Reishi Mushroom

Ganoderma Lucidum

The history of medicinal use of Ganoderma is quite long, spanning 5,000 years in Asia. It was found in such small quantities in the forests, that it was very expensive, veiled in mystery and myth linked to Taoist shamen who cultivated it as far back as 109 B.C.

Probably the most revered of all the medicinal mushrooms, Reishi is its Japanese name. It is also known as Ling Zhi to the Chinese, this name translates to "spirit plant" or "plant of spiritual potency" therefore in ancient times it was reserved only for emperors.

As with Shiitake mushrooms, the studies and traditional uses of Reishi mushrooms are too extensive to give full credit here. For immune system modulating and as a tonic it has no rival. The mycelium contains sterols, lactones, alkaloids and polysaccharides, as well as triterpenes. There are some 100 different types of triterpenes, not to mention the variety of polysaccharides

Human clinical trials in China have found Reishi to be an effective treatment for coronary heart disease and chronic bronchitis.

The biological activity known and studied shows:

• Antimicrobial activity
• Liver protection
• Hypoglycemic activity
• Antitumor or cytotoxic activity against experimental tumors
• Platelet aggregation inhibition
• Antioxidants effects
• Protection against UV radiation damage
• Protection against ionizing radiation before and /or after exposure
• General immunopotentiation
• Enhanced natural killer cells activity

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