Reishi Mushroom Extract Mushroom Capsules

Reishi  Mushroom Extract Capsules

What Are Reishi Mushrooms?

Reishi or Ganoderma mushrooms go by many different names. In Asia they’re known by the names lingzhi, ten-thousand-year mushrooms and the mushroom of immortality. In North America they’re known as varnish shelf mushrooms, artist’s conk or bear bread.

There are about 80 different species of reishi mushrooms in the world. All are shelf or bracket fungi that grow on trees. Different regions and climates will have different types of reishi mushrooms that look a bit different.

However, their medicinal properties are mostly all the same. Some scientists even think there’s only a few species that take on a different appearance depending on their habitat or the type of tree that they’re growing on.

All reishi species grow on trees that are dead or dying. The mushrooms will continue growing every year until the wood has completely rotted away. You can come back to harvest them again and again.

What Do Reishi Mushrooms Look Like?

Reishi can be one of the easiest mushrooms to identify because they often have quite a unique appearance. If you see a shelf mushroom with a deep red body and colors that lighten to orange, yellow and white toward the edges of the cap, you can be confident that you’re looking at a reishi mushroom.

Reishi mushrooms are a type of shelf mushroom that you can find growing horizontally out of the trunks of trees. They don’t have any noticeable stem like mushrooms that grow out of the ground.

Older specimens may fade to a brown color and be harder to identify. However, their scallop-shaped cap with tree-like rings on the top is a pretty good indication.

There aren’t any poisonous mushrooms that look like reishi mushrooms, so they’re good for even beginners to try and collect. The worst-case scenario is that you’ll end up with a similar-looking mushroom that offers a lot of extra fiber to your diet but no real medicinal benefits.

Reishi Mushroom Health Benefits

What is reishi mushroom good for? Maybe you’ve heard friends or family members talk about the fungi but aren’t exactly sure what its use is.

There are an endless number of medicinal claims that have been made about reishi mushroom benefits. Some have been well-studied and proven, while others currently lack any scientific evidence to support them.

The lab studies so far have identified some interesting compounds in reishi mushrooms.

Beta-glucans – These compounds may be able to help stop the spread and growth of cancer cells. In animal testing, animals fed beta-glucans had more active and stronger immune systems.

Triterpenes – These substances have anti-allergy and blood pressure lowering effects.

Sterols – Act as precursors to human hormones in the body.

Reishi mushrooms have been shown to slow blood clotting. One study also suggests that reishi extracts can help with urinary tract problems.

One study even suggests that the reishi mushroom may be helpful in lowering cholesterol. Although so far this has only been tested on animals.

Untested claims of the reishi mushroom include potential uses in treating HIV and AIDS, fatigue and other medical conditions.

Reishi mushrooms are considered an adaptogen, which is a plant or fungi that can help the body resist or cope with physical and mental stress.

Lastly, reishi may be used to treat diabetes and insulin resistance.

More scientific studies need to be completed before we can say definitively what the benefits of this mushroom are. However preliminary research suggests it likely has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties.

Reishi Mushroom Potential Side-Effects

While reishi mushrooms are generally considered safe, there are a few known cases of side-effects and complications.

In rare cases, reishi may cause liver toxicity. So it should be avoided by people with conditions affecting the liver like cirrhosis or hepatitis. In healthy subjects, a study of taking reishi mushroom extract for four weeks didn’t show any negative effects on the liver or kidneys.

There have not been any studies done on the effects of reishi on pregnant or breastfeeding women. So as with many other types of medication, it’s best to avoid consuming reishi mushrooms if you’re pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding just to be safe.

Since reishi can lower blood pressure, it’s best to avoid it if you already suffer from low blood pressure. Likewise, if you are currently taking medication for high blood pressure it may interact with it and lower your blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Consuming reishi also increases the risk of bleeding, so it’s best to avoid it if you suffer from hemophilia or other bleeding disorders. Be aware that even common medications like aspirin or ibuprofen can slow blood clotting, so avoid combining them with reishi.

For the same reason, it should also be avoided before undergoing surgery. If you’re currently taking reishi, you should stop using it at least two weeks before your scheduled surgery date.

For the average person without any pre-existing medical conditions who isn’t currently taking any medications, the side effects of taking reishi mushrooms are minor. The most common side effect reported is an increased risk of upset stomach.

Can Reishi Mushrooms Cure Cancer?

It is true that studies on the use of reishi for cancer treatment have been done and some show promising results. However, this research is fairly new and hasn’t been widely replicated yet, so it’s difficult to draw definite conclusions from it.

Preliminary research suggests that reishi helps to improve the response of lung cancer tumors to conventional therapy. However, it’s hard to know if we can extrapolate this to say that it would be helpful for other types of cancer.

Also, no studies to date recommend the use of reishi mushrooms as a standalone treatment. Instead, it is used in addition to conventional medical methods to further enhance them.

If you are currently undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, then it may be worth discussing with your physician if it’s worth adding reishi to your treatment regiment.

History of Reishi and Fun Facts

In traditional Chinese medicine, reishi has several interesting names. It’s referred to as the mushroom of immortality, the king of mushrooms, the soul mushroom, divine mushroom, and many other titles.

That should give you some idea of the importance of these fungi. It has been used medicinally for over 2,000 years. Doctors across Asia still prescribe reishi mushrooms to treat a variety of health conditions.