Evidence supporting the use of: Poria Mushrooms
For the health condition: Anxiety Disorders

Links: Go back one page, Tool main page, Ingredients list, Health conditions list, Body systems list

Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Poria mushroom (Poria cocos, also known as Fu Ling in traditional Chinese medicine) has been used for centuries in traditional East Asian medicine, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean systems. It is traditionally believed to calm the mind, strengthen the spleen, and promote urination. In the context of anxiety and related disorders, Poria is often included in herbal formulations intended to address symptoms such as insomnia, palpitations, and restlessness—symptoms associated with "Shen disturbance" in traditional Chinese medical theory. However, while its use for calming the mind and relieving anxiety-related symptoms is well-documented in classical texts and in modern herbal compendia, direct scientific evidence supporting Poria’s efficacy for anxiety disorders is limited. Some in vitro and animal studies suggest possible neuroprotective and anxiolytic effects, possibly related to triterpenoids and polysaccharides found in Poria, but robust clinical trials in humans are lacking. Therefore, the use of Poria for anxiety is primarily justified by tradition rather than rigorous scientific validation. As such, it garners a moderate traditional evidence rating, but only limited support from the scientific literature.

More about Poria Mushrooms
More about Anxiety Disorders

Products containing Poria Mushrooms

We currently have no products on Vitabase that contain this ingredient.