| Hailed in ancient Eastern medicine as the
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| | cholesterol from the blood, lower blood
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| "mushroom of immortality" and the
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| | pressure, reduce platelet stickiness and
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| "medicine of kings," you'd expect reishi
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| | even help correct arrhythmia. In fact,
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| to offer you some pretty astounding
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| | for 54 people with hypertension
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| health benefits, right? Your assumptions
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| | unresponsive to medication, taking reishi
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| are correct. This prized fungus may be
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| | extract three times a day for four weeks
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| able to boost your immune system, fight
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| | was enough to significantly lower blood
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| cancer, ward off heart disease, calm your
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| | pressure, according to a study reported
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| nerves and relieve both allergies and
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| | by Burton Goldberg in "Heart Disease."
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| inflammation.
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| | Just imagine how the incidence of
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| "Reishi indeed sounds like a cure-all,"
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| | cardiovascular disease could be reduced
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| writes Rebecca Wood in her book "New
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| | if using reishi really caught on in the
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| Whole Foods Encyclopedia." She goes on to
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| | Western hemisphere.
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| explain reishi's wide range of uses: "An
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| | While you protect your body against
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| immunostimulant, it is helpful for people
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| | infectious disease, cancer and heart
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| with AIDS, leaky-gut syndrome,
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| | disease, your use of reishi can also help
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| Epstein-Barr, chronic bronchitis and
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| | relieve your everyday discomforts. Do you
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| other infectious diseases. It is used as
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| | have allergies? Japanese researchers
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| an aid to sleep, as a diuretic, as a
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| | discovered that the lanostan in reishi
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| laxative and to lower cholesterol." It
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| | acts as a natural antihistamine. Do you
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| almost seems too good to be true.
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| | suffer from muscle aches or arthritis?
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| How can one fungus help the human body in
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| | Dr. William B. Stavinhoa of the
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| so many ways? Traditional Eastern medical
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| | University of Texas Health Science Center
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| science explains reishi's wide range of
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| | found that reishi is as powerful as five
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| medicinal applications better, perhaps,
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| | milligrams of hydrocortisone, but with
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| than mainstream medicine ever could.
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| | minimal side effects. What about anxiety
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| According to Eastern thought, the body
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| | or insomnia? According to "Mind Boosters"
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| needs to defend itself against threats to
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| | by Dr. Ray Sahelia, the reishi mushroom
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| its "equilibrium." These threats can be
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| | can calm the mind, as well as improve
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| physical, such as viruses and bacteria
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| | memory, concentration and focus. With all
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| that cause infection; emotional, such as
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| | these benefits, reishi truly is the
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| stressors that cause anxiety; or
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| | "medicine of kings."
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| energetic, in that they reduce alertness.
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| | Different types of reishi
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| Whatever the threat, reishi helps the
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| | Though there are six different types of
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| body maintain its defense against these
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| | reishi, all classified by color,
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| threats to its equilibrium, helping the
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| | herbalists generally call red reishi the
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| body to maintain balance. In this sense,
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| | most potent and medicinal variety, and
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| diseases like heart disease and cancer
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| | thus it is the most commonly used form of
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| mean that the body is out of balance,
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| | reishi in North America, Japan, China,
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| which is why an equilibrium-enhancing
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| | Taiwan and Korea. In the wild, the
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| remedy such as reishi can help so many
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| | mushroom grows on deciduous trees in
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| diverse ailments.
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| | heavily forested areas of China and
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| Skeptics can doubt the previous
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| | Japan, but it's now easily and widely
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| explanation as Taoist "mumbo jumbo," but
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| | cultivated commercially, so you don't
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| laboratory research proves many of
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| | have to venture into the forest to enjoy
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| reishi's medicinal applications. As Dr.
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| | the benefits of what "Herbal
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| Andrew Weil writes, reishi "has been the
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| | Medicine-Maker's Handbook" author James
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| subject of a surprising amount of
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| | Green calls a "remarkably beneficial
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| scientific research in Asia and the
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| | fungus for the human body."
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| West." Research shows that the
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| | However, keep in mind that reishi isn't
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| polysaccharide beta-1,3-D-glucan in
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| | exactly the kind of mushroom you'll want
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| reishi boosts the immune system by
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| | to put in your next salad, either. Since
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| raising the amount of macrophages
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| | it's more than 90 percent indigestible
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| T-cells, which has major implications for
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| | fiber, reishi has an extremely wood-like
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| people suffering from AIDS and other
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| | texture and to top it off, it's
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| immune system disorders.
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| | unpleasantly bitter. In spite of this
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| This immune-boosting action also works
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| | bitter flavor, many reishi enthusiasts
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| wonders in the prevention and treatment
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| | use ground reishi to make a
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| of cancer, as the T-cells are then able
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| | life-enhancing tea or even use the
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| to fight cancer cells more effectively.
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| | mushrooms in soups. For the less daring,
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| However, reishi may help the body defeat
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| | many health food stores offer reishi
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| cancer in not just one, but four ways. In
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| | capsules, tablets and extracts, and
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| addition to boosting the immune system,
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| | Japanese research suggests taking vitamin
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| the glucan in reishi helps immune cells
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| | C along with it may enhance reishi's
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| bind to tumor cells. Many experts believe
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| | medicinal effects.
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| that it also actually reduces the number
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| | So, how much reishi should you take? In
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| of cancerous cells, making it easier for
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| | the "Vitamin Bible for the Twenty-first
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| T-cells and macrophages to rid the body
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| | Century," vitamin expert Earl Mindell
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| of them. Another substance in reishi,
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| | advises an average dose of 100 milligrams
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| called canthaxanthin, slows down the
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| | of reishi extract daily to boost your
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| growth of tumors, according to
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| | immune system, reduce inflammation and
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| "Prescription for Dietary Wellness"
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| | ease joint pain. On the other hand, Dr.
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| author Phyllis A. Balch and other
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| | Linda B. White recommends up to three
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| experts. As a result of these amazing
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| | 1,000-milligram tablets up to three times
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| anti-cancer abilities, laboratory
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| | per day in her book "The Herbal
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| research and traditional medicinal usage
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| | Drugstore." Because of this wide range of
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| of reishi to fight cancer is so positive
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| | dosage suggestions and additional risks
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| that the Japanese government officially
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| | it might pose for pregnant or lactating
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| recognizes it as a cancer treatment.
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| | women (even though reishi has no known
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| Besides cancer, reishi can help and treat
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| | toxicity) you should check with a
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| another of America's top killers:
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| | physician, preferably a naturopath,
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| cardiovascular disease. The protection
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| | before adding reishi to your regimen.
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| reishi offers against heart disease and
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| | Similarly, you should be aware that
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| stroke is truly remarkable because it
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| | reishi does have some side effects,
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| helps prevent so many different risk
| |
| | including abdominal upset, dizziness,
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| factors, due to its high content of
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| | nose bleeds and dry mouth and throat,
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| heart-saving substances like sterols,
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| | according to "Natural Pharmacy" author
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| ganoderic acids, coumarin, mannitol and
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| | Schuyler W. Lininger. In other words,
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| polysaccharides. Experts believe that the
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| | it's up to you and your naturopath to
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| ganoderic acids in particular lower
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| | decide which dose of reishi is right for
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| triglyceride levels, remove excess
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| | you.
|
