Reishi Mushroom

Last update: August 5, 1996

King of Health Foods

Reishi is a unique health food with a wide range of medicinal properties which collectively strengthens
the immune system and gives the user longevity:

• It has the rare and valuable properties of an Adaptogen, which means that it is non-toxic, non-
specific, and has a normalizing effect on the body.
• It is classified as Top of the Superior Quality of all herbs by the pharmacopoeia used by Chinese
doctors for thousands of years. Emperors have considered Reishi an herb for the immortals. Its
stature is higher than Ginseng.
• It has a long history of safe use (5,000 years). NO toxicity or side-effect has been reported.
• There are 30 years of ample modern scientific evidences in the laboratory and in the clinic for its
effectiveness.
• It has extremely wide applications, bringing benefits to the entire body, preventing almost all the
common diseases.
• Its potency as a medicine even exceeds many modern drugs. For example, it is more effective than
Melatonin and certainly much safer and free from side-effects.
• It is effective even for "terminal" illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, and coronary heart disease.
• It is effective for both PREVENTION and CURE, suitable for daily use as a health supplement.
• It is very easy to gain acceptance by new users because of Reishi's stature, publicity, and complete
safety.

The Most Common Uses of Reishi

Reishi is commonly used for:

• Longevity and prevention of diseases • Diabetes

• Insomnia • Headache
• Stress • Stomach ache
• Influenza and common cold • Arthritis
• Asthma • Back pain
• Allergies • Skin Care
• Cancer • Hair loss
• Hypertension • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
• Heart Disease • Hepatitis
• High Cholesterol (LDL)

What is Reishi?

Reishi is the Japanese name for Ganoderma Lucidum. The Chinese call it Lingzhi.

Ganoderma Lucidum is a mushroom, a higher order organism of the world of fungus. It belongs to the
Polypore group.

"Polypores, commonly known as bracket or shelf fungi, are conspicuous mushrooms that grow off the
sides of trees. On a walk through the forest one can commonly see many such bracket mushrooms."
"What is not readily visible to us however is the actual mushroom organism, or mycelium. Just as an
apple is the fruit of an apple tree, so too is a mushroom the fruit body of a mycelial "tree". Mycelium is
a network of the threadlike filaments that originates from spores. The mycelium spreads throughout
the nutrient base or substrate, amassing nutrients as it grows. As long as environmental conditions are
right, the mycelium will continue to grow and propagate until it exhausts the available nutrients."

"As long as nutrients are available, the mycelium can be considered perennial and will live for many
years. At least once a year, mushrooms emerge from the mycelial network. As the reproductive organ
of the fungus, mushrooms are the means by which spores are created and spread."

--- from Reishi Mushroom: Herb of Spiritual Potency and Medical Wonder, Terry Willard, Sylvan Press,
1991

In Jan. 1992 an excellent article about Reishi appeared in Health Foods Business: "Rei-Shi: Ancient
Medicine is Modern Hope." By Linda McGlasson, Assistant Editor.

Why is Reishi so special?

The status of Reishi in the health food industry is unparalleled. It is the culmination of the knowledge
and wisdom of the East and West for 5,000 years. Its effectiveness as a health food and as a highly
potent medicine have been demonstrated by over 30 years of modern scientific research in Japan,
Taiwan, China, U.S.A., Canada, and Poland. Backed by 5,000 years of accumulated experience, Reishi
can safely claim to be totally free from side-effects. The wide range of health benefits we can receive
from Reishi is also unmatched. As it was so rare, Reishi was available only to emperors in ancient times.
The first emperor of China, Shih Huang Ti, sent a fleet with 250 yourng men and 250 young ladies to
Japan in search of the herb of longevity, which is Reishi.

Reishi is the king of adaptogens. It is superior to Ginseng. Adaptogens share three important
properties:

1. Non-toxic and free from side-effects.

2. Non-specific, acting on the entire body.

3. Normalizes physiological functions.

Reishi contains 800-2,000 ppm of organic germanium, which is 4-5 times more than Ginseng.
Germanium is a trace element with adaptogenic functions.

Modern medical research in the East and West have identified some of the physiological actions
of Reishi. Chemical analysis has revealed that Reishi contains:

• High Molecular Weight Polysaccharides

• Triterpenes
• Organic Germanium
• Adenosine
• Amino Acids
• Vitamins

In addition to all of the ingredients in the fruit body, Reishi mycelium contains:

• Higher level of the RNA which disrupts viral diseases by inducing interferon production.
• Oleic Acid, an inhibitor of histamine release
• Cyclooctasulfur, a strong inhibitor of histamine release
• LZ-8, an immunomodulating protein which significantly reduces but doesn't entirely shut down
antibody production.

The scientific data accumulated over the past 30 years help explain why Reishi is effective in all
parts of our body:

• Immune System o Coronary Heart Disease

o Cancer: Reishi is an effective anti-tumor o Arteriosclerosis
medicine o Arrhythmia
o Common Cold o Stroke
o Influenza o Reduction of Cholesterol (LDL)
o Cough o Anemia
o Inflammation o Cold Extremities
o Rheumatoid Arthritis o Hemorrhoid
o Allergies o Elevation sickness
o Lupus • Digestive System
o Stomatitis (canker sores) o Gastroenteritis
o Reishi acts as an antioxidant against free o Ulcer
radicals o Hepatitis
o Reishi protects against the effects of radiation o Liver Necrosis
o Reishi has anti-inflammatory effects o Reishi regenerates the liver
• Respiratory System o Obesity -- Reishi removes fat in the blood
o Asthma o Underweight -- Reishi improves appetite
o Chronic Bronchitis o Diabetes
• Endocrine System o Constipation
o Problems associated with Menopause o Diarrhea
o Irregular mentruation o Gallstones
• Nervous System • Skin
o Insomnia o Aging of the skin
o Neurasthenia o Ugly spots on the skin
o Stress-induced tension o Acne
o Over-sleep o Hair loss
o Headache o Dermatitis
o Toothache • Excretory System
o Cataracts o Nephritis
o Muscular Dystrophy • Reproductive System
o Myasthenia Gravis o Erectile Dysfunction
• Circulatory System o Lack of sexual desire
o Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) o Dysmenorrhea (Menstrual cramps)
o Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure)
o

The different types of Reishi

In ancient times, only wild Reishi was available. Reishi was classified by color into 6 types: Red, Green,
White, Black, Yellow, Purple.

In 1972, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan successfully cultivated Reishi in the laboratory. From
a single species, Ganoderma Lucidum (Red Reishi), all six colors could be grown by varying the
temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide content, and the available nutrients. The six types of Reishi are
thus shown to be one species.

Wild Reishi is extremely rare. Only one or two mushrooms can be found on a hill. Due to damage by
insects and weather, the quality of wild Reishi is unpredictable. Only the fruit body can be harvested,
when the active ingredients have already decreased. The dried mushrooms may not have the potency
of the fresh mushroom. When buying wild Reishi, expertise is required in order not to confuse Reishi
with the hundreds of other mushrooms (some of which are poisonous). After it matures, the fruit body
is hardened by fibers which makes it more difficult to extract and digest the active ingredients. The
spores are of microscopic dimensions, similar to the size of bacteria. They are protected by two layers
of hardened cell walls. These cell walls trap the active ingredients inside and are indigestible.

Although wild Reishi fruit body and the spores are all effective products, our ancestors had to use a
large quantity of Reishi to get a little benefit. As it was impossible to cultivate, this rare mushroom was
available only to emperors.

Modern bio-engineering technology has made Reishi available to the general public in large quantities.
The quality can be carefully controlled by providing the best conditions and sufficient nutrients.
Further investigations have discovered that the largest amount of active ingredients exist in the
mycelium, and that the mycelium is more digestible. The extraction process can be timed at the
precise stage when the mycelium contains the largest amount of active ingredients. Fresh mycelium is
available, and there is no chance for mistaken identity. Without the obstacles of the fibers, the
extraction is more complete and the extract is more digestible. Therefore, the latest research on the
medicinal properties of Reishi are done on the mycelial extracts.

Reishi is now available in capsule or tablet form, which makes it possible to avoid the bitter taste and
standardize the dosage. However, not all Reishi capsules are the same. Some capsules are made from
the fruit body, which contain a large quantity of dietary fibers. Some capsules contain other herbs,
which may lead to side-effects. Some capsules made from the mycelium contain also the grain from
which the mycelium is grown (so only a small fraction of the capsule is actually Reishi mycelium). The
differences can be readily identified by tasting the powder. Pure Reishi has an intense, pure bitter
taste. The best Reishi capsule is the extract of pure Reishi mycelium without the grain.

Several manufacturers have printed misleading brochures to promote the use of their own products.
Such conflicting information can be confusing. The intelligent consumer will be careful in checking the
source of information. Third-party documentation, especially those written by scientists, are the only
reliable source.

An excellent definitive work on Reishi is "Reishi Mushroom, herb of spiritual potency and medical
wonder", written by Dr. Terry Willard, Ph.D., member of the Canadian Government's Expert Advisory
Committee on Herbs and Botanical Preparations. Also very informative is the Chinese books "Lingzhi and
Health Vol. I-III" edited by Dr. Shiuh-Sheng Lee, Professor of Biochemistry at National Yang-Ming
University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.

How to use Reishi

Reishi polysaccharides have high molecular weights of up to 1,050,000, which makes absorptiion by the
intestines difficult. Dr. Fukumi Morishige, M.D. found that patients given large doses of Reishi (2-
9g/day) had diarrhea, but when a large dose of vitamin C was also given at the same time, there was
no diarrhea. Vitamin C breaks down the high molecular weight polysaccharides to a molecular weight
of around 30,000, so that they are much more easily absorbed by the intestines.

For general health maintenance and prevention, take 2 Reishi mycelium capsules twice per day on an
empty stomach. Also take 500 mg of Vitamin C per day after breakfast.

When a discomfort occurs from minor illness, increase the dosage to 2-3 capsules 3 times per day. Also
take 1,000 mg of Vitamin C per day after meals.

For insomnia, take 4-5 capsules before bedtime. Take 2 in the morning. Also take 1,000 mg of Vitamin C
per day after meals.

When a serious illness occurs, increase the dosage to 4 capsules 4 times per day. Also take 2,000-3,000
mg of Vitamin C per day after meals.
Some people may experience Vertigo Reaction when they first take Reishi. During the first week, they
may experience slight swelling of the head or dizziness. Arthritis patient may experienced a temporary
increase in the pain level. This is a cleansing reaction, often called a "healing crisis". Continue to take
Reishi and the symptoms will be alleviated within a week.

Reishi used in formulas

Reishi is best used in combination with other herbs or medicine. An outstanding combination is Reishi
& Placenta. Another good combination is Reishi & Cordyceps, which has been clinically tested and
found to be more effective than the two individual herbs alone.

Reishi Tea is an excellent health drink.