The Benefits of Reishi, the Mushroom of Immortality

Reishi mushrooms aren’t your average mushrooms. You won’t find them gracing your next pizza or sandwiched between the patties of your next burger. They’re more than just toppings and garnishes —  they’re a superfood.

Reishi (pronounced REE-she), known in Chinese as lingzhi (spirit mushroom), and in English as the king of herbs, is a species of mushroom known for its many medicinal uses. It’s found in several East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and Korea.

For centuries, this tiny fungus has been used in traditional East Asian medicine to relieve stress and — according to Chinese medicine — stress-induced diseases, such as inflammation, fatigue, and other hormonal imbalances. It’s no wonder the mushroom’s Chinese name represents a combination of spirituality and immortality.

The mushroom’s properties aren’t just ancient myth either: Scientific studies show reishi’s antioxidant qualities help fight off cancer cells, heart disease, and allergies.

So what’s behind these fantastic fungi? Here’s a list of reishi’s many health benefits, and ways you can harness its age-defying properties for yourself.

Health benefits of reishi

Ancient Chinese medicine was way ahead of its time. Although medicine men didn’t know exactly what was inside king mushrooms, they knew of its healing properties. Traditionally, the mushroom was steeped to make a potent tea to heal many aliments. 

Thanks to science, we now know what makes this superfood tick: polysaccharides. Polysaccharides are sugar molecules (aka saccharides) that have bonded together to form a massive chain of sugar molecules. Think of them as your body’s security guards: they form a barrier between the environment and your healthy cells, keeping harmful pathogens away. These molecules are especially adept at keeping cancer cells from entering your body. Polysaccharides are found in almost all fungi, but they’re particularly potent in reishi. 

Reishi is also high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that help prevent oxidation, a chemical reaction where your body forms free radicals (imbalanced molecules) that attack healthy cells. Oxidants break down tissue, leading to many tissue-related diseases, such as liver disease, heart disease, brain disease, and prostate cancer.

Studies show the king of herbs can cure or prevent many diseases, including:

• inflammation
• fatigue
• frequent infections (e.g., urinary tract, bronchitis, respiratory infections)
• liver disease
• food allergies and asthma
• stomach ulcers
• tumor growth and cancer
• skin disorders
• arthritis
• diabetes
• viruses, including the flu, HIV/AIDS or hepatitis
• heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
• sleep disorders and insomnia
• anxiety and depression

Try immortality for yourself

Excited to taste the herb of youth yet? Modern medicine harnesses reishi’s power in many ways, including supplemental powder, pills, and extract. Consuming these mushrooms is as easy as stirring them into your morning tea or sprinkling some on your dinner. Try some of the best reishi products on the market here. 

Although you won’t achieve full immortality, reishi mushrooms will give your body a fighting chance against all the things that threaten it — and that’s just as good.

Have you eaten reishi? Leave a comment below!

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