Fu Ling
Also known as: Poria cocos, poria, hoelen.
Fu Ling is kept because the site's TCM drainage branch would be incomplete without poria-based support, but it remains clearly optional and low-tier given the absence of strong direct hangover evidence.
Where this fits in the system
What it does
Fu Ling is a quiet, supportive drainage herb for puffy or heavy recovery mornings. It is part of the optional long-tail stack, not the center of the protocol.
How it works
Where it fits
Use this when the morning feels swollen, waterlogged, or slow to clear. Fu Ling lives in the same family as the other drainage herbs rather than the acetaldehyde or glutathione branch.
Buying guidance
A basic poria product from a reputable TCM source is sufficient. Keep doses practical and pair it with the actual hydration layer rather than replacing it.
Deep science · Fu Ling — deep dive
Why it is Tier 4
The page exists to preserve coverage and mechanism links, not to claim a level of evidence it does not have. Core recovery still comes from the main stack.