In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Five Substances Powder with Poria, a formula from “Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases” by Zhang Zhongjing, a famous medical doctor in the Eastern Han Dynasty of China, is widely used clinically with significant beneficial effect. Researchers in Japan have found it is also effective in treating headaches caused by low air pressure.
The main ingredients of Five Substances Powder with Poria are rhizoma alismatis, grifola, poria cocos, atractylodes, and cassia twig. The five herbs work together to warm the yang, transform qi, promote fluid circulation, and strengthen the spleen. The formula is a known diuretic.
Rhizoma alismatis is diuresis-promoting and can release heat. It is often combined with grifola, poria cocos, and coix seed. Grifola is used to treat urinary disorders and vomiting. Poria cocos is one of the medicinal materials commonly used in daily life that promotes diuresis, excretes dampness, strengthens the spleen, nourishes the heart, and is often used to treat dyspepsia, edema, and urinary tract problems….