If you’ve read anything about functional and medicinal mushrooms, you’ve probably come across the Reishi mushroom.
Reishi mushrooms have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries and have been dubbed “The Mushroom of Immortality” and “The Mushroom of Eternal Life” for their health and wellness benefits.
What’s the buzz about this mushroom, and how can you reap its benefits? Continue reading…
What Are Reishi Mushrooms?
Reishi mushrooms, scientifically known as Ganoderma lucidum.
In Asia, they’re called Lingzhi, 10,000-year mushrooms, or the immortality mushroom. Varnish shelf mushrooms, artist’s conk, or bear bread are their North American names.
About 80 reishi mushroom species exist worldwide. All are tree-growing shelf or bracket fungi. Different climates and regions have different-looking reishi mushrooms.
All reishi species thrive on decaying or dead trees. Every year, the mushrooms will keep growing until all of the wood has rotted away. This means you can keep coming back to harvest them.
What Do Reishi Mushrooms Look Like?
Because of their distinct look, reishi mushrooms are among the easiest to recognize. You can be sure you’re looking at a reishi mushroom if you see a shelf mushroom with a deep red body and colors that lighten to orange, yellow, and white at the edges of the cap.
Shelf mushrooms, such as reishi, can be found growing out of tree trunks horizontally. Unlike mushrooms that grow from the ground, they have no visible stem. A brownish hue can obscure the identity of older mushrooms. However, their scallop-shaped cap with tree-like rings on the top is a pretty good indicator.
Source of Reishi Mushroom Health Benefits
Aside from their scientific names, Reishi mushrooms appear to be gaining the attention they deserve in the West. This is because more and more studies show that it can help treat and relieve symptoms of a variety of ailments.
This mushroom’s fruiting body contains more than 100 polysaccharides and triterpenoids, which contribute to its numerous health advantages. Medical mushrooms have several health benefits because of the polysaccharides in their cell walls, which are long-chain sugars with a complex molecular structure.
The gold standard is beta-glucans, a particular form of polysaccharide. As for the type of beta-glucans we’re particularly looking for, 1,3/1,6 beta-glucans are the ones we’re most interested in.
The advantages of Reishi mushrooms are so effective because they are beta-glucan powerhouses, with up to fifty percent of their fruit body by dry weight made of beta-glucans. These chemicals aid in the synthesis of immune cells and proteins necessary for a well-functioning immune response.
Reishi mushrooms contain over a hundred unique triterpenoids, and because they have so many unique triterpenoids, science used Reishi’s taxonomic name, Ganoderma lucidum, to name the compounds: Ganoderic acids and lucidenic acids.
These acids generally give this mushroom a bitter taste. Our mushroom gummies, on the other hand, give you your daily dose of shroomy goodness in a tasteful way.
How Can Reishi Mushrooms Benefit You?
It’s time to dig deeper into the benefits of mushrooms and how they function to improve overall health.
Immune Booster
According to the National Library of Medicine, research has proven that Reishi mushrooms play a rather hefty role in giving immune systems a boost – a healthy immune response.
A 2018 study discovered Reishi mushroom beta-glucans boosted immune system cells in the study participants’ blood, preventing infections. Quality Reishi mushroom extract also gives your lymphocyte function a boost, helping to fight infection.
Used to help treat cancer
Some in vitro studies demonstrate the Reishi mushroom’s effectiveness against cancer cells.
In fact, a 2010 study utilizing mycelium-based Reishi extracts on people indicated that Reishi mushrooms can suppress the formation of noncancerous colon cancers. Reishi has been generating a lot of interest among cancer patients and their loved ones as a result of researchers’ efforts to discover natural treatments.
Reduce anxiety, depression and improve sleep
We are all concerned about our quality of life, and we are all aware that feeling exhausted or depressed can diminish that quality. Here, Reishi mushrooms truly shine.
A small study involving 132 people shows that people with neurasthenia, a condition that’s brought on by fatigue, improved greatly after just eight weeks of supplementing with Reishi.
Lower blood pressure
In a 1985 study, participants with hypertension (high blood pressure) and hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood) who consumed 240mg of Reishi extract six times a day had significantly reduced blood pressure levels.
FAQs
Are there side effects to taking a Reishi mushroom supplement?
It has been said that some individuals may experience vertigo, dry mouth, itching, nausea, upset stomach, and rash when consuming Reishi mushrooms.
How much Reishi mushroom should I take?
An effective serving is often different for each person. We’ve found a safe and effective dose so that you don’t have to. We suggest taking at least two and up to six gummies daily. Each serving (two gummies) of Reishi gummies includes over three grams of fresh Reishi mushroom fruit body.
When should I take my Reishi mushroom supplement?
As the article above says, Reishi has shown that it may be able to help people sleep better. Because of this, most people take Reishi in the evening, after dinner or before bed. But if you take a Reishi supplement in the morning or early afternoon, your body will still get all of the powerful benefits it needs.
What do people generally take a Reishi mushroom supplement for?
There are several benefits to taking Reishi mushroom supplements, but they are most commonly used to alleviate stress, enhance sleep, boost the immune system, and prevent or minimize the symptoms of seasonal allergies. This is why our Reishi mushroom gummies have been dubbed a “calming supplement” at the end of the day for these reasons.
*We are not doctors, and as with any dietary supplement, it is wise and advised to consult with your primary health care provider prior to beginning any new supplementation.
