poria injection may cause local pain, redness, swelling, heat, drug-induced rash, angioedema, anaphylactic shock, and other symptoms such as upper gastrointestinal bleeding, vaginal bleeding, joint pain, kidney damage, transient tinnitus, etc.

Contraindications of using Poria

1. "Origin of Medicine": Poria cocos is a mild diuretic, and can cause severe drying and loss of body fluids. Do not take it if there is no evidence of dampness.

2. "Introduction to Medicine": People with dampness and kidney deficiency should avoid taking this medicine.

3. Depei Materia Medica: Blurred eyesight and thirst without dampness are both contraindicated.