Poria

Wolfiporia cocos · Poria cocos · Fu ling · Hoelen

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Sleep quality^{1, 2} Glycemic control adjunct³ Vaccine immune response⁴	Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁵ Hypersensitivity to Poria⁵

Poria (Wolfiporia cocos), known as Fuling, is the edible sclerotium of a fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than two thousand years^{6, 7}. Traditional indications include promoting urination, supporting spleen function, and calming the mind⁷. Its polysaccharide fraction is credited with immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity⁷. Supplementation centers on sleep quality, with glycemic support in herbal formulae and immune support as further uses; typical patients are adults with poor sleep or type 2 diabetes.

In healthy adults, a 2023 randomized trial of a rosemary, Aloe vera, and Poria combination found higher influenza B-specific antibody after vaccination, with no difference in respiratory symptoms. Products are mostly tablets, capsules, and powders as extracts or whole powder; see Form comparison.

Health Canada labels on most licensed single-ingredient products exclude use in pregnancy and breastfeeding, without stating a reason⁵. Those labels also ask users of prescription medications to consult a health care practitioner before use⁵.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

26 sources, 19 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources