Reishi Mushroom

The “Spirit Plant”, Ling Zhi, is more affectionately known in Western culture as the ‘Reishi mushroom’. This mushroom of immortality was held in the highest regard by the first emperor in the line of rulers in ancient China, Emperor Yan, who founded the agricultural tools and practices for farming. Its latin name is Ganoderma lucidum, originally meaning “shiny, brilliant skin”. It took nearly four thousand years to cross the East, being incorporated in Indian and Korean cultures of medicine, as well.

Not a shroom typically used in the kitchen, the woody Reishi is too bitter to be mixed with your daily salad, but both types of Reishi have been depicted in ancient art and Materia Medicas as one that “if eaten customarily, it makes your body light and young, lengthens your life, and turns you into one like the immortal who never dies (Emperor Yan in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing).” The “Homage to the First Principle” (Chaoyuan tu) painted upon the Yongle palace depicts maids holding reishi as a gift for the emperors. 

While it contains one hundred and nineteen different compounds that contain anti-tumor, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties and is prescribed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to bring balance and healing to the systems of the heart, lung, liver and kidney while balancing the body’s life force (Qi) and calming an anxious mind. Reishi contains probiotics, which seek to cultivate the balance of good bacteria in the gut and has been used to help treat overgrowth of candida in the system.

Reishi’s medicinal properties are most effectively utilized through a dual extraction process with hot water and alcohol due to its tough structure made of chitin. This layer makes it nearly impossible for the body to process and convert the mushroom’s nutrients. When extracted properly, Reishi has been used to modulate an overactive immune system, hold anti microbial and anti histamine properties, while lowering cholesterol, assisting with adrenal exhaustion and protecting the cardiovascular system. The mushroom’s powder has shown the ability to increase the activity of natural killer immune cells that can detect, inhibit and destroy excess cellular proliferation and growth in tumors. Its anti-androgenic effect has also been a key in the management and treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

It is recommended that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.

It is imperative that you know your own sensitivities or allergies before working with any herbs. Be sure to research your herbs prior to working with them. Also be aware of any sensitivities that may occur with your pets.