Reishi mushroom has been used to treat:
- Normal sleep
- High altitude stress
- Cardiac and liver tonic
- Immune system health
The immune enhancing effects of reishi mushroom are thought to be largely due to the
polysaccharides. The polysaccharides are composed of individual sugar molecules, chained
together to form a sugar layer.
Recently, researchers at Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai Tumor Hospital, and
Shanghai Chung San Hospital have independently isolated from the Reishi mushroom a few
species of polysaccharides which have subsequently been shown in clinical studies to
support normal cell division.
Other Chinese researchers have also found in animal studies, that Reishi can increase
immunoglobulins and enhance the phagocytotic activities of macrophages.
In pharmacognosy, Reishi mushroom is actually the powder inside the spores of the fungus
Lingzhi which are formed as Ling-zi matures. The powder collected from these spores, the
essence of Reishi, consists of 18.5% high quality protein, with all 9 essential amino
acids included, plus a combination of natural vitamins and critical trace elements
essential for the proper functioning of the immune system, the remainder being
polysaccharides. |