Reishi mushrooms, or Ganoderma Lucidum, have long been part of Asian folk medicine, used to treat a variety of diseases, including hypertension, diabetes and cancer. These mushrooms contain valuable bioactive metabolites and polysaccharides, which are responsible for most of their healthful properties. Reishi mushrooms are generally considered to be safe, but consult with your doctor before taking reishi mushroom supplements.
Cancer
Researchers from the Bellarmine University analyzed reishi mushrooms in vitro and in vivo for potential utility as a lung cancer chemopreventative agent. Their studies show that reishi mushrooms' polysaccharides induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and lower rates of proliferation in lung cancer cells. Apoptosis is the most usual pathway by which faulty cells die, a kind of cell suicide in response to DNA damage.
Diabetes
Administration of reishi mushroom extract helps diabetic rats to use insulin more efficiently, Drugs.com reports. "Essentially all patients with type 2 diabetes are insulin resistant," says G.M. Reaven, Ph.D., a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. In insulin resistance, your pancreas often makes enough insulin, but your body cannot use this insulin properly. Reishi mushrooms decrease insulin resistance and therefore improve the overall blood glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes.
Cardiovascular Diseases
Reishi mushroom extract could be effective in addressing a variety of cardiovascular problems, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, says Drug.com. In humans, blood pressure is partially regulated by serum angiotensin-converting enzyme produced by the kidneys. Triterpenes in reishi mushrooms inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and reduce high blood pressure. Reishi mushrooms may also decrease your risk for heart attack and stroke through inhibition of lipid peroxidation, which leads to an accumulation of "bad" LDL cholesterol in the arteries.
Hepatitis B Infection
A study conducted by Y.Q. Li and S.F. Wang at the South China Normal University showed that reishi mushrooms improve liver function and increase survival in people with chronic hepatitis. The results of this study, published in the June 2006 issue of the journal "Biotechnology Letters," indicate that Ganoderma lucidum inhibits the formation of intracellular hepatitis B virus.
References
- "Biotechnology Letters"; Anti-hepatitis B Activities of Ganoderic Acid from Ganoderma lucidum; Y.Q. Li and S.F. Wang; June 2006
- Drugs.com; Reishi Mushroom; 2009
- Bellarmine University; Sanda Zolj; 2009
- "Journal of Clinical Hypertension"; Relationships Among Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, Essential Hypertension, and Cardiovascular Disease: Similarities and Differences; G.M. Reaven; April 2011
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