As a medical anthropologist, I search for remedies from healing traditions all over the world. When I find something of value, I negotiate with the natives to bring it back, arrange for a fair trade, test it for scientific validity, and if all that works out positively, I try to convince labs, clinics, universities and hospitals to integrate the remedy into medical practice.

The search for medicine that works has taken me everywhere from Caribbean islands to the Amazon, southern India, and the rain forests of the northwest British Columbia. On one trip to the East, a native healer wondered what I was doing so far from home: “Don’t you know your medicine is in your own backyard?” she asked. She called me a global medicine hunter in her own words–and the name stuck ever since. And she had a point. I did know a lot about medicine in my own “backyard,” but I wanted to know more about why the Eastern approach to cultivating and sustaining energy is so vastly different from the West’s material, structured approach.

At the center of that quest was a desire to find the richest, most potent energy adaptogen, which is an herb or botanical compounds that has an uncanny ability to provide the body with whatever is needed. For example, if you have low blood pressure, adaptogens helps to raise it slightly. If you have high cholesterol, adaptogens help reduce it. We’ve never been able to manufacture in a laboratory what natural adaptogens are able to achieve within human physiology.

Out of thousands of herbs, only a few qualify as adaptogens. In Russia, I’ve found rhodiola; in India, ashwaghanda. Both have been used by native healers and are now integrated into modern medical practice. But in the East, I was driven to find the monarach of adaptogens-the Red Reishi mushroom. This rare, woody mushroom from the remote Asian highlands was considered the superior energy adaptogen on the planet. And it’s darn near impossible to find. More on that in a moment.

Energy: The Quest For More

We often think we have the last word on energy here in the West, because we have dissected and analyzed the cellular components within mitochondria that create 38 moles of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from glucose and water. (You remember your Kreb’s Cycle from high school biology, right?)

But in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the version of how we cultivate and sustain energy focuses on the invisible, energies of the body through the enhancement of qi or vital forces.

TCM practitioners have had to rely on restoring the body’s imbalances through natural means, such as movement (qigong), diet (herbs) and unblocking techniques (acupuncture and acupressure). While synthetic drugs and surgery have been the hallmarks of Western medicine for correcting structural problems and vanquishing invasive pathogens, doctors now recognize the worth of more non-invasive means such as adjusting lifestyle factors for the treatment of stubborn chronic disease.

As different as these two approaches are, there is a meeting of the minds when it comes to research. Both Eastern and Western healing systems revere historically successful outcomes. The goal of research, whether it is trial and error, centuries-old human usage, or the modern invention of randomized, double-blind clinical trials, seeks, above all else, medicine that works.

Night Shift Research: Awakening a New Understanding

The recent announcement by the World Health Organization that night shift work is a probable cause of cancer has Western medicine doctors curiously inching towards language that would be described as Eastern. Researchers have begun to seriously investigate rhythms such as the fluctuation between activity and rest as nested within larger natural cycles of light and dark. As we stray from those nested hierarchies of natural rhythms, life-threatening imbalances occur in the body. Neuroendocrine glands such as the pituitary fail to produce sufficient melatonin, an important cancer-preventive antioxidant.

Suddenly the Eastern systems with their reliance on mysterious qi, strange descriptions of “too much wind” and “insufficient yin” start to make sense as a cultural expression of bioenergetic balancing of the body’s physical and emotional health.

Red Reishi: King of the Balancing Natural Compounds

That is why so much of the research world has turned its gaze toward the top dog of “rebalancers” – the highly valued Red Resihi mushroom, used for over 2,000 years by traditional Chinese and Japanese healers. Once so difficult to obtain, it was reserved for royalty only, but one Japanese laboratory (Mikkei Manufacturing) is now able to cultivate Red Reishi essence within the last 25 years, guaranteeing quality amounts of the therapeutic compounds (polysaccarchides, beta-glucans, and ganoderic acid).

This amazing mushroom can strengthen the body’s response to disease-causing processes, rebuilding and restoring immune system function, and improving your overall ability to cope with life’s stresses-mental, physical and environmental.

As the most valued adaptogenic herb in nature, Red Resishi enhances energy levels if you’re feeling run down and stagnant, or helps to calm you if you’re irritable and wired. Again,adaptogens supply whatever is needed, working to balance the body in ways that have never been duplicated by pharmaceutical drugs.

Wide Range of Benefits

Today, the brunt of research explores the tremendous immune system enhancement by Red Reishi. The extract has been shown in both animal and in vitro studies to improve the action of immune system cells: natural killer, lymphocytes, macrophages and cytokines, thereby improving your ability to resist colds, flu, and other viral and bacterial infections.

Red Reishi has also been cited as a potent anti-inflammatory agent, helping calm the multitude of ailments that arise from chronic inflammation, such as arthritis and allergies.

New research in blood sugar control with people who have Type 2 diabetes looks very promising. One study concluded that the administration of Reishi extract in animals caused a decrease in the blood sugar levels. With the dire predictions of obesity rates climbing and contributing to diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers, it’s more important than ever to lower our excessive blood sugar levels through exercise, proper diet and now, with the powerful Japanese Red Reishi essence, available in capsule form from Mikei.

New research has also shown that Red Reishi can:

1. Play a significant role in helping the body to detoxify, providing protection for the accumulation of toxins, and helping to assist the body’s metabolic burn of fat
2. Assist in the process of renewal of 30 trillion cells per year
3. Strengthen the body’s resistance to allergies, bronchitis, viral infections
4. Help with mood and appetite control
5. Bolster mental alertness
6. Increase energy, vitality and mental alertness
7. Help decrease high blood pressure
8. Help present platelet aggregation (excessive clotting)
9. Help lower triglycerides and cholesterol

More than anything, Japanese Red Reishi can work fast to help you combat stress. With our minds and bodies undergoing a continuous tyranny of daily stressors and growing demands, we need a natural substance that can help us retain brain function, ward off premature again, help retain memory and make us feel vital well into old age.

In many ways, Western medicine and Eastern medicine are joining forces to validate what ancient healers have long known-that life requires balance. Make Japanese Red Reishi a central pillar in your commitment to daily balance, and enjoy your healthiest potential.

By Meg Jordan, PhD, RN, Medical Anthropologist and Global Medicine Hunter

Hailed in ancient Eastern medicine as the “mushroom of immortality” and the “medicine of kings,” you’d expect reishi to offer you some pretty astounding health benefits, right? Your assumptions are correct. This prized fungus may be able to boost your immune system, fight cancer, ward off heart disease, calm your nerves and relieve both allergies and inflammation.

“Reishi indeed sounds like a cure-all,” writes Rebecca Wood in her book “New Whole Foods Encyclopedia.” She goes on to explain reishi’s wide range of uses: “An immunostimulant, it is helpful for people with AIDS, leaky-gut syndrome, Epstein-Barr, chronic bronchitis and other infectious diseases. It is used as an aid to sleep, as a diuretic, as a laxative and to lower cholesterol.” It almost seems too good to be true.

How can one fungus help the human body in so many ways? Traditional Eastern medical science explains reishi’s wide range of medicinal applications better, perhaps, than mainstream medicine ever could. According to Eastern thought, the body needs to defend itself against threats to its “equilibrium.” These threats can be physical, such as viruses and bacteria that cause infection; emotional, such as stressors that cause anxiety; or energetic, in that they reduce alertness. Whatever the threat, reishi helps the body maintain its defense against these threats to its equilibrium, helping the body to maintain balance. In this sense, diseases like heart disease and cancer mean that the body is out of balance, which is why an equilibrium-enhancing remedy such as reishi can help so many diverse ailments.

Skeptics can doubt the previous explanation as Taoist “mumbo jumbo,” but laboratory research proves many of reishi’s medicinal applications. As Dr. Andrew Weil writes, reishi “has been the subject of a surprising amount of scientific research in Asia and the West.” Research shows that the polysaccharide beta-1,3-D-glucan in reishi boosts the immune system by raising the amount of macrophages T-cells, which has major implications for people suffering from AIDS and other immune system disorders.

This immune-boosting action also works wonders in the prevention and treatment of cancer, as the T-cells are then able to fight cancer cells more effectively. However, reishi may help the body defeat cancer in not just one, but four ways. In addition to boosting the immune system, the glucan in reishi helps immune cells bind to tumor cells. Many experts believe that it also actually reduces the number of cancerous cells, making it easier for T-cells and macrophages to rid the body of them. Another substance in reishi, called canthaxanthin, slows down the growth of tumors, according to “Prescription for Dietary Wellness” author Phyllis A. Balch and other experts. As a result of these amazing anti-cancer abilities, laboratory research and traditional medicinal usage of reishi to fight cancer is so positive that the Japanese government officially recognizes it as a cancer treatment.

Besides cancer, reishi can help and treat another of America’s top killers: cardiovascular disease. The protection reishi offers against heart disease and stroke is truly remarkable because it helps prevent so many different risk factors, due to its high content of heart-saving substances like sterols, ganoderic acids, coumarin, mannitol and polysaccharides. Experts believe that the ganoderic acids in particular lower triglyceride levels, remove excess cholesterol from the blood, lower blood pressure, reduce platelet stickiness and even help correct arrhythmia. In fact, for 54 people with hypertension unresponsive to medication, taking reishi extract three times a day for four weeks was enough to significantly lower blood pressure, according to a study reported by Burton Goldberg in “Heart Disease.” Just imagine how the incidence of cardiovascular disease could be reduced if using reishi really caught on in the Western hemisphere.

While you protect your body against infectious disease, cancer and heart disease, your use of reishi can also help relieve your everyday discomforts. Do you have allergies? Japanese researchers discovered that the lanostan in reishi acts as a natural antihistamine. Do you suffer from muscle aches or arthritis? Dr. William B. Stavinhoa of the University of Texas Health Science Center found that reishi is as powerful as five milligrams of hydrocortisone, but with minimal side effects. What about anxiety or insomnia? According to “Mind Boosters” by Dr. Ray Sahelia, the reishi mushroom can calm the mind, as well as improve memory, concentration and focus. With all these benefits, reishi truly is the “medicine of kings.”

Different types of reishi
Though there are six different types of reishi, all classified by color, herbalists generally call red reishi the most potent and medicinal variety, and thus it is the most commonly used form of reishi in North America, Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. In the wild, the mushroom grows on deciduous trees in heavily forested areas of China and Japan, but it’s now easily and widely cultivated commercially, so you don’t have to venture into the forest to enjoy the benefits of what “Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook” author James Green calls a “remarkably beneficial fungus for the human body.”
However, keep in mind that reishi isn’t exactly the kind of mushroom you’ll want to put in your next salad, either. Since it’s more than 90 percent indigestible fiber, reishi has an extremely wood-like texture and to top it off, it’s unpleasantly bitter. In spite of this bitter flavor, many reishi enthusiasts use ground reishi to make a life-enhancing tea or even use the mushrooms in soups. For the less daring, many health food stores offer reishi capsules, tablets and extracts, and Japanese research suggests taking vitamin C along with it may enhance reishi’s medicinal effects.

So, how much reishi should you take? In the “Vitamin Bible for the Twenty-first Century,” vitamin expert Earl Mindell advises an average dose of 100 milligrams of reishi extract daily to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation and ease joint pain. On the other hand, Dr. Linda B. White recommends up to three 1,000-milligram tablets up to three times per day in her book “The Herbal Drugstore.” Because of this wide range of dosage suggestions and additional risks it might pose for pregnant or lactating women (even though reishi has no known toxicity) you should check with a physician, preferably a naturopath, before adding reishi to your regimen. Similarly, you should be aware that reishi does have some side effects, including abdominal upset, dizziness, nose bleeds and dry mouth and throat, according to “Natural Pharmacy” author Schuyler W. Lininger. In other words, it’s up to you and your naturopath to decide which dose of reishi is right for you.

The experts speak on reishi:

Reishi’s wide range of medicinal applications
Health Benefits: Reishi indeed sounds like a cure-all. An immunostimulant, it is helpful for people with AIDS, leaky gut syndrome, Epstein-Barr, chronic bronchitis, and other infectious viruses. It is used as an aid to sleep; as a diuretic; as a laxative; and to lower cholesterol. Reishi mushrooms are antioxidants and liver protectants..
New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood, page 288
One key function, identified long ago by Eastern medical science, is defense–that is, the body has the need and ability to defend itself against threats to its equilibrium, whether they be physical, emotional, or energetic. Having noted and studied the body’s defensive capabilities, Chinese doctors then explored the natural world to find ways of maintaining and enhancing them, and they discovered a number of ways to do so, including the administration of herbal remedies. Among these remedies are ginseng, astragalus, and several mushrooms that grow on trees, such as Ganoderma lucidum (known to the Chinese as ling chih and the Japanese as reishi).
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 15

Not all of the active components in reishi have been isolated; like many other organic substances, the molecules in this plant are quite complex, though they are probably mostly polysaccharides and peptides. Dr. Terry Willard, a proponent of the medical uses of this mushroom, maintains that reishi also decreases free radicals by 50.4 percent through an as yet, unidentified antioxidant. … Other researchers suspect that reishi may not have an antioxidant of its own but rather stimulates production of the body’s own free radical scavenger, an enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD). According to the Bulletin of the Oriental Healing Arts Institute, reishi acts as an agent for promoting an increase in leukocytes, phagocytosis which in turn increase the number of disease-fighting T-cells in the bloodstream.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

These powerful adaptogens — Siberian ginseng, schisandra, ginseng, astragalus, and reishi–are among what Teeguarden calls the “superstars of Chinese tonic herbalism . . . incomparable, legendary herbal substances [that] have withstood the test of time.” These five herbs also tend to be the ones with the most scientific backing for their strengthening and normalizing effects.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 291

Reishi and the immune system
Reishi is a purely medicinal mushroom, not a culinary one, both because it is hard and woody and because it tastes very bitter. But it is nontoxic and has been the subject of a surprising amount of scientific research, both in Asia and the West. Although most of the research has been in animals, the results are so promising that I think human studies will soon follow. Like maitake and other related mushroom species, reishi improves immune function and inhibits the growth of some malignant tumors. Additionally, it shows significant anti-inflammatory effect, reduces allergic responsiveness, and protects the liver.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 140

Reishi is a supreme immune tonic. Because of its neutral energy, it is fine for anyone to take. It treats immune disorders including AIDS as it raises the T cell levels (an index of AIDS and immune disorders). It is also specific for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It inhibits bacteria and viruses, treats cancer and tumors and its adaptogenic quality protects the body against stress. It treats heart disease, reduces cholesterel and lowers high blood pressure.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 195

Maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms possess beta-1,3-D-glucan, a type of polysaccharide that stimulates the immune cells. Their immune-boosting power makes them essential for fighting the flu.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 469

In addition to being an effective energizer, reishi is an antioxidant that protects the body from the harmful effects of radiation and free radicals. It contains polysaccharides and other compounds that may combat bacteria and viruses and boost the immune system
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 56

Reishi Mushrooms Known as kisshotake or the “lucky fungus,” in Japan, reishi mushrooms were originally used in China in both cooking and traditional healing. However, for several thousand years the Japanese have used these delicately flavored mushrooms in their cuisine. reishi mushrooms, which are quite pricey, are available in Asian markets and gourmet shops. However, they may be worth their weight in gold. Recent studies show that reishi may stimulate the immune system, which increases the body’s ability to ward off disease. In addition, reishi mushrooms contain compounds that are natural antihistamines and have strong anti-allergic activity. Other studies show that reishi can lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent the formation of dangerous blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke..
Earl Mindells Soy Miracle Earl Mindel RPH PHD, page 107

reishi is a supreme immune tonic. Because of its neutral energy, it is fine for anyone to take. It treats immune disorders including AIDS as it raises the T cell levels (an index of AIDS and immune disorders). It is also specific for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It inhibits bacteria and viruses, treats cancer and tumors and its adaptogenic quality protects the body against stress. It treats heart disease, reduces cholesterel and lowers high blood pressure.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 195

Herbal Medicine: There are numerous herbs useful in the care of infections. Some are directly antibacterial or antiviral while others are immune potentiators. Some herbs do both. Examples include goldenseal, licorice, astragalus, garlic, Panax ginseng, reishi and shiitake mushrooms, slippery elm, and echinacea.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 1112

The third is reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), currently available in US health food stores. It is said to have been used as a “fountain of youth” elixir for centuries. A novel protein with immunomodulating activity in vivo has been isolated from the mycelial extract of reishi.
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 248

reishi tones the immune system, supports nerve function, scavenges free radicals, protects the liver, and quells inflammation and allergies. According to Hobbs (1996), “reishi has the unique ability among medicinal mushrooms to calm and support nerve function.” In his practice, he recommends reishi to people with chronic stress, anxiety, or insomnia.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 116

Reishi, shiitake, and maitake mushroom extracts or powders are all proven antivirals and are used as immunostimulants around the world for everything from colds to cancer.
Herbal Defense by Ralph T Golan ND, page 180

Immunity (increases) astragalus, codonopsis, cinnamon, ginger, ginseng, bayberry, schisandra reishi echinacea and American ginseng.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 231

The most common herbs used in fu-zheng are blood-vitalizing herbs, including astragalus, milletia, reishi, panax ginseng, schizandra, jujube, ligus-ticum, hoelen, salvia, ho shou wu, cordyceps, atractylodis, and codonopsis. Studies continue to demonstrate that these herbs have a dramatic impact on the enhancement of an immune system weakened by chemo and radiation therapies. They not only protect the immune and endocrine systems but also inhibit such diseases as influenza, upper respiratory infections, fungal infections, and chemically induced hepatitis. These diseases can cause serious complications for the person with cancer, requiring an interruption in treatment and a course of antibiotics that can lead to diarrhea and other debilitating problems.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 85

If yeast or other vaginal infections keep coming back, your best bet is to see a natural health practitioner who’ll recommend an herbal tonic program that you’ll use for a series of months. It will likely include herbs such as astragalus, reishi, shiitake, nettles, or burdock — botanicals that gently and gradually rebuild the immune system and the many organs it involves. Such a program will likely include some diet changes as well, such as cutting down on caffeine and sugar.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 535

The once extremely rare and precious reishi mushroom is now cultivated and widely available. It is a very potent immune system and longevity tonic. Traditionally used to “nourish the heart and pacify the spirit,” it has also been found to have numerous other health benefits.
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 190

Use one of the immune-boosting tonics, like maitake, reishi, or astragalus. In cities, people live in close proximity and come into contact with each other more frequently than in rural areas. Germs spread easily in dense populations, so give your immune system some help.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 229

HERBS: Herbal medicine is best administered under the guidance of a professional trained in their use. The following herbs can be used safely as a self-care protocol, however. Dr. Bock recommends astragalus, ginseng, and maitake and reishi mushrooms for general immune support.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 1043

Mushrooms, particularly Eastern varieties, revitalize the body. Various cultures consider them to contain the secrets of staying young. Reishi and shiitake mushrooms build resistance to stress by strengthening the immune system. They also provide key B vitamins to the liver and stimulate the adrenals with their high concentration of pantothenic acid. The common American button mushroom contains methionine, an amino acid high in sulphur. When combined with tofu, the result is a more complete protein.
Food Swings by Barnet Meltzer MD, page 258

Several species of mushroom — including shiitake (Lentinus edodes), reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), and maitake (Grifola frondosa) — are considered immune system stimulants. They contain compounds called polysac-charides that are similar to those found in other immune-boosting plants, such as astragalus and echinacea. These compounds increase the ability of white blood cells to devour germs.
Anti-Aging Prescriptions by James Duke PhD, page 163

This is the type of herbal tea I drink most frequently. After all, on a day-to-day basis, we mostly need to keep our good health intact. If I feel “immune challenged” or I want to start my day with an immune boost, I’ll drink a cup of a blend that contains any of the following tonic herbs, known as adaptogens (herbs that strengthen or enhance the immune system, nervous system, and/or glandular system while they help the body cope with stress): Siberian ginseng, Panax ginseng, astragalus, shizandra, echinacea, ashwagandha, reishi mushrooms, licorice.
Caffeine Blues By Stephen Cherniske MS, page 324

Therapeutic and Healing Powers: reishi and shiitake mushrooms boost the immune system by producing interferon-like effects that fight viral infection. Mushrooms are also being studied for their anti-cancerous capabilities.
Food Swings by Barnet Meltzer MD, page 216

Mushrooms from Japan — specifically, shiitake as a food, and reishi and maitake (which are currently available in the United States only as extracts) — offer a host of immune-system benefits.
Herbal Defense by Ralph T Golan ND, page 152

All edible mushrooms contain both medicinal and nutritional qualities. Scientific research indicates that the major actions of medicinal mushrooms are stimulating the immune system and protecting against cardiovascular disease, free radicals, mutagens, and toxins. Most medicinal mushrooms contain polysaccharides (complex sugar molecules) called beta-glucans that increase RNA and DNA in the bone marrow where immune cells, like lymphocytes, are made. The combination of compounds in mushrooms is believed to target the immune system and aid in neuron transmission, metabolism, and the transport of nutrients and oxygen. Three mushroom varieties — reishi, shiitake, and maitake — have been studied intensively and have proven to possess strong medicinal properties. All mushrooms must be cooked to get the nutritional value. The cell walls cannot be digested unless they are tenderized by heat.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 167

If you have a family history of cancer, have been a smoker, have worked in a hazardous occupation, or know that you have had toxic exposures, take one or more of the tonics that are cancer-protective and immune-enhancing. My first choices would be maitake and reishi mushrooms.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 251

Ganoderma: Ganoderma lucidum, the Chinese “mushroom of immortality” called ling zhi (in Japan, reishi) has been extensively studied in the laboratory for antiviral activity and is well known for its immune-modulating activity. My teacher of Chinese medicine, the late Dr. York Why Loo, kept a specimen of dried wild Chinese ling zhi in a jar for use in his old age. So revered by Chinese doctors is ling zhi that it is frequently pictured on their business cards or displayed in their shop windows as a sign of respect for its importance.
Viral Immunity by J.E, page 292

In China, many pharmacological, chemical, and biochemical studies have been conducted with this remarkable mushroom. Results show that reishi meets all qualifications of being an ad-aptogen and tonic. Its use bolsters the immune system, stimulates health, and improves or prevents allergic conditions and a variety of degenerative and other disease conditions.
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

Try shiitake or reishi mushrooms with your veggies — the Chinese use them to bolster the immune system.
Prescription Alternatives by Earl Mindell RPh PhD and Virginia Hopkins MA, page 283

Preliminary human research demonstrates some efficacy for the mushroom reishi in treating chronic hepatitis B, although this use still needs to be confirmed.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 80

Many researchers are now recommending a combination of mushrooms to maximize effects on the immune system. “A complex blend of medicinal fungi can offer a powerful therapeutic punch,” says internationally renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, known by some as “Mr. Medicinal Mushroom.”1 Two other mushrooms that hold great therapeutic promise are reishi, or Ling zhi (Ganoderma lucidum), and maitake (Gri-Jola frondosa).
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 335

Improves conditions of viral hepatitis (70% of all cases with this condition showed marked improvement after taking reishi).
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

Chinese herbalists have long considered mushrooms to be the most beneficial of all medicinal foods; however, the ordinary culinary mushrooms found at the supermarket are not as advantageous to the immune system as the more exotic reishi, maitake, or shiitake mushrooms. Modern research has determined that these mushrooms can support immune function. Extracts of these mushrooms can be purchased in capsule form.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 10

Immune tonics: reishi, astragalus, schisandra liver tonics: dandelion, fennel nerve tonics: scullcap, valerian nutritive tonics: comfrey, marshmallow.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 139

Immune-modulating plants often used by doctors of herbal medicine include Asian ginseng, eleuthero (Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, and the medicinal mushrooms shiitake and reishi.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 89

The reishi mushroom is traditionally used in Chinese medicine for asthenia-type syndromes, characterized by a deficiency of vital energy and functions of the lower body. reishi is the perfect remedy for the typical American suffering from constant stress. This type of individual has depressed vital force and is likely to be both deficient and toxic. When a person in such a state develops cancer and is then faced with the toxicities of chemotherapy, the situation calls for reishi. reishi’s overall effects could be described as regulatory and beneficial to the restoration of homeostasis. Its effect on the immune system is total enhancement of immune function: increase of white blood-cell count, platelets, hemoglobin, and various tumor-fighting cells. reishi also improves both energy and sleep.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 156

Master the language of mushrooms. Forget those bland, almost tasteless specimens that you find in the typical mushroom omelet. Your immune system craves exotic mushrooms, notably shiitake, maitake, and reishi. “Shiitake and maitake mushrooms strengthen the immune system,” notes Santa Cruz, California, herbalist Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., the author of several authoritative herb guides. “reishi mushrooms build up bone marrow, where white blood cells are made.”
Blended Medicine by Michael Castleman, page 10

Reishi is one of the most versatile medicinal mushrooms. It has long been used in Asia as an energy tonic to promote longevity and overall health. Studies indicate that reishi is an antioxidant and contains polysaccharides and other compounds that may boost the immune system. reishi is taken to counter bacteria and viruses and has shown promise as an agent to help prevent or treat cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other conditions. Russian researchers at the Cancer Research Center in Moscow have had positive results using reishi extracts to boost the immunity of cancer patients.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 88

The fruiting body of reishi mushroom is sweet in taste and neutral to slightly warming in action. It calms the spirit; strengthens immunity; slows aging; strengthens the heart, lungs, and liver; and relaxes spasms.
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 190

Reishi and cancer
For the past decade, reishi has also been used as a cancer treatment in Japan, with some success. reishi appears to inhibit cancer via its beneficial effect on the immune system. Compounds in reishi can boost immune function by activating macrophages and T-cells, the disease-fighting cells that help rid the body of all foreign invaders, including viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells.
Earl Mindell’s Supplement Bible by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 167

One of the reishi polysaccharides, called glucan, shows anti-tumor potential according to some researchers. Researchers speculate that glucan reduces the number of cancerous cells making it possible for the body’s immune system to handle them more effectively.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

Carbohydrate-proteins, called mucopolysaccharides, which are found in many herbs, such as echinacea and reishi mushrooms, not only activate macrophages but actually help them to bind to the antigen or tumor cell.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr., page 93

Canthaxanthin acts as an antioxidant, boosts immunity, slows the growth of cancer cells, and may help to prevent skin and breast cancers. Food sources include mushrooms, particularly reishi, maitake, and shiitake.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 50

Studies done at the Cancer Research Center in Moscow have found reishi to act as a host defense protector. It helps the body to fight cancer and slow down tumor growth.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

Ancient Chinese herbalists considered the reishi mushroom the most beneficial of all medicines and the emperors of Japan believed the reishi granted them immortality. Today, the Japanese government officially recognizes the reishi mushroom as a substance for treating cancer.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 167

Because it is called ling zhi in Chinese, the scientists called this protein ling zhi-8. And Prof. H. Maruyama called the antitumor activity of a water extract of reishi as well as two other mushrooms “remarkably effective for inhibition of tumor growth.”
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 248

Scientific studies report this food’s effectiveness in controlling cancers of the breast, lung, and prostate, and in minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy. Shiitake and reishi mushrooms, also called ganoderma mushrooms, exhibit anticancer properties as well, and are used by Orientals to enhance longevity. Animal research done in Japan showed a highly significant rate of tumor elimination in animals fed extracts of maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 82

Besides its anti-tumor and immuno-modulatory properties, reishi also helps counteract stress. The crude extract of reishi has been found to be more effective in fighting free radical damage than isolated, synthetic compounds. reishi also contains bitter triterpenes. These strengthen the circulatory and immune systems, tone the liver and protect the body from physical stress. Triterpenes work as adaptogenics, antihypertensives and to control allergic reactions.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

Shiitake and reishi mushrooms will be magic because they help prevent cancer.
Asian Health Secrets by Letha Hadady DAc, page 477

The reishi and maitake mushrooms are two other fungi for which researchers are cheering in their fight against cancer and viruses.
The Complete Book Of Alternative Nutrition by Selene Y Craig, page 225

Other Herbs — Other herbal medicines have been identified as potentially useful adjuncts to cancer treatment, including: pearl barley (Hordeum vulgare); reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum); shiitake mushroom (Lentin-ula edodes); cauliflower (Brassica oleracea); wax gourd (Benincasa hispida); calendula (Calendula qfficinalis); chaparral (Larrea divaricata and Larrea tridentata); white mulberry (Moms alba); Japanese pepper (Piperfutokadsura); thyme (Thymus serpyllum); Chinese cucumber (Tri-chosanthes kirilowii); and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 612

The reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) has a sweet and warm energy, is both sedative and tonic, is a supreme deep immune system tonic, and nourishes the spirit, essence, and vital energy. It has strong anticarcinogenic properties and is rich in a number of complex phyto-chemicals, including ergosterol, fumaric acid, aminoglucose, and man-nitol; coumarins; alkaloids; lactone; and various enzymes.
The Way Of Herbs by Michael Tierra, page 313

Finally, evidence has shown that reishi, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms can serve as formidable opponents of cancer cells.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 72

If you have cancer, you should work with a knowledgeable physician or natural healer. As a cancer treatment, doses are much higher than those for pain control — you will need to take about 10 grams of reishi daily. But reishi is considered safe even at the highest levels; there is no known toxicity.
Earl Mindell’s Supplement Bible by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 167

According to researchers at the National Cancer Center in Japan, there was complete tumor elimination in about 80% of cancer-induced animals fed extracts from maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms. Compounds in each of these mushrooms increase the tumor-fighting activity of NK cells and improve antibody responses, but maitake seems to have the strongest and most consistent effect.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 613

As with other medicinal mushrooms, this herb is rich in polysaccharides that increase white blood cells; it serves as a potent free radical scavenger and generally exerts broad anticancer and antitumor properties. Reishi contains the immune stimulating polysaccharide, beta D-glucan, which has been shown to be effective against sarcoma. The polysaccharide stimulates macrophage activity to produce tumor-necrosis factor (TNF-a), together with cancer killing interleukins. In another study the polysaccharides (PS) from fresh fruiting bodies of G. lucidum (PS-G) were isolated and used to potentiate cytokine production by human mono-cytes-macrophages and T lymphocytes. Results demonstrated that the levels of interleukins (IL)-l beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha, and IL-6 in macrophage cultures treated with PS-G (100 micrograms/ml) were 5.1, 9.8 and 29 fold higher, respectively, than those of untreated controls. In addition, the release of interferon (IFN)- gamma from T lymphocytes was also greatly promoted in the presence of PS-G (25-100 micrograms/ml). Furthermore, these cytokine-containing mononuclear cell-conditioned media (PSG-MNC-CM) suppressed the proliferation of both the HL-60 and the U937 leukemic cell lines. Further, a process of DNA labeling was able to induce cell death (apoptosis) only of cancer cells.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

Two other types of medicinal fungi, which have received considerable attention in the scientific community in the last few decades, are the reishi (pronounced REE-she) and shiitake (pronounced SHE-taw-key) mushrooms. They are venerated throughout the Orient for their marvelous healing properties, especially in the treatment and prevention of cancer. Laboratory and clinical studies done with both of them in man and beast alike have shown remarkable regression of malignant tumors, particularly through the injection method.
Encyclopedia Healing Herbs Spices by John Heinerman, page 243

Adding foods to the diet which contain significant amounts of the trace element germanium, which enhances the action of oxygen in the body. Germanium foods and supplements are commonly used as cancer remedies and for immune restoration in general. Among the more concentrated food and herb sources: “turkey tails” and related shelf or punk mushrooms that grow on the sides of decaying trees; other mushrooms including shiitake, ling zhi or reishi (Ganoderma luddum), and champignon; garlic; the herbs Suma (Pfaffia paniculata), ginseng, and unrefined aloe vera juice; chlorella micro-algae, and barley.
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 40

Medicinal mushrooms with immunomodulating activities have been traditionally used as tonics in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). They are now used in cancer treatments to counteract the toxic effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Mushrooms used in cancer therapies are generally processed into liquid or powder in order to obtain the necessary potency. It takes about 15 pounds of reishi mushrooms to produce 1 pound of the powdered concentrate. Medicinal mushrooms make a significant contribution to the healing process by enhancing and stimulating the body’s own immune system. This is a very important factor in diseases like cancer and HIV, which have components unique to each individual. In my protocols for people with cancer, I always include one or more medicinal mushroom extract products. Descriptions of some of the more frequently used mushrooms follow.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 155

It is believed, they are more accessible to the immune system cell called the macrophage. Remember, these are nonspecific “Pac Man”-like immune cells that literally gobble up invaders. When the macrophage becomes activated, it signals helper T cells to get to work. From research in China and Japan, the immune cells being activated by reishi to kill tumor cells are primarily the macrophages and helper T cells.
Healing Pets With Nature’s Miracle Cures By Henry Pasternak DVM CVA, page 114

Reishi calms the central nervous system, exerting a blood-pressure-lowering effect beneficial to the heart. It is now employed in China for treatment of autoimmune diseases and to calm hypersensitivity. Like many other medicinal mushrooms, reishi mushroom can be used to treat cancer patients due to its ability to activate NK cells, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, and cytokines, all important immune system components. Kee Chang Huang reports that reishi “exerts a synergistic effect with other anticancer chemothera-peutic agents or radiotherapy, to augment the clinical therapeutic effect in the treatment of cancer patients.”
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 191

reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) contains carbohydrates, fiber, amino acids, protein, steroids, triterpenes, lipids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, glucoside, coumarin glycoside, volatile oil, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and ascorbic acid. It also contains the minerals calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper, and germanium. Additionally, reishi contains ganoderic acid, which is a free-radical scavenger, giving reishi antioxidant powers. The polysaccharides in reishi mushrooms appear to activate a type of white blood cell known as a macrophage. These cells filter the blood, destroying cancer cells, viruses, bacteria, and other large particulate material. Macrophages also signal other white blood cells to seek out and destroy tumor cells.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 168

Reishi is also being studied for its effects against arthritis, bronchitis, asthma, acute hepatitis, diabetes, allergies, insomnia, and altitude sickness
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 335

reishi. Several species of ganoderma have traditionally been used by the Chinese to prevent or treat cancer of the esophagus and other organs. Studies show that certain steroidlike compounds in reishi can help kill liver cancer cells. reishi extracts have also been shown to boost the immunity of cancer patients.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 226

One study showed that reishi strongly inhibited the growth of sarcoma 180, with an inhibition rate of 95.6 to 98.6 percent at an interperitonial dosage of 20 mg/kg for ten days in mice.116 Another study demonstrated that reishi polysaccharides significantly inhibited the proliferation of JTC-26 tumor cells, a human cancer-cell strain. Ganodermic acids U through Z, which are six types of cytotoxic triterpenes found in reishi, showed significant cytotox-icity on hepatoma cells grown in vitro.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 156

Reishi mushroom has impressive antioxidant and anti-cancer benefits, as do shiitake and maitake mushrooms.
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 421

Medicinal Mushrooms: Especially maitake, reishi, shiitake and turkey tail mushrooms. Maitake D- fraction has been shown to enhance the effects of chemotherapy as well as having anticancer and immune strengthening properties. New research shows maitake D-fraction also has apoptosis (cancer cell death) inducing properties. Planetary formulas Maitake Mushroom and reishi Mushroom Supreme have shown themselves to be very efficacious.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 374

Like the shiitake, reishi extract — known as G. lucidum — has shown immune-enhancing ability and may curb the growth of tumors, according to proponents. They also believe that reishis can help to fight a host of ailments, including high blood pressure, allergies, asthma, fatigue, arthritis, high cholesterol, dizziness, liver problems and congestion.
The Complete Book Of Alternative Nutrition by Selene Y Craig, page 225

Immune tonics such as reishi mushroom and astragalus can be given in higher dosage during the early stages of disease or to prevent recurrence. In the more advanced stages, tonics are also used but to a lesser extent, with greater emphasis on the use of eliminative, heat clearing herbs. In the middle stages of cancer one combines tonification and elimination substances equally.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 117

Kelp, reishi, and St. John’s wort may help protect against the adverse effects of x-ray radiation.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 730

Antitumor: Prevents or helps alleviate tumors. Examples: chaparral, red clover, astragalus, reishi,fu ling.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 137

Cancer and HIV/AIDS Foods: beans and legumes; blueberries; carrots; cherries; cruciferous vegetables; flaxseeds; garlic; kelp; all leafy greens; maitake, reishi, and shiitake mushrooms; millet; papaya; peaches; red grapes; vegetables; soy foods; wheatgrass.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 288

Herbal and nutritional therapies can make chemotherapy more sensitive to the particular cancer being treated. For example, bromelain and quercetin are especially compatible with most chemotherapies used in cases of breast, ovarian, and colon cancers, as well as leukemia and most melanomas, while reishi, coriolus, astragalus, and Siberian ginseng work well with all chemotherapies for all types of cancers.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 281

The immune potentiating effects of the astragalus polysaccharide was validated through research at the M.D. Anderson hospital in Houston, Texas during the 1980′s. No patentable drug resulted from this research because of the difficulty of patenting plant polysaccharides. However, both in China and Japan a wide range of anticancer herbs rich in immune potentiating polysaccharides are used including a variety of medicinal mushrooms such as ganoderma (reishi), lentinus (shiitake), grifola (maitake) and coriolus ver-sicolor (turkey tails) and cordyceps (dong chong xia cao).
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 77

Sabley said that reishi contains two major groups of organic compounds: Ganodermic acids (compounds with a structure similar to steroid hormones) and polysaccharides (long chains of naturally occurring sugar molecules or carbohydrates). Many believe that polysaccharides, commonly found in mushrooms, seaweed and numerous plants, have immune-enhancing properties, possibly capable of treating some forms of cancer.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

Popularized by the Chinese and Japanese, ganoderma, also known as the reishi mushroom, is a general energy stimulant that also possesses cancer-fighting abilities. It is particularly effective when used along with astragalus and legustrum.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 108< p> reishi: immune booster, cancer preventive, system balancer
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 19

The beta-glucans lentinan, grifolan, schizophyllan and SSG are available in Japan. Lentinan and schizophyllan are approved in Japan as drugs for the treatment of cancer. … Non-edible mushrooms that are rich in beta-glucans include the reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) and the coriolus mushroom (Coriolus versico-lor).
PDR For Nutritional Supplements by Sheldon Saul Hendle and David Rorvik, page 316

Various types of mushrooms can be good sources of vitamin D, Bi (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), minerals, and amino acids. They have the ability to enhance the body’s immune system T cells that seek and destroy cancer cells. Shiitake, zhu ling, enoki, reishi, and maitake mushrooms have all been reported to have anti-cancer properties.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 253

reishi MUSHROOM (Canoderma lucidum) Ling zhi All types of cancers when there is qi weakness, blood deficiency, low and/or threatened immune system, dampness, nervousness and anxiety. It is also used to offset the adverse effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Dose: 9-30g
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 81

Ling zhi, the famous reishi mushroom, is not known for its sweet flavor so much as for its cleansing, anticancer effects. Although the mushroom itself is not sweet, the instant cube is.
Asian Health Secrets by Letha Hadady DAc, page 52

Reishi and cardiovascular disease
Reishi contains several constituents, including sterols, coumarin, mannitol, polysaccharides, and triter-penoids called ganoderic acids. Ganoderic acids may lower blood pressure as well as decrease low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels. These specific triterpenoids also help reduce blood platelets from sticking together — an important factor in lowering the risk for coronary artery disease. While human research demonstrates some efficacy for the herb in treating altitude sickness and chronic hepatitis B, these uses still need to be confirmed.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 456

Because there is some evidence that reishi extract lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and reduces platelet stickiness, another cardiovascular risk factor, it is being studied for its potential in the treatment of heart disease.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 56

This mushroom is prized in Japan and China, where its rejuvenating qualities have been known for over 4,000 years. Scientific studies have confirmed its medicinal properties. Published studies in humans show that it lowers blood pressure and reduces “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, another type of blood fat. It also reduces the tendency of blood platelets to accumulate, thus making blood less likely to clot and provoke heart attacks and strokes. Since the raw mushroom is woody and inedible, the traditional method of preparing reishi is to make a tea by simmering it for a long time in water. Fortunately, it is also available in a powdered form. Typical dosage: 1,000 to 9,000 milligrams in capsules per day,- or 50 to 75 milligrams in concentrated capsules three times per day.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 327

Chinese herbal medicine physicians regard the reishi mushroom as an “elixir of immortality.” Research confirms that reishi is an effective cardiotonic. In a study of 54 people (average age, 58.6) whose blood pressure was over 140/90 and who were unresponsive to hypertension medication, those taking reishi mushroom extract in tablet form three times a day for four weeks experienced a significant drop in their blood pressure compared to the control group. The blood pressure of all the test subjects fell below 140/90.
Heart Disease by Burton Goldberg, page 205

Today, both shiitake and reishi mushrooms are used to treat a variety of disorders and to promote vitality. They are used to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, to control and lower cholesterol, to build resistance to disease, and to treat fatigue and viral infections. They are also known to have anti-tumor properties valuable in treating cancer.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 80

Reduces excessive levels of cholesterol in the blood, thus improving circulation.
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

reishi has been shown in several studies to lower cholesterol levels, helping to prevent atherosclerotic changes in the blood vessel walls (reported in Huang, 1999).
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 191

Today, both shiitake and reishi mushrooms are used to treat a variety of disorders and to promote vitality. They are used to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, to control and lower cholesterol, to build resistance to disease, and to treat fatigue and viral infections. They are also known to have anti-tumor properties valuable in treating cancer.
The A-to-Z Guide to Supplements by James F Balch MD, page 157

Reishi is a variety of mushroom that also fights infection and has traditionally been used to treat heart disease and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 192

High Blood Pressure hawthorn berries ginkgo leaf, reishi dandelion, echinacea, chamomile, plantain
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 231

Clinical studies at the Tongji Medical University, Wuhan, China, involving 15 healthy volunteers and 33 patients with atherosclerotic disease suggest that the mushroom may offer help for other diseases as well and the team reported that reishi also inhibited platelet aggregation.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 197

Reishi (Ganoderma luciduni). Sixteenth-century Ming Dynasty texts say that this marvelous Chinese medicinal mushroom “mends the heart.” And my good friend, pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D., says in his Better Health with (Mostly) Chinese Herbs and Food that reishi has considerable value in preventing and treating arrhythmia.
The Green Pharmacy by James A Duke PnD, page 121

This medicinal mushroom has long been used in China as a general heart tonic, as well as for a host of other conditions. If your arrhythmias are caused by stress, reishi is a good choice to add to your routine because it acts on the many body systems that can be affected by stress. Typical dosage: up to five 420-milligram capsules per day,- or up to three 1,000-milligram tablets up to three times per day.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 155

Morel, reishi, shiitake, and maitake are mushrooms that were touted by the ancient Chinese as superior medicines that give eternal youth and longevity. They prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, lower cholesterol, prevent fatigue and viral infections, and much more. They are found in supplement form as well as fresh.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 138

Since heart disease is America’s most serious health risk, any program designed to maintain and optimize health must start with protecting the cardiovascular system. This means reducing artery-clogging cholesterol, preventing the oxidation of blood fats, and maintaining a strong, steady heart beat. The best-researched herbal remedies for reducing blood fat levels (cholesterol) and for obtaining other cardiovascular benefits include garlic, hawthorn, ginger, horse chestnut, bilberry, reishi mushroom, and the Ayurvedic herb
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 12

Reishi is a heart tonic, like hawthorn and ginkgo. It improves blood flow to the heart, reduces coronary demand for oxygen and helps ease the chest pain of angina. I make reishi tea using three to six teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water.
The Green Pharmacy by James A Duke PnD, page 121

Reishi is a type of mushroom, contains several constituents that seem to help decrease triglyceride levels based on preliminary reports.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 88

Perhaps one of the reasons the Chinese regard mushrooms as spirit medicine is the claim found in the oldest recorded botanical monograph on another powerful Chinese medicinal mushroom, the ling zhi or reishi mushroom (Canoderma lucidum). The Chinese claimed that it made the body lighter, which may refer to its ability to reduce cholesterol and blood lipid levels. Shiitake mushrooms have immune-potentiating properties similar to those of reishi mushrooms.
The Way Of Chinese Herbs by Michael Tierra LAc OMD, page 431

Reishi as an antihistamine
Japanese researchers have also found that reishi acts as an antihistamine, making it useful for treating allergies. Lanostan, a compound found in reishi, appears to control the release of transmitting chemicals in the body, thereby inhibiting the release of histamine. Since reishi also promotes the adrenal function and immune reaction, it has added effectiveness in controlling the body’s reaction to an allergen.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

reishi is a true adaptagen, enhancing health and normal functions of the body. For example, while it increases some components of the immune response to cancers, it also inhibits pathological immune functions in autoimmune diseases. It has also been reported to reduce the histamine release associated with allergic reactions, and even to help prevent life threatening ana-phylactic reactions.
Healing Pets With Nature’s Miracle Cures By Henry Pasternak DVM CVA, page 112

It may sound like ancient marketing spiel, but there are good reasons why the Japanese call reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) the “mushroom of immortality.” Although it won’t make you immortal, it has been used as a high blood pressure treatment for over 2,000 years. For the past 30 years there has been more scientific study into reishi as a treatment for high blood pressure symptoms, and it hasn’t been found wanting.

1.- What possible benefits can I expect from reishi? (The short answer is: a lot! Besides its use as a high blood pressure treatment and a heart-healthy herb, it can regulate the immune system, inhibit tumors, resolve allergies, improve lung function, boost endurance, and treat insomnia, liver disorders, anxiety, herpes, HIV, asthma and bronchitis.)

2.- What are the potential risks of taking reishi? (Reishi is an extremely safe, non-toxic treatment of high blood pressure and has no known side effects, with the exception of detox symptoms for the first few days of taking reishi if the body is overly toxic. These include dryness of the mouth, throat and nasal areas, stomach upset, and loose stools.)

3.- Do the possible benefits outweigh potential risks?(As a high blood pressure treatment, you must decide. High blood pressure symptoms or detox symptoms?)

4.- Will taking reishi change the way my prescription medication works?(Very possibly. Studies confirm reishi is often such an effective treatment of high blood pressure symptoms that it may alter effects of prescription hypertension drugs. So it’s possible dosages of prescription medications for high blood pressure treatment may need to be adjusted by your doctor.)

5.- Are there studies showing this approach to treatment of high blood pressure symptoms is beneficial?(Dozens.)

Many people try reishi as a high blood pressure treatment and say it that helps them feel better in other ways, as well as lowering blood pressure. Often, a drop in high blood pressure symptoms when taking reishi can be noticed after just 10 days. Many patients report the full benefits of taking reishi for two months. Reishi can be taken by a healthy person as well to prevent a variety of ailments.

Reishi should not be a substitute for your doctor’s recommended treatment of high blood pressure symptoms.If you decide you want to add reishi to your high blood pressure treatment protocol, it is very possible that you may soon need a lower dosage of prescription medication, and only your doctor can adjust that. Of course, your doctor wants you to be healthy. Armed with a wealth of information about reishi as a high blood pressure treatment, hopefully you will be able to get your doctor’s cooperation in carefully monitoring your blood pressure after you start taking reishi and making necessary adjustments to your medications.

You can enhance your health by taking the incredible mushroom, reishi!

A Healthy Chinese New Year to you all!

This Thursday 7th February is the Chinese New Year – the start of the year of the Rat and a time for celebration for Chinese people across the world. As with the western New Year it is a time for a party, but also a chance for all of us to make resolutions and changes, especially with regards to health.

Whilst we might not all be celebrating the Chinese New Year, we can all benefit from taking a look at Chinese health remedies and medicines. Among the most ancient and well used in history, many Chinese remedies are now becoming popular across the globe and the Chinese New Year presents a great opportunity to take a look at some of those currently hitting the UK shelves.

Bucking the trend – The Forgotton Omega

Whilst Omegas 3 and 6, the essential fatty acids, have been hailed as the ‘must have’ ingredients for healthy skin, there is another Omega that could play an even bigger role. The richest source of this Forgotton Omega is an oil from a prickly shrub known as Sea Buckthorn, which now it has reached the shores of the UK could quickly find itself as the must have of 2008

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides) is a well recognized source of traditional herbal medicine, vitamins and nutrients, and has been used in China as an anti-aging and medicinal skin care product for many hundreds of years. Whilst the berries of the Sea Buckthorn plant have been hailed as ‘exotic’ superfoods, with numerous uses and being rich in many important nutrients, it is their effect on skin that has received the most attention.

The first person to think of extracting the oil from this prickly shrub and rub it on their skin must have been thought mad by their piers, but due to its high content of nutrients, essential for the metabolism of skin cells, Sea Buckthorn helps to combat wrinkles, dryness and other symptoms of malnourished or prematurely aging skin.

Scientists now believe our most delicate body tissues, especially the skin membranes, use Omega 7 fatty acids as vital building blocks and one of the most concentrated sources of Omega 7 is Sea Buckthorn. Environmental stressors, such as sunlight and pollution, poor diet, and even normal aging, can challenge these sensitive membranes, and Omega 7 fatty acids are now being hailed as important agents to nourish, protect, replenish, moisturise, and restore.

Studies now support the use of Sea Buckthorn Oil1 for problem skin, including conditions such as eczema and dermatitis, and confirm that it is largely the berries’ high content of Omega 7 that is behind the benefits. This effect of Sea Buckthorn on external membranes has led to further research into how supplementation can help with digestive and genital tract lining problems 2.

Sea Buckthorn also contains Omegas 3, 6 and 9 and has been linked to various other health benefits including boosting the immune system and further anti-aging properties.

So, to give your skin a new start in 2008 and help get it looking fresh and young you should remember the prickly Sea Buckthorn and the Forgotten Omega.

Sea Buckthorn is a new product in the UK, but a high quality Sea Buckthorn supplement is available from Superdragon at www.superherb.co.uk

Radical Reishi

Claimed to be the Oriental secret of youth, health and beauty and with global sales estimated at 3 billion dollars annually, Reishi is big business. Despite this and numerous high profile studies the Oriental mushroom remains relatively unknown in the UK. The launch of Mikei Red Reishi Essence may be about to change this though and we could soon be singing the praises of this truly ‘radical’ mushroom.

Whilst exotic culinary mushrooms have seen a huge surge of sales in the UK, as we have become more experimental in the kitchen, medicinal mushrooms remain largely undiscovered. With some serious research supporting their benefits however and hundreds of years of medicinal use behind them, we could be seriously missing out.

Reishi is a very rare mushroom and one of the highest regarded remedies in Chinese medicine, having been taken medicinally in extract form for at least 2,000 years. With claimed beneficial effects including improved sleep4 and skin condition, lowering blood sugar levels, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties5, protecting the liver6, improving energy levels7, lowering blood pressure8, and acting as an anti-tumour agent and antioxidant3 it is clear to see why the mushroom plays such a central role in Eastern medicine and is known as ‘God’s Herb’ and the ‘Mushroom of Immortality’.

Sceptics will no doubt claim Reishi to be another snake oil, but with literally hundreds of studies and thousands of astonishing testimonials supporting its use, it is hard to argue that there isn’t serious scope for the mushroom to play an important role in improving people’s health and lifestyles. Even Cancer Research UK were so taken by the claimed benefits of the mushrooms they commissioned a report that highlighted the potential of Reishi mushrooms to boost the immune system and help in cancer treatment.

Making it harder to argue against the benefits of Reishi is the fact that its effects can be felt so quickly and there are no side-effects from its use. Within just a matter of days you should start feeling better in yourself from taking good quality extracts of Reishi.

The key to Reishi mushrooms’ effectiveness are their adaptogenic qualities; that is to say that they help to normalise the body and aid its natural processes via active substances found in the mushrooms such as water-soluble polysaccharides and triterpenes. The efficacy of the mushrooms can vary dramatically depending on how they are grown however. The mushrooms draw nutrients up through their stalks from the medium on which they are grown and this determines the quantity of active substances within the mushrooms themselves. Mikei Red Reishi Essence mushrooms are grown in aged Japanese Oak logs in the most natural conditions possible and take a full year to reach maturity, resulting in one of the highest quality and most effective extracts available.

Mikei Red Reishi Essence is a Reishi extract that couldn’t be easier to use and comes in ready to swallow vegetable based capsules; for general health and well-being only one capsule needs to be taken daily. Extracted from mushrooms grown in Japan, Mikei Red Reishi Essence is the most concentrated and high quality Reishi extract on the market and is now available in the UK from Haeon Limited. Buy online at www.haeon.com or from leading health stores.

From Manchuria 221BC to Hollywood 2008AD

We tend think of the concept of detoxing, the process by which we rid the body of toxins to help us look and feel better, as a new one; but a detox trend that has recently hit Hollywood isn’t so much new as over two thousand years old.

Madonna, Lynsey Lohan, Kirsten Dunst, Meg Ryan and, most recently, Halle Berry are among stars to have been seen drinking a unique health drink called Kombucha.

Whilst modern research has shown that Kombucha may help combat the effects of toxins in the body9, increase life span10 and beat stress induced conditions11 Kombucha tea is in fact an ancient remedy that originates from China. With records of consumption dating back to the Chinese Tsin Dynasty of 221BC, Zen masters declared Kombucha to be a source of ‘Chi’ – life energy which aligns and harmonises the body with the soul.

Kombucha is a totally unique drink, produced in a natural and organic process from an infusion of green tea, black tea and sugar being metabolised by the Kombucha mushroom (a symbiotic colony of friendly bacteria and fission yeasts). As the yeasts breakdown the sugar and combine with the tea, a beautifying and energizing and potent brew of organic acids, enzymes, vitamins and minerals is created, which is thought to be behind a whole host of health benefits.

Kombucha is full of probiotic-rich acids12, which help to populate the large intestine with ‘friendly bacteria’ and dissolve harmful micro-organisms. The gut contains a natural level of these ‘friendly bacteria’ which keep levels of possible disease causing bacteria under control.

A further detox benefit of Kombucha is, because it is packed full of anti-oxidants 13, its action as an adaptogen – a natural substance that increases the body’s resistance to stresses such as trauma, anxiety and bodily fatigue. Adoptogens, and Kombucha in particular, are said to work on a wide array of conditions from wrinkles to diabetes and help to restore balance and support the immune system 13, leading to you feeling better on the inside and out.

Furthermore Kombucha is thought to help curb alcohol cravings; especially useful for those detoxing in the New Year!

The drink itself is a tangy, carbonated beverage. The UK’s leading brand is Gourmet Kombucha Probiotic, which has just been re-launched in January 2008 as Gaia’s Organic Kombucha. It will be available directly from Gaia Brands Ltd at www.gokombucha.com and from leading independent health stores, in Peach, Blackcurrant and original Green Tea flavours.

When you are sealed you start to take care of the health of your body. One thing you can do to prevent and cure a variety of ailments is to take a little reishi mushroom, an Asian mushroom with incredible health benefits.

The University of Haifa in Israel reported on Friday December 14 2007 that the reishi mushroom can be used to fight prostate cancer. They found that the reishi mushroom “attacks the cancer cells directly.”

The reishi mushroom, Ganoderma Lucidum, was a rarity found only in the wild until only the last quarter of a century when the Japanese have been able to cultivate them as a crop.

The University of Haifa says the reishi mushroom gives hope that a medication will be developed out of it that could fight prostate cancer. Fighting cancer is just one in a long list of health benefits the mushroom offers.

Called Ling Zhi in China, the reishi mushroom has been an important medicinal plant for the Asians for millennia. In the wild it grows upon rotting plum trees and only occasionally on some oak too.

Now it has been cultivated and extensive tests have been done on it to find out just how valid all its numerous health claims are. And many of the benefits are a ceratainty.

The reishi mushroom is an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body fight stressors like fatigue, anxiety, or trauma. It is never toxic to someone who eats it. It is non-specific meaning it protects against multiple stressors.

And as an adaptogen it is also normalizing, meaning it normalizes the physiology of the body in spite of the “norms” the stressor is trying to introduce. And it lowers anything hyperfunctioning in the body while increasing anything hypofunctioning.

The reishi mushroom is considered an effective prevention, not just a cure for disease, and is said to have the ability to prevent almost all of the most common diseases, like heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis as well as cancer.

LDL is the bad cholesterol in your body, building up on the walls of your arteries. It is implicated in heart disease and has caused many heart attacks. The reishi mushroom is said to lower your LDL, or bad cholesterol.

The reishi mushroom is also said to cure and prevent pain from headaches and stomach aches, and also be useful in curing and preventing back pain. If pain is caused by stress, as mentioned earlier it eliminates stress too.

It also is effective in treating asthma and influenza and the common cold. It will eliminate the coughing that is the symptom and even work on the underlying illness.

It works for insomnia, and while you are getting your body sleep, it helps treat your skin and cures and prevents hair loss too. The Asians used it for thousands of years also to treat liver problems.

When you are sealed you begin to take care of the health of your body. And you learn about these natural (or indeed spiritual) wonders of God’s creation. He has given you just what you need to prevent and cure most illness.

When you are sealed God will show you that it is His Will to help you fight disease and give you a longer and better Life. And it is always His Will to give you another chance when you receive the Seal.

Reishi Mushroom benefits your health in many ways. Known in China as an “elixir of immortality”, researchers have found this mushroom to strengthen your immune system, fight viruses and bacteria, reduce cholesterol and help prevent fatigue.

Reishi is a purely medicinal mushroom and not usually used in cooking because it is hard and it tastes very bitter. You probably will not find Reishi mushrooms at your local supermarket, but they can be found as concentrated extracts and in combinations specifically formulated to improve your immune system. The triterpenes, polysaccharides, and vitamins in reishi mushrooms are thought to be responsible for their therapeutic effects, which include the ability to increase blood flow, stimulates the immune cells. and reduce inflammation.

Reishi mushrooms contain polysaccharides (complex sugar molecules) called Beta Glucans that increase RNA and DNA in the bone marrow where immune cells, like lymphocytes, are made. Lymphocytes are cells found in the blood, lymph, and lymphoid tissues, which contain white blood cells, T and B cells. Mushroom polysaccharides, the same type of compounds found in astragalus, increase the activity of macrophages, which have a voracious appetite for harmful microorganisms and cancerous cells. Polysaccharides also trigger the production of a type of white blood cell that kills a wide range of infectious microorganisms and tumor cells.

Reishi mushrooms also have strong antioxidant properties, which can protect the body from the harmful effects of radiation and free radicals. They can be used to boost your immune system and may also increase the effectiveness of antioxidant vitamins when the two substances are used together.

Reishi mushrooms are believed to suppress tumor growth and are often used in cancer prevention efforts for this reason. Russian researchers at the Cancer Research Center in Moscow have had positive results using reishi extracts to boost the immunity of cancer patients.

Immune System Booster
In today’s world, there is a tremendous desire to keep the energy and vitality of our younger days as we mature. And, many people are blessed with even longer life spans than their predecessors. This increased longevity is due in part to a greater emphasis on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and the availability of nutritional supplements and alternative healing methods.

Today’s health-conscious consumers are discovering the benefits of the ancient Asian herbs. Two such powerful health-enhancing herbs are the Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) and Coriolus mushrooms. Asian herbal practitioners have used these medicinal mushrooms for thousands of years to boost the body’s immune system and improve overall health.

And, after 4000 years of use and observation, Oriental Medicine suggests that good health can be obtained by maintaining the proper balance through nutrition (including medicinal herbs), exercise, and mental peace. If disease is present, then the body is out of balance in one or more of these areas and the necessary steps must be taken to restore the harmony.

In ancient times, the Reishi mushroom (also known in China as Ling-Zhi) was very rare and the most highly rated herb due to its multiple health benefits and lack of side effects. Today, wild Reishi is extremely rare. Within the last 35 years, the cultivation of high-potency Reishi in large quantities has been possible due to modern bio-engineering technology; making it an affordable option for the health-conscious consumer.

The Coriolus (Yun-Zhi) mushroom (commonly known as “turkey tail” in North America) is one of the least known outside of Asia. During the Ming dynasty, the herbal practitioners believed that the Coriolus mushroom helped to improve one’s spirit energy, strengthen bones, and help one live a longer life. Coriolus mushrooms are high in polysaccharides.

Health Benefits
Recent studies have shown Reishi to be helpful for heart and circulatory health. Reishi contains concentrations of polysaccharides and triterpenoids which enhance the functioning of the immune system. The polysaccharides stimulate the immune system by activating the body’s immune cells and increase the number of antibodies needed to destroy unwanted foreign cells (bacteria, viruses, etc.). Polysaccharides also help to improve the overall health of the body by removing toxins, improving the body’s natural healing ability, and strengthening the body’s resistance to disease. Triterpenoids help to improve blood pressure and increase blood lipids. Triterpenoids have a harmonizing effect on the circulatory system and the immune system.

The oriental medicine philosophy states that it is better to take preventive measures to maintain a high quality of health than to seek a solution after disease or illness strike. With the consuming of diets high in fats, sugars, salt, cholesterol, and chemical additives, with environmental pollution, and modern lifestyle stress is it any wonder that many of our population suffer from chronic disease? In the oldest Chinese medical journals, Reishi was recommended for preventing ill health rather than as a cure.

Coriolus appears to provide significant benefits for the immune system.

Scientific Studies
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study conducted at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, researchers investigated the in vitro antioxidant capacity of Reishi (ganoderma lucidum), the absorption and distribution of Reishi antioxidants, and the short-term effects of supplementation on biomarkers of antioxidant status, coronary heart disease (CHD) risk and DNA damage. The blood and urine samples of ten healthy subjects were taken prior to taking 1.1 grams of Reishi (fasting). Samples were again taken at 45, 90, 135, and 180 minutes after ingestion. Subjects took 720 mg per day for ten days, with additional fasting samples of blood and urine taken. Researchers noted that total antioxidant capacity increased significantly, with a peak response at 90 minutes after indigestion. The average peak increase in urine antioxidant capacity occurred within three hours of ingestion. Researchers concluded that Reishi caused an acute increase in plasma antioxidant capacity, without negative side effects. This may have possible benefits for improving antioxidant status and reducing CHD risk.

In a study conducted during the 1970, 2000 Chinese with chronic bronchitis were given Reishi for two weeks. At the end of the study, 60 to 90% reported they felt better and their appetite improved.

In a clinical study conducted at a university hospital in Tokyo, 53 hypertensive patients were given Reishi for six months. Twenty-four of the patients had a blood pressure drop of 10-19 mm Hg and 5 had a drop of 20-29 mm Hg (both systolic and diastolic readings).

In a case study conducted by Dr. Jean Monro at Breakspear Hospital (United Kingdom), fifteen patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) were given Coriolus supplement for 45 days. Patients were given 3 grams for fifteen days and then 1.5 grams for the next thirty days. Dr. Monro monitored the Natural Killer Cell (NK) activity levels during the study. After 45 days, Dr. Monro concluded that Coriolus significantly increased NK cell activity in CFS patients. An increase in NK cell activity appears to be helpful for boosting the immune system.

Reishi mushrooms are capable, according to the scientific community, of resolving a broad spectrum of illnesses by affecting a number of organ systems. Tremendous potential exists for any individual wishing to elevate their health status through the addition of dietary supplementation with Reishi mushrooms. Reishi mushrooms have a history going back to over 4000 years, when they were considered to be a superior herb that improved health, resistance, longevity, energy and memory. The reishi mushroom, called the ganoderma lucidum by Asian rulers, was seek out by the members of their court .This herb of longevity was named Reishi by the Japanese and, in China and Korea, it is known as Ling Chu, meaning the mushrooms of immortality. The Chinese thought of them as the elixir of life. The Romans considered Reishi mushrooms as the food of the Gods. The benefits of Reishi mushrooms have been recorded throughout time as far back as 206 B.C. Reishi was associated with happiness, good health and longevity. Reishi was entrenched in ancient Chinese culture as shown in many fairy tales. Many Oriental civilizations have realized the amazing health inducing benefits associated with certain mushrooms and yet in Western civilization they are relatively unknown.

Therapeutic properties of Reishi

The scientific community did not start investigate the therapeutic properties of mushrooms until the early 1970s. There was not enough standardized Reishi to conduct experimental evaluation of the properties before researchers at Kyoto University initiated controlled cultivation of the mushroom. An interesting discovery occurred when the researchers found that the six colour variations of Reishi were one species. It was found out that all six colours could be grown from the same gene. It was found that Reishi mushrooms possess bio-active, anti-tumour and immune system stimulating abilities including anti-allergic, anticancer and antiviral value. As an adaptogenic agent Reishi mushrooms are capable of resolving a broad spectrum of illnesses by affecting a number of organ systems.

Beneficial health effects of Reishi

After analyzing the bio-active components of Reishi, the researchers concluded that it would be difficult to find a more complete or potent immune enhancing supplement. In fact, reishi mushroom has the ability to restore the efficacy of the cytokine system and greatly enhances NK (Natural Killer) cell activity. Case studies have found it to enable the immune system to deal favorably with a broad range of autoimmune disorders when used in conjunction with dietary and detoxification modifications. Reishi has also shown to be beneficial with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), improving circulation, decreasing serum cholesterol, decreasing serum glucose (anti-diabetic) and relieving the nausea of cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As mentioned above, reishi mushrooms have the ability to stimulate natural killer cells, to improve immune function and to combat viral infection.

According to Wasser and Weis, in a paper published in 1999, the Reishi mushroom has been documented to possess many medical properties. Among those are, anti-inflammatory, antitumour, antiviral, antibacterial, blood pressure regulation, protection of the liver, chronic bronchitis etc.
It is obvious that tremendous potential exists for any individual wishing to elevate their health status through the addition of dietary supplementation with Reishi mushrooms Thousands of researches on Reishi mushrooms and plenty of authors have corroborated their findings.The future looms bright for advances in health with the use of Reishi supplementation. The diverse positive effects of Reishi are still being researched. For example, in a recent paper by Dr. H. Fujiwara, it was concluded that stamina for running distance and endurance was significantly increased by the use of ganoderma extracts.
Reishi can contribute to keep the immune system intact and to avoid all kind of human illnesses and diseases.