The medicinal tradition of the Asiatic cultures has used wild plants for treating physical and psychological ailments for centuries. Fungi happen to be one of their most powerful tools, but why buy a reishi mushroom extract?
It is a fungus classified as Ganoderma lucidum and grows in the wild in various locations throughout Asia.
It can be eaten directly from the forest floor, but today it is industrially grown and prepared into a powdered and tinctured forms.
It has been heralded as the “king” of edible fungi and is often referred to as a superfood. Superfood is a general term signifying a plants numerous and multifaceted health benefits.
It has been so revered in traditional Asiatic medicine that it is featured in many works of art, including tapestries, paintings, pottery, and even on the silk robes of emperors.
It has also been called a fungus of “immortality” because its health benefits greatly improve a person’s longevity and physical potency even into advanced ages.
It is considered a type of “fountain of youth” and has been a staple in the diet of wealthy aristocrats for the recorded duration of Japanese, Korean and Chinese history.
While its value has been known for at least 2000 years, modern scientific research has gone on to find that it has over 900 active compounds that revitalize a variety of bodily processes.
One of its most powerful attributes is its adaptogenic qualities, meaning it helps with reducing inflammation, low energy levels, stress-related anxiety, and treating various causes of hormonal imbalances.
Adaptogens have powerful antioxidant properties, which is the ability to oxidize or eliminate free radicals in the body which, over time, can lead to more serious diseases such as cancer, infectious tumors, and heart disease.
Reishi mushroom extract benefits
When ingested pure from the wild, they can have a bitter taste along with a very tough and woody texture.
In Asia it has traditionally been collected, dried, and then cut into slices and boiled in hot water and steeped into a tea.
The industrial preparation involves boiling the fungus multiple times under high pressure in order to allow for the active ingredients to be extracted into a liquid tincture.
But the method of drying them and grounding them into a powder has become more popular because of its less intensive preparation process, and is relatively easier when shipping internationally.
All fungi have two central components, the fruiting body and the mycelium. The fruiting body is what we see above ground, while the mycelium are the “roots” of the fungus.
The fruiting body typically contains most of the active compounds that give the health benefits, while the mycelium contains far less nutritious elements.
Ganoderma lucidum follows this pattern, and some companies will create products from the mycelium instead of the fruiting body.
So proper research needs to be conducted with every company because the health benefits will be far less if the company is primarily using the mycelium in order to maximize their profits.
But in either case of preparation, the health benefits have proven to be far-reaching. Here are some of its primary and most powerful benefits:
Anti-Cancer and Anti-Tumor Properties
Not only does this fungi contain cancer fighting compounds such as antioxidants, amino acids and beta-glucans, but it is also rich in a special class of nutrients called polysaccharides.
These are water-soluble compounds that are also found in some carbohydrate foods, such as sweet potatoes and beets.
They help to modulate immune responses and block certain DNA-mutations, which is the root cause of why tumors and cancers form.
They also contain triterpene compounds, which prevent cancerous cells from attaching to endothelial cells.
The presence of polysaccharides and triterpene make this one of the most powerful anti-cancer substances known and available on the market.
Aids Liver Detoxification Process
The liver is responsible for removing foreign substances from our bodies, such as bacteria, free radicals, and other toxins.
It is our detoxifying organ, and these powerful superfood fungi have been shown to help the liver flush out these toxic substances more efficiently, which greatly reduces the likelihood of liver disease.
Balances Hormones
When our endocrine system and its chemical messengers are even slightly out of balance we will feel both psychological and physical effects.
The adaptogenic quality of these fungi actively work to normalize the receptor functions in the endocrine glands, as well as in cells throughout our body, that help to stabilize some of the body’s most important hormones.
Although these studies have been mostly done on animals, they present very promising and hopeful results that help to explain the psychological boosts that people feel when they regularly ingest these legendary fungi.
How to make reishi mushroom extract
The active compounds in these fungi are both water-soluble and alcohol-soluble, and a thorough processing using both methods have been shown to present the best results.
The triterpenes can only be extracted with an alcohol solution, and a recent study by US Pharmacopeia showed that the contents of the majority of products on the market were not as potent as described: only half of the products actually contained triterpenes.
This is important because triterpenes are one of the most powerful ingredients in the fungus, and are what gives its bitter taste.
So to test if your product contains triterpenes, put a small amount on your tongue and see how bitter it is – the more bitter, the more potent.
Reishi mushroom extract powder
Once you have determined that your product is of the highest quality and potency, the next step is finding the best method for you to enjoy it.
One of the simplest ways is to boil a pot of hot water, add a teaspoon of your powdered formula into a cup, and stir together with the hot water.
This is the easiest method and is very close to the ancient method, where whole portions of the flowering body was cut and boiled directly into the hot water.
The recommended amount is 3 grams per serving, and is best prepared during the evening when the body is winding down and relaxing.
This promotes the active compounds to operate when the body is not expending energy on other daily activities.
The ancient Asian cultures have given these fungi their highest respect for centuries, and modern scientific studies have solidly verified the medicinal uses.
So why buy a reishi mushroom extract? It is an excellent combination of ancient medicinal wisdom and contemporary scientific evidence. What more could you ask for?
