Red Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi) Mushroom

Ganoderma lucidum fungus mushrooms grow in a variety of climates (including tropical and temperate regions) and are widely distributed in ancient forests throughout North and South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. This parasitic bracket fungus thrives on the decaying wood of fallen logs and stumps, and at the bases of a wide variety of aging deciduous trees, including oaks and maples. Ganoderma lucidum's close relative, Ganoderma tsugae, grows on aging and decaying hemlock trees. Because they are rarely found in nature, (only about two or three out of 10,000 aging trees will yield this fungus), Ganoderma mushrooms are artificially cultivated both indoors under sterile conditions and outdoors on logs or woodchip beds to meet the high commercial demand for this valuable and important herb.

The Latin names, Ganoderma lucidum, are derived from the Greek words 'ganos', meaning "brightness or sheen", hence "shining", and 'derma', meaning "skin" and the specific descriptor 'lucidum', also meaning "shining". Additionally, Ganoderma lucidum is referred to by different names, including: Reishi (Japanese) and Mannetake (Japanese), meaning "10,000 year mushroom" and Lingzhi (Chinese), meaning "herb of spiritual potency" and Yeongji (Korean).

Ganoderma lucidum enjoys special veneration in Asia, where it has been reputed as "the king of all herbs" and "mushroom of immortality", and used medicinally as for more than 4,000 years, making it one of the oldest mushrooms known to have been used in medicine. Ganoderma lucidum has earned the reputation as the ultimate herb due to its attributable health benefits and absence of side-effects. Lingzhi is listed in the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium.

Among the many known benefits, Ganoderma lucidum is revered for its potent immune-strengthening, anti-aging and general tonic effects on the body, which have been confirmed by modern scientific research.

Ganoderma Lucidum Research

Ganoderma lucidum may possess anti-tumor, immunomodulatory and immunotherapeutic activities, supported by studies on polysaccharides, terpenes, and other bioactive compounds isolated from fruiting bodies and mycelia of this fungus (reviewed by R. R. Paterson[4] and Lindequist et al.[7]). It has also been found to inhibit platelet aggregation, and to lower blood pressure (via inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme[8]), cholesterol, and blood sugar.[9]

Laboratory studies have shown anti-neoplastic effects of fungal extracts or isolated compounds against some types of cancer. In an animal model, Ganoderma has been reported to prevent cancer metastasis,[10] with potency comparable to Lentinan from Shiitake mushrooms.[11]

The mechanisms by which G. lucidum may affect cancer are unknown and they may target different stages of cancer development: inhibition of angiogenesis (formation of new, tumor-induced blood vessels, created to supply nutrients to the tumor) mediated by cytokines, cytoxicity, inhibiting migration of the cancer cells and metastasis, and inducing and enhancing apoptosis of tumor cells.[4] Nevertheless, G. lucidum extracts are already used in commercial pharmaceuticals such as MC-S for suppressing cancer cell proliferation and migration.

Additional studies indicate that ganoderic acid can help to strengthen the liver against liver injury by viruses and other toxic agents in mice, suggesting a potential benefit of this compound in the prevention of liver diseases in humans,[12] and Ganoderma-derived sterols inhibit lanosterol 14α-demethylase activity in the biosynthesis of cholesterol .[13] Ganoderma compounds inhibit 5-alpha reductase activity in the biosynthesis of dihydrotestosterone.[8]

Besides effects on mammalian physiology, Ganoderma is reported to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral activities.[14][15] Ganoderma is reported to exhibit direct anti-viral with the following viruses; HSV-1, HSV-2, influenza virus, vesicular stomatitis. Ganoderma mushrooms are reported to exhibit direct anti-microbial properties with the following organisms; aspergillus niger, bacillus cereus, candida albicans, and escherichia coli.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_mushroom