Reishi Benefits and Side Effects
zhion@zhion.com
zhion@zhion.com
Reishi [Lingzhi, Ganoderma lucidum] mushroom is a popular supplement with an
impressive array of reputed health benefits. Reishi mushrooms grow wild on
decaying logs and tree stumps in the coastal provinces of China. Reishi mushroom
grows in six different colors, but the red reishi is the popular. Reishi has been shown
to have benefits on variuos conditions such as general fatigue and weakness,
asthma, insomnia, and cough for thousand years. Reishi's Chinese name ling zhi
means the herb of spiritual potency. Reishi contains sterols, coumarin, mannitol,
polysaccharides, and triterpenoids [ganoderic acids].
HEALTH BENEFITS AND SIDE EFFECTS OF REISHI; RESEARCH FINDS
Antioxidative activities
Reishi [Ganoderma Lucidum] mushroom extract demonstrated anti-oxidative
activities against heart toxicity in mice in a dose-dependent manner. [Wong KL et al
Antioxidant activity of ganoderma lucidum (reishi) in acute ethanol-induced heart toxicity.
Phytother Res. 2004 Dec;18(12):1024-6.]
Immunocompetence
Reishi was safe to horses with respect to the CBC and blood biochemistry data after
the reishi dosing. Reishi (ganoderma lucidum) increased the percentage of CD5+,
CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes and the amount of specific antibody production in
horses. [Lai SW et al, Influence of ganoderma lucidum on blood biochemistry and
immunocompetence in horses. Am J Chin Med. 2004;32(6):931-40.]
A fraction (F3) of a reishi polysaccharide extract was shown to activate the expression
of IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, GM-CSF, G-CSF and M-CSF. [Chen HS et
al, Studies on the immuno-modulating and anti-tumor activities of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)
polysaccharides. Bioorg Med Chem. 2004 Nov 1;12(21):5595-601]
Blood pressure, LDL and Coronary artery disease
Ganoderic acids (of reishi) may lower blood pressure and LDL (the bad cholesterol}.
These specific triterpenoids may also help reduce blood platelets from sticking
together -an important factor in lowering the risk for coronary artery disease. Two
controlled clinical trials have shown that reishi could lower high blood pressure
significantly . [The people with hypertension in the second study had previously not responded to
medications, though these were continued during the study. Kammatsuse K, Kajiware N, Hayashi
K. Studies on Ganoderma lucidum: I. Efficacy against hypertension and side effects. Yakugaku
Zasshi 1985;105:531–3. Jin H, Zhang G, Cao X, et al. Treatment of hypertension by ling zhi
combined with hypotensor and its effects on arterial, arteriolar and capillary pressure and
microcirculation. In: Nimmi H, Xiu RJ, Sawada T, Zheng C. (eds). Microcirculatory Approach to
Asian Traditional Medicine. New York: Elsevier Science, 1996, 131–8.]
Altitude sickness and Hepatitis B
Reishi may have some efficacy in treating altitude sickness and chronic hepatitis B.
[Hobbs C. Medicinal Mushrooms. Santa Cruz, CA: Botanica Press, 1995, 96–107]
Glomerulosclerosis
Reishi [ganoderma lucidum] may suppress endothelial cell cytotoxicity and
proteinuria in 14 patients of glomerulosclerosis.Futrakul N et al, Ganoderma lucidum
suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental
glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosis, Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2004;31(4):267-72.
Diabetes Mellitus
Reishi may have some benefits for people suffered from diabetes mellitus. [Jones K.
Reishi mushroom: Ancient medicine in modern times. Alt Compl Ther 1998;4:256–66 [review].]
Zhang HN and Lin ZB, Peking University, Beijing, investigated the hypoglycemic effect
of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (reishi extract) in the normal fasted mice and
the possible mechanism. They found that reishi extract could lower the glucose level
in a dose-dependent manner however the reishi extract had no effect on islets insulin
content. [Zhang HN et al, Hypoglycemic effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides, Acta
Pharmacol Sin. 2004 Feb;25(2):191-5]
Cancer
Reishi has been shown to have potiential benefits on the treatment or prevention of
certain cancers. Reshishi has demonstrated anticancer activities in experiments
with cancer cells. [Sliva D, Methodist Research Institute, IN, Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi) in
cancer treatment, Integr Cancer Ther. 2003 Dec;2(4):358-64.]
A Japanese research group extracted triterpene acid, lucidenic acid P (1a), and two
triterpene acid methyl esters, methyl lucidenates P (1b) and Q (2b) from the fruiting
body of the fungus Ganoderma lucidum (reishi). All of the compounds from reishi
extracted showed potent inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen
induction (96-100% inhibition at 1 x 10(3) mol ratio/TPA). [Lucidenic acids P and Q,
methyl lucidenate P, and other triterpenoids from the fungus Ganoderma lucidum (reishi) and their
inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus activation. J Nat Prod. 2003 Dec;66(12):1582-5]
Colon cancer Hong KJ et al, Texas Tech University, found that reishi extract causes
no cytotoxicity in human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells at doses less than 10000
microg/ml. Increasing concentrations of reishi extract reduced prostaglandin E2
production, but increased nitric oxide production. Together with other data, reishi
extract has been shown to have pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory functions, as
well as inhibitory effects on cytokine expression during early inflammation in colonic
carcinoma cells. [Effects of Ganoderma lucidum on apoptotic and anti-inflammatory function in
HT-29 human colonic carcinoma cells. Phytother Res. 2004 Sep;18(9):768-70.]
Breast Cancer Reishi (ganoderma lucidum) inhibited proliferation of breast cancer
MDA-MB-231 cells by downregulating Akt/NF-kappaB signaling. [Jiang J et al,
Ganoderma lucidum suppresses growth of breast cancer cells through the inhibition of Akt/NF-
kappaB signaling. Nutr Cancer. 2004;49(2):209-16.]
Prostate Cancer Reishi inhibits cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent
manner by the down-regulation of expression of cyclin B and Cdc2 and by the up-
regulation of p21 expression for the human prostate caner cells PC-3. The reishi
inhibition of the cancer cell growth was also demonstrated by cell cycle arrest at G2/M
phase. [Jiang J et al, Ganoderma lucidum inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human
prostate cancer cells PC-3, Int J Oncol. 2004 May;24(5):1093-9]
Ulcer
New Zealead researchers observed the anti-ulcer activities of reishi on the rat. They
extracted the water-soluble polysaccharide from reishi mushroom (ganoderma
lucidum) and inhibited the indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal lesions
successfully in rats with the reishi extracts. [Gao Y et al, Ganoderma lucidum
polysaccharide fractions accelerate healing of acetic acid0induced ulcers in rates. J Med Food.
2004 Winter;7(4):417-21]
________________________________________________
DOSE
Reishi can be taken either as 1.5 grams per day of the crude dried mushroom, 1-1.5
grams per day in powdered form.[Hobbs C. Medicinal Mushrooms. Santa Cruz, CA: Botanica
Press, 1995, 96–107]
SIDE EFFECTS
Side effects from reishi can include dizziness, dry mouth and throat, nosebleeds, and
abdominal upset.
Commercial Reishi Products
Unicity Bio-Reishi Coffee-claimed to be enriched with the purest form of Ganoderma
(reishi) extract. Unicity Bio-Reishi Coffee contains 20 sachets in a box.
Lingzhi Black Coffee-claimed to contain premium black coffee, ganoderma extract (i.
e. reishi extract) and artificial sweetener. Price $9.99 (21g X20 sacs) at Econoherbs.
Lingzhi Roasted Coffee (Zhi Café) -claimed to contain coffee beans and
ganoderma (i.e. reishi). Price $8.99 (6g X20 sacs) at Econoherbs.
Amato Instant Reishi Tea – claimed to contain Unsaturated fatty acids,
polysaccharides, ß-D-glucan, Ergosterol, Pro vitamin D2, Carotene, Minerals,
complete proteins. Price $43 (3g X 30 sachets) at kyotan
How do other web-site publishers describe reishi?
Reishi (Ganoderma) is a magical herbal medicine from the Mysterious East. Reishi
Ganoderma is the highest grade of mushroom in the world of fungi. For centuries, the
Chinese regard it as "The King of All Herbs" [Unicitypinoy, May 13, 2005]
Wild Reishi is extremely rare. Only a small quantity of reishi can be found on a hill.
Due to damage by insects and weather, the quality of wild Reishi is unpredictable.
And, the dried mushrooms may not have the potency of the fresh mushroom. [coffee-
reishi.blogspot.com, May 15, 2005]
Ganoderma lucidum is the scientific name for Red Mushrooms, and is said to be
more powerful than Ginseng. Known as the "Miraculous King of Herbs", it is called
Lingzhi in China; Reishi in Japan and Youngchi in Korea. [kayted.com/gano, May 15,
2005]
HOME
LINKS: reishi benefits, reishi gano, reishi ganoderma, reishi mushroom coffee, reishi
mushroom extract(s), reishi mushroom tea, reishi mushroom, reishi research, reishi
side effects.
This Article is for your reference only. You should consult your doctor
for any questions. All rights reserved 2008.
impressive array of reputed health benefits. Reishi mushrooms grow wild on
decaying logs and tree stumps in the coastal provinces of China. Reishi mushroom
grows in six different colors, but the red reishi is the popular. Reishi has been shown
to have benefits on variuos conditions such as general fatigue and weakness,
asthma, insomnia, and cough for thousand years. Reishi's Chinese name ling zhi
means the herb of spiritual potency. Reishi contains sterols, coumarin, mannitol,
polysaccharides, and triterpenoids [ganoderic acids].
HEALTH BENEFITS AND SIDE EFFECTS OF REISHI; RESEARCH FINDS
Antioxidative activities
Reishi [Ganoderma Lucidum] mushroom extract demonstrated anti-oxidative
activities against heart toxicity in mice in a dose-dependent manner. [Wong KL et al
Antioxidant activity of ganoderma lucidum (reishi) in acute ethanol-induced heart toxicity.
Phytother Res. 2004 Dec;18(12):1024-6.]
Immunocompetence
Reishi was safe to horses with respect to the CBC and blood biochemistry data after
the reishi dosing. Reishi (ganoderma lucidum) increased the percentage of CD5+,
CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes and the amount of specific antibody production in
horses. [Lai SW et al, Influence of ganoderma lucidum on blood biochemistry and
immunocompetence in horses. Am J Chin Med. 2004;32(6):931-40.]
A fraction (F3) of a reishi polysaccharide extract was shown to activate the expression
of IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, GM-CSF, G-CSF and M-CSF. [Chen HS et
al, Studies on the immuno-modulating and anti-tumor activities of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)
polysaccharides. Bioorg Med Chem. 2004 Nov 1;12(21):5595-601]
Blood pressure, LDL and Coronary artery disease
Ganoderic acids (of reishi) may lower blood pressure and LDL (the bad cholesterol}.
These specific triterpenoids may also help reduce blood platelets from sticking
together -an important factor in lowering the risk for coronary artery disease. Two
controlled clinical trials have shown that reishi could lower high blood pressure
significantly . [The people with hypertension in the second study had previously not responded to
medications, though these were continued during the study. Kammatsuse K, Kajiware N, Hayashi
K. Studies on Ganoderma lucidum: I. Efficacy against hypertension and side effects. Yakugaku
Zasshi 1985;105:531–3. Jin H, Zhang G, Cao X, et al. Treatment of hypertension by ling zhi
combined with hypotensor and its effects on arterial, arteriolar and capillary pressure and
microcirculation. In: Nimmi H, Xiu RJ, Sawada T, Zheng C. (eds). Microcirculatory Approach to
Asian Traditional Medicine. New York: Elsevier Science, 1996, 131–8.]
Altitude sickness and Hepatitis B
Reishi may have some efficacy in treating altitude sickness and chronic hepatitis B.
[Hobbs C. Medicinal Mushrooms. Santa Cruz, CA: Botanica Press, 1995, 96–107]
Glomerulosclerosis
Reishi [ganoderma lucidum] may suppress endothelial cell cytotoxicity and
proteinuria in 14 patients of glomerulosclerosis.Futrakul N et al, Ganoderma lucidum
suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental
glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosis, Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2004;31(4):267-72.
Diabetes Mellitus
Reishi may have some benefits for people suffered from diabetes mellitus. [Jones K.
Reishi mushroom: Ancient medicine in modern times. Alt Compl Ther 1998;4:256–66 [review].]
Zhang HN and Lin ZB, Peking University, Beijing, investigated the hypoglycemic effect
of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (reishi extract) in the normal fasted mice and
the possible mechanism. They found that reishi extract could lower the glucose level
in a dose-dependent manner however the reishi extract had no effect on islets insulin
content. [Zhang HN et al, Hypoglycemic effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides, Acta
Pharmacol Sin. 2004 Feb;25(2):191-5]
Cancer
Reishi has been shown to have potiential benefits on the treatment or prevention of
certain cancers. Reshishi has demonstrated anticancer activities in experiments
with cancer cells. [Sliva D, Methodist Research Institute, IN, Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi) in
cancer treatment, Integr Cancer Ther. 2003 Dec;2(4):358-64.]
A Japanese research group extracted triterpene acid, lucidenic acid P (1a), and two
triterpene acid methyl esters, methyl lucidenates P (1b) and Q (2b) from the fruiting
body of the fungus Ganoderma lucidum (reishi). All of the compounds from reishi
extracted showed potent inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen
induction (96-100% inhibition at 1 x 10(3) mol ratio/TPA). [Lucidenic acids P and Q,
methyl lucidenate P, and other triterpenoids from the fungus Ganoderma lucidum (reishi) and their
inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus activation. J Nat Prod. 2003 Dec;66(12):1582-5]
Colon cancer Hong KJ et al, Texas Tech University, found that reishi extract causes
no cytotoxicity in human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells at doses less than 10000
microg/ml. Increasing concentrations of reishi extract reduced prostaglandin E2
production, but increased nitric oxide production. Together with other data, reishi
extract has been shown to have pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory functions, as
well as inhibitory effects on cytokine expression during early inflammation in colonic
carcinoma cells. [Effects of Ganoderma lucidum on apoptotic and anti-inflammatory function in
HT-29 human colonic carcinoma cells. Phytother Res. 2004 Sep;18(9):768-70.]
Breast Cancer Reishi (ganoderma lucidum) inhibited proliferation of breast cancer
MDA-MB-231 cells by downregulating Akt/NF-kappaB signaling. [Jiang J et al,
Ganoderma lucidum suppresses growth of breast cancer cells through the inhibition of Akt/NF-
kappaB signaling. Nutr Cancer. 2004;49(2):209-16.]
Prostate Cancer Reishi inhibits cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent
manner by the down-regulation of expression of cyclin B and Cdc2 and by the up-
regulation of p21 expression for the human prostate caner cells PC-3. The reishi
inhibition of the cancer cell growth was also demonstrated by cell cycle arrest at G2/M
phase. [Jiang J et al, Ganoderma lucidum inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in human
prostate cancer cells PC-3, Int J Oncol. 2004 May;24(5):1093-9]
Ulcer
New Zealead researchers observed the anti-ulcer activities of reishi on the rat. They
extracted the water-soluble polysaccharide from reishi mushroom (ganoderma
lucidum) and inhibited the indomethacin-induced gastric mucosal lesions
successfully in rats with the reishi extracts. [Gao Y et al, Ganoderma lucidum
polysaccharide fractions accelerate healing of acetic acid0induced ulcers in rates. J Med Food.
2004 Winter;7(4):417-21]
________________________________________________
DOSE
Reishi can be taken either as 1.5 grams per day of the crude dried mushroom, 1-1.5
grams per day in powdered form.[Hobbs C. Medicinal Mushrooms. Santa Cruz, CA: Botanica
Press, 1995, 96–107]
SIDE EFFECTS
Side effects from reishi can include dizziness, dry mouth and throat, nosebleeds, and
abdominal upset.
Commercial Reishi Products
Unicity Bio-Reishi Coffee-claimed to be enriched with the purest form of Ganoderma
(reishi) extract. Unicity Bio-Reishi Coffee contains 20 sachets in a box.
Lingzhi Black Coffee-claimed to contain premium black coffee, ganoderma extract (i.
e. reishi extract) and artificial sweetener. Price $9.99 (21g X20 sacs) at Econoherbs.
Lingzhi Roasted Coffee (Zhi Café) -claimed to contain coffee beans and
ganoderma (i.e. reishi). Price $8.99 (6g X20 sacs) at Econoherbs.
Amato Instant Reishi Tea – claimed to contain Unsaturated fatty acids,
polysaccharides, ß-D-glucan, Ergosterol, Pro vitamin D2, Carotene, Minerals,
complete proteins. Price $43 (3g X 30 sachets) at kyotan
How do other web-site publishers describe reishi?
Reishi (Ganoderma) is a magical herbal medicine from the Mysterious East. Reishi
Ganoderma is the highest grade of mushroom in the world of fungi. For centuries, the
Chinese regard it as "The King of All Herbs" [Unicitypinoy, May 13, 2005]
Wild Reishi is extremely rare. Only a small quantity of reishi can be found on a hill.
Due to damage by insects and weather, the quality of wild Reishi is unpredictable.
And, the dried mushrooms may not have the potency of the fresh mushroom. [coffee-
reishi.blogspot.com, May 15, 2005]
Ganoderma lucidum is the scientific name for Red Mushrooms, and is said to be
more powerful than Ginseng. Known as the "Miraculous King of Herbs", it is called
Lingzhi in China; Reishi in Japan and Youngchi in Korea. [kayted.com/gano, May 15,
2005]
HOME
LINKS: reishi benefits, reishi gano, reishi ganoderma, reishi mushroom coffee, reishi
mushroom extract(s), reishi mushroom tea, reishi mushroom, reishi research, reishi
side effects.
This Article is for your reference only. You should consult your doctor
for any questions. All rights reserved 2008.
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