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Reishi mushroom

Mushrooms, like other fungi, stand apart from other plants by their lack of leaves, chlorophyll, flowers, and roots. So they cannot make their own food by the process known as photosynthesis. Therefore, they are obliged to draw nutrition from existing organic materials, and thus they attach themselves to a wide variety of objects such as living or dead plants, or even animals. They provide moderate amounts of minerals (calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium) along with modest amounts of vitamin Bs (thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin) and vitamin C. Extremely low in calories, mushrooms are fat-free. Studies have shown that mushrooms may favorably influence the immune system, with potential benefits in fighting cancer, infections, and such autoimmune diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. This effect may be related to the high content of glutamic acid, an amino acid that seems to be instrumental in fighting infections, and enhancing other immune functions. There are five types of mushrooms with proven medicinal benefits: Enoki, Oyster, Reishi, Shiitake, and Tree ear. Ganoderma is a polyporous fungus. It belongs to the class of Basidiomycetes, the family of Polypolaceae, and the genus of Ganoderma. Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi or Ling Zhi) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as anti-tumor and immnuo-modulating agent. It also exhibits liver protective, hypoglycemic and platelet aggregation-inhibiting activities.sup.1a, in addition to being effective in treating hypertension and neoplasia. The reishi mushroom eliminates cholesterol and other waste products in blood, and purifies blood. In addition, it has been known to have efficacy in disease of digestion system, disease of respiratory system, allergic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and acute/chronic liver trouble. Reishi mushrooms have been used in China and Japan for years as a medicine for liver disorders, hypertension, and arthritis, and researchers have found that reishi has anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and antioxidant properties. In vitro experiments also indicate that reishi may help fight cancer tumors. The polysaccharide compounds isolated from Ganoderma include beta-glucans and their protein complexes (such as xyloglucans and acidic beta-glucan-containing uronic acid, dietary fibers, lectins). The polysaccharides found in Ganoderma have been reported to possess anti-tumor and immune modulating effects.

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