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Reishi, also known as Ling Zhi in Korea, is a medicinal mushroom that has many medicinal properties. As an adaptogen, it is primarily intended to help against stress, but the fungus is also used to strengthen the immune system. You can of course find out here why mycotherapy is so effective and what ailments Reishi can help with.
Reishi has long been known as a medicinal mushroom in Chinese medicine and in many Asian countries. It is one of the most famous mushrooms in the world, along with mushrooms (Agaricus), Shiitake, Cordyceps (caterpillar mushroom), Maitake, Coriolus, hedgehog goatee (Hericium erinaceus), Chaga or Auricularia.
What is reishi?
The reishi is actually a tasty one Edible mushroom, which is also used as a medicinal mushroom at the same time to alleviate a wide variety of ailments and fight diseases. There are now more and more international studies1, which scientifically examine the various ingredients of the Reishi mushroom and its effects. These studies already provide a lot of indications for a number of positive effects that the Reishi mushroom has on the body.
What is reishi good for?
Reishi is a mushroom from Asia that has been used there as a medicinal and vital mushroom for over 2.000 years. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long since become indispensable as a medicinal mushroom because it is an incredible has a wide range of health-promoting ingredients and thus has many uses where it can benefit the body and health. It is not for nothing that Reishi is called in China "Mushroom of Eternal Life" and worshiped in connection with other mushrooms and plants as "Herbs of God".
The botanical name of the Reishi mushroom is Ganoderma lucidum, in Korea it is called Ling Zhi and is also known in German as Shiny Lackporling or Medicinal Mushroom. The vital mushroom grows on deciduous trees worldwide and can mainly be found at the foot of oaks. Reishi can also be grown on tree stumps or mixtures of wood chips and crushed grain with other additives.
However, your own breeding is very complex and takes a lot of time and patience. Due to its wooden structure and its bitter taste, the Reishi is not considered an edible mushroom, although it is actually an edible mushroom. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Reishi has been worshiped in conventional medicine in Asia for thousands of years because of its stimulating properties and is consciously used to vitalize the body.
Reishi effect: what can the medicinal mushroom do?
The Reishi is used less as an edible mushroom, but more as a medicinal mushroom. The fungus can be found in products
- dried,
- pulverized,
- as a tincture,
- Tea
- Capsules in the form of a dietary supplement
Tobe offered. It is important here to pay attention to laboratory-tested quality, a high proportion of active ingredients and the daily dosewhich was also used in studies.
Reishi: How medicinal mushrooms improve your wellbeing can
In Asia, the Reishi is very popular in the event of stress, nervousness and inner restlessness in order to calm down and maintain inner balance. Science tries on the one hand to prove the effectiveness of the Reishi mushroom and on the other hand to understand the possible healing effects.
In two professional studies2,3 In higher doses, the extracts obtained from the fruiting body of the mushroom could even shorten the time to fall asleep, lengthen sleep and improve the overall quality of sleep. However, scientists still do not agree on how the fungus works, the calming and sleep-inducing effects.
There are various indications that suggest the following pathway of action: Certain substances from the Reishi extract could help a naturally occurring messenger substance - gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) - to bind more easily to its docking points in the brain. GABA has an inhibitory effect on various brain activities in the brain. A lack of GABA in certain areas of the brain can cause restlessness, tension and insomnia.
Stress can be a reason for the low amount of this messenger substance. According to the studies, by taking the Reishi extract, the corresponding brain regions could be made more receptive to gamma-aminobutyric acid. The small amounts of the messenger substance would then be sufficient to develop its inhibitory effect with the help of Reishi.
This would ensure relaxation and the negative effects of stress would be alleviated. In contrast to sleeping pills, the reishi would have the advantage that the medicinal mushroom would not be addictive and would be more tolerable.
In Asia, Reishi is classified as even more effective than ginseng. The high content of triterpenes, which influences our immune system and hormone system alike, is responsible for its beneficial effect. Triterpenes have a similar effect as cortisone, which regulates the release of histamines, for example in the event of an allergy.
These healing effects are generally attributed to the mushroom:
- Soothing and stress-relieving effectiveness
- Strengthen the immune system
- Attenuation of bacterial and viral infections
- Stabilization of blood sugar
- Protective effect on the stomach and liver
- Increased mobility in fibromyalgia
- Protective effect on the cardiovascular system
- Supportive effect against tiredness
Strengthen the immune system
The Reishi Mushroom contains several ingredients that, according to researchers, can have a positive effect on the Strengthen the immune system to be able to1.
Accordingly, the Reishi contains special polysaccharides (bioactive polysaccharides) that have an anti-inflammatory effect and promote the production of immune cells.
On the other hand, the scientists hold so-called terpenes responsible for a possible vitalization by the medicinal mushroom. Examples of terpenes are menthol and provitamin A - a precursor to vitamin A.. Many different terpenes have been found in Reishi, some of which are so far unique. The terpenes are too responsible for the bitter taste of the medicinal mushroom. In addition, the researchers describe in their studies that the medicinal mushroom produces lectins. These are complex proteins that are also formed by the human body itself and are directly involved in the functioning of the body's own defense system.
In addition, the researchers state that many components of the Reishi mushroom play a role as Antioxidants Immune cells could protect the organism in this way with a strong immune system The fight against pathogens and autoimmune diseases as well as the monitoring of the body's own cells.
Reishi helps with infections
In addition to activating the body's defenses, scientists suspect that medicinal mushroom extracts do Have the potential to fight bacterial and viral infections and inflammation directly1.
In several studies, researchers were able to use Reishi extracts to die Suppress the reproduction of bacteria and viruseswhile human cells were not damaged. The Researchers hope that this will provide potential advantages over conventional antibiotics and antivirals, in order to prevent the spread of an infection or inflammation in a gentler way.
They hope that in the case of serious infections, medicinal mushroom extracts can be used to accompany antibiotics and antivirals in the future. If this could reduce the dose of the medication, it would also reduce the side effects of the antibiotics and antivirals.
Reishi stabilizes blood sugar
Stabilizing blood sugar is not only useful for existing diabetes mellitus, it is also beneficial for prevention. Too high blood sugar levels and excessive fluctuations should be avoided. The higher the blood sugar level, the more insulin the pancreas has to release.
The insulin allows the sugar to be absorbed by the cells and processed there. If the blood sugar level rises too often and too strongly, at some point the cells no longer react so well to the insulin and type 2 diabetes mellitus develops. There are also promising studies on this that investigate the possible effectiveness of medicinal mushroom extracts on blood sugar levels. In these studies, the blood sugar level of diabetes patients could be lowered with the help of Reishi and thus the required amount of insulin could be reduced.1
If the blood sugar level can be stabilized with the help of Reishi, excessive increases in blood sugar levels can be avoided, which could simplify the treatment of diabetes mellitus or prevent the development of the disease. Of course, the Reishi mushroom will never be a free ticket for an unhealthy diet, but it is a good companion on the way to a healthy life.
The medicinal mushroom protects the stomach and liver
Other studies illustrate once again how diverse the glossy lacquer porling can seem3, 4, 5. These studies explain that Reishi extracts are both a Protective healing effect on the stomach and liver as well as a healing effect on liver diseases and stomach ulcers could have.
they deliver Signs that the medicinal mushroom, depending on the cause of the damage, attaches to different points. For example, the Lackporling could inhibit an enzyme that damages the liver if it occurs in too high a concentration. In addition, the Reishi medicinal mushroom could reduce the formation of a harmful degradation product in the liver. In the case of a stomach ulcer, Reishi could promote the regression of the protective mucus of the stomach lining.
Reishi is said to have a supportive effect in fibromyalgia
The Reishi mushroom gives hope to people suffering from the still unexplored disease fibromyalgia. Those affected suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and are extremely sensitive to pressure in some places. The joint pain and the resulting stiffness can restrict movement and cause further symptoms.
There is currently no curative therapy for fibromyalgia. It is therefore all the more important to be able to at least alleviate the symptoms of joint inflammation. In a Spanish study, Reishi extracts were able to give fibromyalgia patients better mobility and thus give them back a little more quality of life8.
Reishi can strengthen the cardiovascular system
Reishi is also often associated with strengthening the heart muscle. A recent study looked at the effectiveness of oil extracted from the Reishi medicinal mushroom.9 She comes to the conclusion that this reishi oil can have a protective effect on the heart.
So there is a number of other studies examining the relationship between reishi and the heart muscle.10 However, these are still quite contradictory and not comprehensive enough to arrive at a clear result. Nevertheless, together with centuries of experience from Asia, they are already reason enough to stick with the topic and continue research on the Reishi medicinal mushroom.
Reishi is said to improve the oxygen saturation in case of altitude sickness
What is really interesting is that the Reishi medicinal mushroom is even said to help with altitude sickness and the associated reduced oxygen supply. If the oxygen saturation is poor, headaches, dizziness, vomiting and palpitations occur. Reishi can help the organism to increase the oxygen supply in the blood and alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness.
Reishi ingredients: what is the medicinal mushroom made of?
With the help of detailed analyzes1 other ingredients could be found in the Reishi. In addition to plant substances, triterpenes and adaptogens, which are particularly effective under stress, the Reishi contains medicinal mushrooms
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Sodium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Phosphorus
- Vitamins
- Protein
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids
These ingredients of the Reishi Vital Mushroom could also be involved in the effectiveness of the general health and well-being, which is attributed to the Reishi as a medicinal mushroom in Asia.
Why Reishi Can Help With Stress
Another property that is particularly interesting for us is that calming effect of Reishi Medicinal mushrooms. Reishi is said to be above all help with nervousness, nervous weakness and inner restlessness and thus also be effective with sleep disorders. This is also the reason why many people in Asia regularly drink the Reishi medicinal mushroom as tea or as a powder.
Allegedly, the Reishi medicinal mushroom is said to have an almost sedative effect on the brain, so that the central nervous system comes to rest. It is positive that the Reishi medicinal mushroom is neither drowsy nor addictive.
The Reishi medicinal mushroom can work especially with stress and the associated restlessness and nervousness. The adaptogens contained in the medicinal mushroom help the body to better adapt to emotional and physical stressful situations.
Side effects of reishi
When it comes to understanding in detail how all the effective ingredients in the Reishi mushroom work, science is still at the beginning. Over time, however, more and more scientific evidence of the effectiveness of Reishi is found.
Traditional medicine is slowly beginning to recognize the benefits of Reishi and to get to the bottom of its popularity in Asia. Since there are now numerous indications of the extremely diverse effectiveness of the Reishi mushroom, this diversity also explains the difficulty in researching all of the ingredients in Reishi.
As long as the mechanisms of action have not yet been fully clarified, the recommended dosages should be strictly adhered to for safety reasons and a doctor should be consulted if additional medication is taken. Finally, the effectiveness of the medicinal mushroom Reishi, which is also a symbol of happiness and immortality, should not be underestimated.
Which is better: Reishi powder or capsules?
In Asia, Reishi is traditionally drunk as a dried tea, while in this country it is used as Reishi mushroom powder or Reishi extract in capsules. While the extract of the Reishi Vital Mushroom is preferably taken for existing complaints, the mushroom powder helps to prevent diseases.
Summary
As a medicinal mushroom, the Reishi has long since arrived in this country. It helps to calm the nerves, which is why it is mainly used for stress, nervous weakness and nervousness. Whether and when the Reishi is used as a medicinal mushroom depends on the current study situation. However, there are numerous indications that the Reishi is clinically effective for numerous diseases.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/
[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17383716
[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15671683
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10077435
[5] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11789593
[6] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16269156
[7] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18444142
[8] http://www.aulamedica.es/nh/pdf/9601.pdf
[9.] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27713910
[10.] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25686270