July 25th, 2013 | Author: Master of Herbal Medicine, University of Sydney Australia.
The lingzhi or reishi mushroom (Traditional Chinese; pinyin: língzhī; Japanese: reishi; literally: "supernatural mushroom") encompasses several fungal species of the genus Ganoderma, and most commonly refers to the closely related species, Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma tsugae. G. lucidum enjoys special veneration in East Asia, where it has been used as a medicinal mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 4,000 years, making it one of the oldest mushrooms known to have been used medicinally. Because of lingzhi's presumed health benefits and apparent absence of side-effects, it has attained a reputation in the East as the ultimate herbal substance. Lingzhi is listed in the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium.
Ganoderma is prescribed by medical practitioners as it is sought to enhance the immune system support.
An increasingly popular natural remedy, ganoderma is used only as a medicinal mushroom and is not recommended for cooking.
Ganoderma Lucidum, also known as Lingzhi (Chinese) or Reishi (Japanese) is a type of Mushroom that has been used for thousands of years throughout Asia, for its beneficial
effects on our ability to maintain or improve health.
Since the commercial use of this mushroom in capsule form, it is now used by over 10 million people world wide.
Ganoderma Lucidum is a select plant that is loaded with a wide range of superior nutrition for the body cells. Some of the most important are:
Polysaccharides: Beta-D-Glucan, FA, F1, F1-1a, D-6, A, B, C-2, D,
G-A Betaglucan, G-Z
Organic Germanium (6000 ppm in the Ganocelium or GL)
Anti-Oxidants (very high - around 23,000 I.U's.)
Adenosine
Vitamin C and B Vitamins + Other Vitamins, Minerals,
Various Enzymes and Essential Fatty Acids
Complete Proteins and Glycoproteins
Selenium, Iron, Calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper, potassium
110 Amino Acids - including ALL Esssential Amino Acids
Triterpenes and Triterpenoids - up to 137 types including six types of cytotoxic triterpenes. .
Ganoderic acids: B, D, F, H, K, Mf, R, S, T-1O, Y
Ganodermadiol, Ganoderiol F, Ganodosterone,
Ganodermanontriol, Ganoderic acid B, Ganodermadiol,
Ganodelan A and B, Lanostan,
Lucidadiol, Lucidenic acid B, Applanoxidic acid G.
Plant Sterols, Ergosterol, Alkaloids, Nucleotides,
Lingzhi 8, Uridine, Urasil, Pantothenic acid.
Canthaxanthin, lipids, protein, fibre, carbohydrates, volotile oil , Riboblavin,
Coumarin, Mannitol , Oleic Acid, RNA, Cyclooctosulphur
Rich in a number of complex phyto-chemicals; including Ergosterol, Ergosteroids, Fumaric acid, Aminoglucose and Lactones.
Ganoderma lucidum is the only known source of a group of triterpenes, known as ganoderic acids, It is a source of biologically active polysaccharides with presumed medicinal properties, and it also contains:
ergosterol
coumarin
mannitol
lactones
alkaloids
unsaturated fatty acids
" Ganoderma Helps the body Improve overall Well Being"
Using Ganoderma For Health
Ganoderma is available in capsules and tea, both of which can be found at health food stores.
Sources
Ajith TA, K Janardhanan K. "Indian medicinal mushrooms as a source of antioxidant and antitumor agents." Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition 2007 40(3):157-62.
Chen WQ, Luo SH, Ll HZ, Yang H. "Effects of ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides on serum lipids and lipoperoxidation in experimental hyperlipidemic rats." Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 2005 30(17):1358-60.
Gao Y, Zhou S, Jiang W, Huang M, Dai X. "Effects of ganopoly (a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract) on the immune functions in advanced-stage cancer patients." Immunological Investigations 2003 32(3):201-15.
Liu YH, Tsai CF, Kao MC, Lai YL, Tsai JJ. "Effectiveness of Dp2 nasal therapy for Dp2- induced airway inflammation in mice: using oral Ganoderma lucidum as an immunomodulator." Journal of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infection 2003 36(4):236-42.
Noguchi M, Kakuma T, Tomiyasu K, Yamada A, Itoh K, Konishi F, Kumamoto S, Shimizu K, Kondo R, Matsuoka K. "Randomized clinical trial of an ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptoms." Asian Journal of Andrology 2008 10(5):777-85.
Thyagarajan A, Zhu J, Sliva D. "Combined effect of green tea and Ganoderma lucidum on invasive behavior of breast cancer cells." International Journal of Oncology 2007 30(4):963-9.
Wachtel-Galor S, Szeto YT, Tomlinson B, Benzie IF. "Ganoderma lucidum ('Lingzhi'); acute and short-term biomarker response to supplementation." International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 2004 55(1):75-83.
Wachtel-Galor S, Tomlinson B, Benzie IF. "Ganoderma lucidum ("Lingzhi"), a Chinese medicinal mushroom: biomarker responses in a controlled human supplementation study." The British Journal of Nutrition 2004 91(2):263-9.