Poria and Licorice Soup

Poria cocos is a kind of fungus among plants. It looks a bit like sweet potato, but don’t confuse it with other potato plants. Poria cocos has a relatively sweet and light taste and has the effect of strengthening the stomach and spleen. The main use of licorice is as a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. It tastes a little sweet and has a special flavor. Its main function is to clear away heat and detoxify. It is also used to make candy.

Poria cocos and licorice soup is a relatively common soup and is often seen in ordinary people's homes. Especially in the hot summer, this soup can clear away heat and detoxify, relieve a day's fatigue, make the body and mind more comfortable, and also has the effect of relieving heat.

【Formula name】Fuling Gancao Decoction (a diuretic for dampness, for treating water retention and palpitations, Zhongjing)

[Composition] 2 liang of Poria cocos and cinnamon twig, 1 liang of licorice, and 3 liang of ginger.

[Indications] It is used to treat cold due to water vapor invading the heart, causing coldness and palpitations under the heart.

First treat the water, then treat the cold. Otherwise, the water will enter the stomach and cause diarrhea. If a patient with Taiyang syndrome drinks too much water, the water will stagnate under the heart and cause palpitations; fire is afraid of water, so the heart will be nervous and uneasy.

It can also treat patients with typhoid fever who sweat but are not thirsty. The classics say: For those with cold fever who sweat and are thirsty, Wuling San is the main treatment; for those who are not thirsty, this soup is the main treatment. Sweating without thirst means that the evil heat has not yet entered the interior, so we only need to relieve the symptoms and promote diuresis while harmonizing the middle.

It can also treat bladder cough and incontinence caused by coughing.

[Prescription theory] This is a medicine for the foot sun meridian. Lightness can penetrate water, sweetness can calm the mind and aid yang, so Poria is used; spiciness can disperse fluid, and warmth can induce sweating and relieve muscles, so ginger and cinnamon are used; nourishing the earth can control water, and sweetness can replenish qi and harmonize the middle, so licorice is used.

Note: Palpitation syndrome includes palpitations caused by sweating, palpitations caused by vomiting and diarrhea, and palpitations caused by qi deficiency. Only drinking can cause palpitations, which are worse than other evils. Because water accumulates under the heart, it can enter everywhere. If it invades the lungs, it causes coughing. If it spreads to the stomach, it causes vomiting. If it overflows to the skin, it causes swelling. If it soaks into the intestines, it causes diarrhea. Therefore, the classics say: First treat the water, then treat the cold. If the disease is serious, we should treat the water first, let alone if the disease is shallow.

The efficacy and function of Poria cocos

It can promote diuresis and eliminate dampness, strengthen the spleen and resolve phlegm, calm the mind and soothe the nerves, eliminate toxins and fight cancer. The medicine has a mild nature and can eliminate dampness without damaging the body's vital energy. Taking it in moderation can be a good tonic for the humid seasons of spring and summer.

It can cure symptoms such as difficulty urinating, edema, phlegm and cough, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, spermatorrhea, stranguria, palpitations, and forgetfulness.

The Pachycolic acid it contains has the effects of enhancing immunity, anti-tumor, sedation, and lowering blood sugar.

The above introduces some knowledge about Poria cocos and licorice soup, because these two main ingredients are relatively easy to buy in the market, and the preparation method is also relatively simple, and it is also very popular. If you get a sore throat in the summer, drinking a bowl of this soup can extinguish the heat in your body and replenish your body with energy. You can try it.