the Mushroom of Immortality, Reishi
Origin and History:
To concentrate the wealth of historical and medicinal value the Reishi mushroom has impacted upon the world would be an impossible task. Said to be first mentioned in Shennong’s Pharmacopeia (written potentially 5,000 years ago) Reishi has long been consumed for medicinal aid. So I will keep this summarization somewhat brief. The earliest piece of art with the Reishi image represented has been around 1200 AD appoximately.
Reishi is also known as the “Mushroom of Immortality,” Ling Zhi (translating to spiritual potency and immortality), and Ganodorma Lucidum (from the Latin word Lucidus for shiny or brilliant). Many of the original medicinal values originally acclaimed to be correlated with Reishi consumption in 1st-3rd century have since been studied and validated by modern medicine.
What compounds extracted from mushrooms are considered medicinal?
Generally, mushrooms of majority water, some protein, carbohydrate, fiber, ash, and some vitamins and minerals. A vast majority of mushroom considered medicinal are renowned for their high vitamin and mineral content as well as their bioactive molecule concentration including terpenoids, steroids, phenols, nucleotides, glycoproteins, and polysaccharides.
Many of the specific polysaccharides extracted and evaluated from Ganoderma Lucidum (over 200) have been isolated and studied for medicinal impact. They are referred to as GL-PSs (G. Lucidum Polysaccharides) and have been shown to have an array of properties including but not limited to anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, antiulcer and antitumor, antioxidative. They act as adrenal and parasympathetic nervous system tonics.
To-Date:
Consumption of high-quality Reishi products has been used to treat:
1) Nervous exhaustion
2) Adrenal burnout
3) Allergies
4) High Cholesterol
5) Nerve and Muscle issues, Arthritis, Spasms
6) Myasthenia Gravis
7) Autoimmune Diseases
8) Bronchitis
9) Inflammation
10) Hypertension
11) Viral Infections
12) Bacterial Infections
13) UV-Expsure
14) Heart conditions
It is worth to note here the revered use of Reishi by many expecting mothers. Master Herbalist Ron Teeguarden gave the title “Reishi Babies” to babies whose mothers consumed Reishi throughout pregnancy, noting the babies when born were more relaxed, less inflamed, and very observant infants akin to “Little Buddhas.”
How and why should I take my Reishi Tincture?
Thank you for purchasing a Reishi tincture from Forage & Cultivate. I am proud to offer extracts made from certified organic alcohol, reverse osmosis water, and mushrooms grown entirely from organic substrate. I use a traditional method of extraction that does not involve heat (commonly used in industrialization to speed up the extraction process) which results in structural damage to the medicinal components listed above.
Consumption is easy! Give your bottle a quick shake, fill your dropper as full as it allows, and place two full droppers under your tongue or in a drink of choice 2x a day for a total of 4 full droppers a day! If you find taking Reishi makes you too relaxed for your daily workload then I suggest only taking 2 full droppers at night about an hour or two before you lay down to sleep. I love taking Reishi for my sleep. It helps me silence ruminating thoughts and drift into a deep REM sleep with cathartic dreams.
These statements have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources:
1) Wachtel-Galor, S., Yuen, J., Buswell, J.A., Benzie, I.F.F. (2011). Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd Edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.
2) McCoy, Peter. (2016). Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing & Working With Fungi. Portland, OR: Chthaeus Press.
3) Stamets, Paul. (1993). Growing Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms. 3rd Edition. New York: Ten Speed Press.
