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