Reishi
Reishi Medicinal Mushrooms
In traditional medicine, reishi is regarded as one of the most important medicinal mushrooms. It is of particular interest due to its wide range of bioactive compounds. It helps to regulate the immune system, has anti-inflammatory properties and a balancing effect on the nervous system.
400 bioactive substances – a wide range of applications
Reishi, known as Ganoderma lucidum in Latin and as the ‘shiny lacquer polypore’ in German, is one of the most important medicinal mushrooms and is regarded as one of the world’s oldest natural remedies. The name ‘Reishi’ comes from Japanese and means ‘divine mushroom’.
The mushroom is found worldwide and grows mainly on deciduous trees, particularly oaks. Due to its bitter taste and hard, woody texture, Reishi is not suitable as an edible mushroom. Instead, it has been valued for centuries in traditional Asian medicine as a valuable vitality-boosting and medicinal mushroom.
In traditional Chinese medicine, reishi has been valued and used for health purposes for thousands of years. There, it is known as ‘Ling Zhi’, which roughly translates as ‘mushroom of spiritual power’ or ‘divine mushroom of immortality’. Owing to its high esteem, it was classified as one of the most important remedies in traditional Chinese medicine and counted amongst the so-called ‘herbs of God’. Reishi was regarded as particularly precious and was often referred to as the ‘king of medicinal mushrooms’.
Many of the properties traditionally attributed to reishi are now being scientifically investigated. Promising research findings are already available for some areas of application.
In China and other Asian countries, the mushroom is still regarded today as a symbol of good fortune. Anyone familiar with it could indeed call themselves a lucky person, as there is hardly any other medicinal mushroom with such a wide range of applications. This is due to the variety of valuable constituents it contains – around 400 bioactive substances have been identified to date.
Reishi Medical Mushrooms in the video
Learn more about the reishi mushrooms and the vital substances it contains in the video with Dr. Heinz Lüscher.
Ingredients and functions
Triterpenes
Around 150 triterpenes (bitter compounds) have been identified in reishi. From a chemical and pharmacological perspective, these are extremely interesting and diverse secondary plant compounds. They protect the reishi itself from infestation by microorganisms and have powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects in the body. One potential area of application is therefore conditions for which conventional medicine prescribes steroid hormones – such as cortisone. However, unlike cortisone, treatments with reishi are free from side effects.
The release of histamine – which is responsible for swelling, redness and itching in allergic reactions – is reduced. Thanks to its high triterpene content, reishi has a distinctly positive effect on all forms of inflammation in the body. Triterpenes can also strengthen the cardiovascular system, lower high blood pressure (hypertension) and prevent or counteract liver failure.
Polysaccharides (particularly beta-glucans)
Reishi contains more than 100 different highly effective polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are so-called complex sugars, consisting of at least ten, but often several thousand, chemically linked simple sugars (monosaccharides). They perform numerous important functions in the body.
Of particular significance are the beta-glucans found in reishi, which are among the most important bioactive polysaccharides. They possess immunomodulatory properties and support the immune system not through mere stimulation, but through a regulating effect. This means that they can have a balancing effect in cases of both reduced and excessive immune activity.
Thanks to this regulatory support, the immune system can perform its defensive function more efficiently, thereby strengthening the body’s own self-healing powers and promoting resistance to pathogens. At the same time, this balancing effect can also be helpful in conditions associated with an excessive immune response, such as allergies or autoimmune diseases. In such cases, reishi can help to regulate excessive immune responses to a healthy level.
Adenosine
Another relevant component of reishi is adenosine – a substance produced naturally by the body that is involved in numerous regulatory processes within the nervous system. Adenosine is associated with relaxing and balancing effects and can influence the activity of the central nervous system.
This is why reishi is classified as an adaptogen – a natural substance that can help the body adapt better to physical and mental stress. In this context, potential positive effects on stress management and sleep quality are also discussed.
Adenosine also has a relaxing effect on smooth muscle and can dampen the transmission of nerve impulses between nerve and muscle cells. In Asia, Reishi is therefore traditionally often drunk as a tea in the evening to aid relaxation. Unlike conventional sleeping aids, Reishi does not have a narcotic or hypnotic effect. Rather, its calming effect is attributed to its gentle support of the body’s natural relaxation processes.
Further Ingredients
Also worth mentioning are the various nucleotides, sterols, amino acids, alkaloids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals (e.g. high levels of iron) contained in the reishi mushroom. Given such a wide range of active ingredients and constituents, I feel it is important to point out that the effects of reishi are not attributable to individual, isolated active ingredients, but rather to the overall composition of the mushroom itself.
Indications
The constituents of reishi provide an arsenal of active ingredients – a veritable pharmacy, so to speak. The mechanisms of action and uses of reishi are consequently extremely diverse and complex:
- Support for an out-of-balance immune system (frequent infections, allergies, autoimmune processes)
- Stress and states of exhaustion
- Sleep disorders
- Liver diseases (chronic hepatitis, liver failure, cirrhosis)
- Chronic respiratory diseases (e.g. bronchitis, asthma)
- Cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias)
- Skin problems with an inflammatory component
- Inflammatory processes in the musculoskeletal system (e.g. arthritis)
- Fibromyalgia
Dosage
For capsules containing 400 mg of mushroom powder/mushroom extract (dual extract), it is recommended to take two capsules daily (morning and evening) with sufficient liquid. Duration of treatment: until symptoms have resolved, plus two months.
Suitable products
A 1:1 combination of reishi powder and dual extract from organic reishi provides a particularly broad spectrum of valuable mushroom compounds. The dual extraction process extracts both water-soluble and fat-soluble compounds from the mushroom, which perfectly complements the powder.
Optimised with zinc, L-theanine from green tea extract and sunflower lecithin, the result is a particularly high-quality product:
- The trace element zinc supports normal immune function and protects cells from oxidative stress
- The amino acid L-theanine, derived from green tea extract, helps maintain a healthy stress balance
- Sunflower lecithin helps the body to better absorb the fat-soluble compounds in reishi within the digestive system
Studies
Antitumoral, antimicrobial, antioxidant and other effects of Ganoderma Lucidum, a review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29534044
Compelling biologically active ingredients of Ganoderma lucidum: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30114634
Reishi as a supportive therapy for cancer (systematic reviews): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236
Reishi for altitude sickness:: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31609024
Use in women with fibromyalgia: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26545669
