Reishi Mushrooms: How Can This Mushroom Benefit Your Health?
We’re going to look at the mushroom called Reishi (“spiritual potency”) in Japan to see how it could potentially benefit your health. Reishi mushrooms are also called Lingzhi (“divine mushroom”) in China and Youngzhi “mushroom of immortality”) in Korea. Its scientific name is Ganoderma lucidum. The mushroom is a reddish brown color with a glossy body and a woody texture.
Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms
Reishi has been found to have some medicinal properties like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting effects. It is being researched to see if there are any benefits of it in treating metabolic disorders. The mushroom may boost the immune system by improving the function of white blood cells. There have been lab studies that show the mushroom boosts white blood cells named “natural killer cells.” These cells target abnormal cells like cancer ones. This shows the reishi mushroom could have some anti-cancer properties.
There is a Chinese study that looked at how the mushroom helps with symptoms in cancer patients. There were 1374 participants in the study. Over half of people reported that nausea (55%), fatigue (52%), poor appetite (51%), and depression (50%) improved quite a bit or very much. Now there was about 9% that said they had adverse effects like dry mouth (5%), constipation (4%), insomnia (3%), pruritus (3%) and vertigo (3%). [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422024000696]
There are also some studies that reishi could reduce fatigue and depression. One example is above. Another study was with people that have neurasthenia (chronic fatigue syndrome). The group study showed significant improvements in their physical well-being. Along with improvements with fatigue and less anxiety and depression. With natural traditional medicine there is always the need for more studies. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15857210/]
Things to Keep In Mind (Side Effects)
Even though reishi is considered safe for most people there are things to watch out for. It can cause dryness in places like the mouth, throat and nasal passages. The mushroom supplement could cause dizziness, itchiness, headaches, nausea to name some. If you take blood thinners the mushroom can increase bleeding, so you should talk to your doctor before taking it. You may also want to talk to your doctor if you are taking medicine for low blood pressure, diabetes, or have an immune system disorder. [https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/reishi-mushroom-uses-and-risks]
Reishi Mushroom Dosage
There is no set dosage with it being a supplement. Two places I’ve found with a dosage said a range of 1.5 to 9 grams per day. Consider starting start at a lower dose if you can find how much the supplement contains. [https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-reishi-mushrooms][https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reishi-mushroom-benefits]
Conclusion
The most significant thing I read for the benefit of reishi mushrooms as a supplement is potential ability to boost white blood cells. There is some data showing it could help reduce symptoms of certain conditions like cancers. Make sure your doctor know you are on the supplement. Particularly if you are on medication for blood pressure, diabetes, and immune disorders.
Some Articles for more information on reishi mushrooms
Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Chapter 9 Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi)
Exploring the Potential Medicinal Benefits of Ganoderma lucidum: From Metabolic Disorders to Coronavirus Infections
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