Reishi Mushroom - Ganoderma lucidum

Reishi mushrooms, Ganoderma lucidum, have long been used as medicine. They contain a variety of bioactive substances including triterpenoids, polysaccharides, flavonoids, steroids, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. They are adaptogenic, immunomodulatory, anticancer,¹ antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral. They are used to treat fatigue, mild depression, various cancers, diabetes by lowering blood sugar, and high cholesterol. They may help urinary symptoms due to prostate enlargement.

Some studies have found that leukemia, lung, liver, breast, prostate, skin (melanoma), cervical, ovarian, colon, and bladder cancer all respond to reishi mushrooms. Reishi may cause cancer cell death and also is anti-angiogenic, preventing the growth of new blood vessels which feed tumors.² Reishi has been investigated and found helpful for relief of the side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea, fatigue, poor appetite, and more. Reishi Mushroom | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is an excellent source of information.

Studies have shown that reishi is active against a wide variety of common bacteria, viruses, and fungus.³

Tincture dosing: 1-2 ml once per day.

Possible side effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, and liver damage at high doses.

Contraindications: Do not take with blood thinners or immunosuppressants. Do not take during chemotherapy without consulting your doctor.

.¹Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Sissi Wachtel-Galor, John Yuen, John A. Buswell, and Iris F. F. Benzie.

²Xiaotong Li, Lingyun Sun, Susan Chimonas, Susan Q. Li, Peng Feng, Yufei Yang, Jun J. Mao, Symptom improvements and adverse effects with Reishi mushroom use: A Cross-Sectional survey of cancer patients, Integrative Medicine Research, Volume 13, Issue 4, 2024, 101089, ISSN 2213-4220, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2024.101089.

³El Sheikha, Aly Farag. 2022. "Nutritional Profile and Health Benefits of Ganoderma lucidum “Lingzhi, Reishi, or Mannentake” as Functional Foods: Current Scenario and Future Perspectives" Foods 11, no. 7: 1030. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11071030 TABLE FOUR

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose or treat any illness. I am not a medical professional and cannot diagnose or treat any illness.