The difference between red Poria cocos and white Poria cocos

Red Poria cocos, also known as wild Poria cocos, is a very common Chinese medicinal material. It has a nourishing effect on the human body. Eating red Poria cocos can improve the body's health. However, there are many types of Poria cocos, including wild Poria cocos and red Poria cocos. Each different type of Poria cocos has different nourishing effects on the body. Poria cocos can be used to stew soup, and Poria cocos can also be used as medicine. So what are the differences between red Poria cocos and white Poria cocos?

Smilax glabra is a climbing shrub mainly used for syphilis, clearing away heat and dampness. The rhizome is tuberous, with obvious tubercles and numerous fibrous roots. The stem is thornless. Simple leaves are alternate; leathery, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 6-20 cm long, 1.2-5 cm wide, acuminate at the apex, rounded at the base, entire, often powdered on the underside, with 3-5 basal veins; petiole 1-2 cm long, slightly wing-shaped, with spreading sheaths near the base, the apex of the sheaths often turning into 2 tendrils.

Flowers are unisexual and dioecious; umbels are axillary with extremely short peduncles; pedicels are slender with numerous persistent triangular bracteoles at the base; flowers are small, white, about 4 mm in diameter; perianth has 6 lobes in 2 whorls; male flowers have 6 stamens, filaments are shorter than anthers, and the reduced pistils lack them; the reduced stamens of female flowers are linear, the ovary is superior, 3-chambered, and the stigma is 3-branched and slightly recurved. The berries are spherical, 6 to 8 mm in diameter, and red. Flowering period is from July to August. The fruiting period is from September to October. White Poria cocos strengthens the spleen and promotes diuresis. It is mainly used to strengthen the spleen, treat stomach problems and edema. Both are non-toxic and can be used externally without side effects. White Poria cocos is in blocks, while wild Poria cocos is cut into large pieces. There are two types, red and white. The red one is better. Cloud Poria cocos has the effect of strengthening the spleen and removing dampness. It is a fungus that parasitizes on the roots of pine trees. It is shaped like a sweet potato, with a dark brown skin and white or pink inside.

Dried sclerotia of Poria cocos of the Polyporaceae family. It is dug up from July to September, the soil is removed, and it is piled up to "sweat". Then it is spread out in the sun until the surface is dry, and then it is "sweated" again. This is repeated several times until wrinkles appear. After most of the internal moisture is lost, it is dried in the shade and is called Poria cocos. Or fresh Poria cocos can be cut into different parts and dried in the shade, which are called Poria cocos skin, red Poria cocos, and Poria cocos slices respectively. [Distribution of Origin] It is mainly produced in Hubei, Anhui, Henan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other provinces, and is now cultivated in large quantities in many areas. [Characteristics of medicinal materials]

Poria cocos are spherical, oval or irregular in shape, with varying sizes. The outer skin is thin and rough, brown to dark brown, with obvious raised wrinkles, and white hyphae are occasionally seen on the surface. It is heavy, solid, not easy to break, with an uneven cross-section, granular, and some with cracks; the outer layer is light brown, and the pieces are often processed into red Poria; the inside is white, and a few are light red, and the pieces are processed into white Poria or Poria slices.

The differences between red Poria cocos and white Poria cocos are what we introduced above. White Poria cocos and red Poria cocos have the same good effects on the body. If you don’t know, you can try it to see which kind of Poria cocos is good for your body. Then, you can eat the healthiest and most beneficial Poria cocos for your body. When eating Poria cocos, you must also pay attention to the most critical point, which is the dosage of the medicine.