Is Poria cocos effective in lowering blood sugar?

Poria has diuretic, dampness-removing, immune-regulating and anti-tumor effects. For people who suffer from poor sleep and edema, taking Poria cocos regularly can help them sleep, reduce edema, and beautify their skin. At the same time, Poria cocos is also a good food for lowering blood sugar. Because Poria cocos contains high dietary fiber, it can prolong the residence time of food in the gastrointestinal tract, making people feel full. It solves the problem of diabetics eating too much and allows the stomach and intestines to have a sufficient rest. The pancreas of diabetics can also rest, and the patient's blood sugar will naturally decrease. However, Poria cocos cannot replace medicine and can only assist in lowering blood pressure.

Poria cocos is a fungus that parasitizes on the roots of trees such as red pine and masson pine of the Pinus family. It is the dried sclerotium of the Polyporaceae plant Poria cocos. It is a commonly used Chinese medicine in traditional Chinese medicine. It has the effects of dispelling dampness and promoting diuresis, benefiting the spleen and stomach, and calming the mind and tranquilizing the nerves. In the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" and the ancient medical books "Bielu" and "Deshengtang Experience Prescriptions" recorded that Poria cocos has the effect of relieving "diabetes (the Chinese medicine name for diabetes)".

Modern research has found that Poria cocos not only has medicinal value such as diuresis and antibacterial properties, but also has high nutritional value. 93% of the dry weight of Poria cocos is β-Pachylosan, in addition to protein, fat, lecithin, glucose and other ingredients. Poria cocos is rich in dietary fiber, accounting for 80.9%. Studies have confirmed that dietary fiber is an extremely beneficial nutrient in diabetic dietary control. Therefore, Poria cocos is a good food therapy for diabetic patients.

Although Poria cocos is a traditional Chinese medicine, it has been identified by the Ministry of Health as a traditional Chinese medicine that is both a food and a medicine. Therefore, the consumption of Poria cocos does not need to be strictly controlled like pure traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, as long as the taste deficiency can be solved, Poria food can be a good staple food substitute for diabetic patients.

Even though Poria cocos is a traditional Chinese medicine, it is also a food and its dosage is not strictly controlled like that of traditional Chinese medicine. However, the Poria cocos foods sold on the market have a relatively high sugar content and are therefore not suitable for diabetic patients. If diabetics want to use Poria cocos to help lower blood sugar, they can make their own Poria cocos food at home. Using Poria cocos instead of rice or pasta can better control blood sugar.