Ganoderma Lucidum
REISHI MUSHROOM

The use of Ganoderma Lucidum as a dietary supplement has been documented in Chinese pharmacopoeia since approximately second century B.C. However, its rarity and long cultivation period meant that Ganoderma Lucidum health benefits were historically limited to royalty or aristocracy. In the 1970s, several successful methods of cultivating Ganoderma were finally developed and as a result, the natural supplement that was once exclusive to the wealthy is now readily available to the general public. Based on numerous cases of improvement shown in patients with serious illnesses such as cancer and hepatitis who used Ganoderma Lucidum products, a number of countries including China and the UK are now researching the medical applications of Ganoderma Lucidum more extensively.

Of particular interest to researchers is the exceptional concentration of polysaccharides – which have been linked to aiding cancer remission, normalizing blood-sugar levels, and strengthening the immune system – in high quality red Reishi "Ganoderma Lucidum" specimens. In fact, many of the most potent Reishi products in the market today are created from red Reishi.

In contrast with conventional symptom-based treatment methods that depend heavily on medications with significant side effects, Ganoderma Lucidum proponents claim that it bears the characteristics of a preventative adaptogen which serves to improve general health and body functions with no side-effects. Ginseng is currently more widely-used as an adaptogen in Western medicine than Ganoderma,, but both are categorized in traditional Chinese medicine texts as supplements with the greatest potential for medical efficacy. (Japan Reishi Association)

Immunosuppressants: Reishi can enhance the immune responses (2)
Chemotherapeutic Agents: Reishi can increase plasma antioxidant capacity (3)