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Reishi
The reishi mushroom, also known as Lingzhi, is a species of the genus Ganoderma, which is renown in East Asia for being a supernatural mushroom. In fact, it’s been a medicinal mushroom in China for over 2000 years, where they are regarded as the king of herbs. In Chinese, Ling means sacred, divine, and miraculous, while Zhi translates as “plant of longevity”. In Japan, they are known as an immortality plant.
The reishi mushroom is a polypore, meaning that it releases its spores through tiny pores rather than through gills on its underside. It is soft when fresh, flat, kidney shaped, and reddish brown in color. And it grows at the base of deciduous trees in temperate and tropical regions around the world.
Reishi Benefits
Reishi mushrooms benefit health in numerous ways, mostly due to their powerful variety of antioxidants that combat the oxidative stress which causes healthy cells to die.
Reishi mushrooms have an extremely unique blend of these powerful antioxidants.[28] First, they contain polysaccharides in the form of beta-glucans, which are a strong immune system builder. These complex sugars are also responsible for normalizing body weight and cholesterol levels.
Reishi mushrooms are also an abundant source of triterpenes. Triterpenes improve the body’s ability to supply oxygen to cells, while also improving immune function. Studies also support their ability to kill tumors and inhibit the effects of HIV.[29]
And lastly, these special fungi contain the Ganoderma lucidum peptide, which is a unique protein and strong antioxidant. Studies show that this peptide can help rid the body of disease by reducing the free radical-scavenging compounds that cause disease.[30]
The reishi mushroom benefits health by also …
- Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol
- Treating fatigue
- Protecting against heart disease and stroke
- Building respiratory capacity
- Stimulating the immune system
- Promoting longevity
- Increasing strength
- Improving urinary flow in men
- Reducing inflammation
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center supports the reishi’s ability to strengthen the immune system, while also stopping the spread and growth of cancer cells, among many other benefits.[31] Follow the link above to their website where they publish more than two dozen studies to support their conclusions. Click on the “Clinical Summary” tab for a detailed look at all the reishi benefits they list.
Western science is now beginning to discover what East Asian traditional medicine has known for some time. Numerous studies show that reishi mushrooms have special anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects.[32] As well as promoting overall health and longevity, as this study concluded. Researchers’ concluding remarks included this:[33]
With its growing popularity, many studies on G. lucidum composition, cultivation, and reputed effects are being carried out, and there are data that support its positive health benefits, including anticancer effects; blood glucose regulation; antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral effects; and protection against liver and gastric injury.
Reishi Uses
If you’ve been paying attention thus far, you probably realize that I always advocate a whole foods approach to natural health. Which obviously places the emphasis on natural. However, sometimes this is difficult to do, as is the situation with many exotic superfoods where a supplement or powder will have to suffice.
In the case of reishi mushrooms, I firstly recommend to do as Suzy Cohen does in this video, which is to make tea from dried reishi mushrooms. But don’t worry; it’s super easy to do. She also briefly talks about the health benefits of this super fungi, many of which I’ve already detailed above. If interested in getting your reishi this way, check out Starwest Botanical’s dried reishi slices.
However, I also realize that people are busy, myself included, which is why I sometimes take the simpler route, which involves consuming a good reishi extract or tincture, like this product I trust from Lost Empire Herbs.
The problem with superfood supplements is you never know what you’re getting. Lost Empire Herbs has this word of caution regarding reishi mushroom products:
Most medicinal mushrooms sold in the US are mycelium grown on grain. These have been tested to have far less active components, like beta-glucans, triterpenes and more, than real mushroom fruiting bodies. In fact, most of what is sold to you from other companies is just starch from the grain that it is grown on.
Further the mushrooms cannot produce the same components when grown on grain as on their natural environment, aka wood. Reishi needs to grow on wood to produce triterpenes which provide its bitter flavor, not to mention many benefits.
Our reishi extract is made exclusively from the fruiting bodies grown on wood, commonly known as the mushrooms, of reishi and nothing else. No grain, starch or fillers of any kind.
One of the reasons I love Lost Empire Herbs is because their wealth of information, including podcasts and videos, indicates to me that their business is more a labor of love than it is about profit. But the number one reason will always be the quality of their superfoods.