What are the potential benefits of Reishi mushroom?

Boosting your immune system

Reishi has long been thought to boost the human immune system. In eastern medicine, Reishi Mushroom: Benefits and Considerations are still prescribed for this reason.

How does Reishi boost your immune system?
Several compounds have been found in Reishi that are thought to be responsible for the beneficial effects: Polysaccharides, peptides, triterpenoids and Beta-D-glucans. More research is needed to understand exactly what their individual effects are.

Calming the nerves

The second reason we love Reishi is because of the natural chill. Reishi’s calming effect is well documented, and Reishi may even help in reducing anxiety and overall restlessness.

Our preferred time of day for supplementing Reishi is along with our 4 o’clock cup of calming tea.

Helping you get a great night’s sleep

As we are all big believers in the power of sleep, we got very excited when we found out Reishi may actually help you fall asleep. Because of its effect on the nervous system, Reishi is thought to help prepare the body for sleep by relaxing the nerves and muscles.

Myth: Reishi is only beneficial after boiling.

During our research, we came across plenty of myths. Reishi psychoactive? Reishi unsafe? The worst we found is a belly ache if you eat too much.

We did find an interesting point on whether Reishi products need to be boiled or not in order to be effective. Our conclusion: they don’t.

Reishi’s traditional use has most often been in powder form, and although we agree that water extractions can allow for exciting new use cases, it does not follow that Reishi is only beneficial after boiling.

What are the downsides of using Reishi?

Reishi has several effects that should be considered before supplementing. Firstly, Reishi may increase the effectiveness of anticoagulants (blood thinners). As a result, we recommend you do not take Reishi supplements in the days leading up to a medical surgery. If you have a bleeding disorder, we also recommend you do not supplement Reishi.

Reishi mushrooms may also lower blood pressure. If you suffer from low blood pressure or are taking blood pressure medications, you may want to avoid taking Reishi supplements.

If you are taking immunosuppressive medications, we also recommend you don’t take Reishi as it may change the effectiveness of those medications.

Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are also recommended not to supplement Reishi. As always, consult your doctor if you have any questions about the suitability of Reishi supplementation for yourself or your loved ones.

Conclusion

We think Reishi is an excellent natural supplement that can be safely considered by most people. The possible benefits are rich and varied, and the history of use mostly demonstrates it is safe.

Sources

• Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi), A Medicinal Mushroom – link
• Probing Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (higher Basidiomycetes): a bitter mushroom with amazing health benefits – link

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