Ganoderma lucidum, also known as reishi and ling zhi, is a polypore mushroom that grows on the side of trees, including both coniferous and hardwood species. Used in traditional Chinese medicine since the 4th century A.D., ganoderma reputedly has a wide array of medicinal properties, which modern scientists have studied extensively, although primarily in laboratory and animal testing. Consult your doctor before self-treating with ganoderma or any other herbal remedy.
Composition
Ganoderma fungi appear in a variety of colors in nature, including black, blue, purple, red, white and yellow, of which the red and black varieties -- particularly the former -- appear to have the most potent medicinal properties. Analyses of the ganoderma mushrooms have found that the most active ingredients in the mushrooms include water-soluble polysaccharides, amino acids, proteins, triterpenes and triterpenoids, according to Reishi.com. Of these, the polysaccharides appear to be the most active element, endowing the ganoderma with antihypertensive and anti-tumor properties as well as immune-modulating effects. Also medically significant are the triterpenes, which have antihistaminic properties and also seem to improve liver function and oxygen utilization.
Anticarcinogenic Properties
Based on traditional Chinese medicine's widespread use of ganoderma in fighting ailments related to suppressed immune function, a team of U.S. researchers launched an in-vitro study of ganoderma extracts against human colorectal cancer cells. Researchers evaluated two different ganoderma extracts: one containing primarily polysaccharides and a second consisting of triterpenoids and no polysaccharides. In an article in the March 2006 issue of "Experimental Oncology," scientists reported both extracts significantly inhibited the growth of cancer cells, although the triterpenoid extract showed the greater effect. Both extracts demonstrated potent antioxidant properties.
Cholesterol-Lowering Properties
Ganoderma shows promise as a cholesterol-lowering agent, based on animal and laboratory studies conducted by a team of U.S. and European researchers. Ganoderma extracts of varying strength were tested in hamsters and mini-pigs, as well as in vitro. Testing of a 5 percent ganoderma extract in hamsters produced no decrease of low-density lipoprotein -- the so-called bad cholesterol -- but it reduced total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein levels by 9.8 and 11.2 percent, respectively. However, in mini-pigs, a 2.5 percent ganoderma extract lowered cholesterol across the board, dropping total cholesterol, LDL and HDL levels by 20, 27 and 18 percent, respectively. In reporting their findings in the February 2004 issue of "Lipids in Health and Disease," researchers predicted the addition of ganoderma "to new cholesterol-lowering foods and medicines, alone, and in combination with other established cholesterol-lowering ingredients and drugs."
Antioxidant Properties
Taiwanese researchers compared the antioxidant properties of three medicinal mushroom varieties, including two strains of ganoderma -- lucidum and tsugae -- and Coriolus versicolor. Extracts of varying strengths were evaluated for their comparative phenol content, as well as their reducing power, scavenging and chelating abilities. In an article published in the September 2002 issue of the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," researchers reported that extracts from the two ganoderma species showed significant antioxidant properties, consistently outperforming the Coriolus versicolor. Despite the growing claims for ganoderma's medicinal properties, it is strongly recommended that you consult a medical professional before using ganoderma or any other herbal remedy.
References
- Guide to Reishi Mushrooms
- "Experimental Oncology"; Ganoderma Lucidum Extract Inhibits Proliferation of SW 480 Human Colorectal Cancer Cells; J.T. Xie et al; March 2006
- "Lipids in Health and Disease"; Cholesterol Lowering Properties of Ganoderma Lucidum in Vitro, ex Vivo, and in Hamsters and Minipigs; A. Berger et al.; February 2004
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"; Antioxidant Properties of Several Medicinal Mushrooms; Jeng-Leun Mau et al; September 2002
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