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Fascinating Fungi

Ganoderma Lucidum - Asian Mushroom of Immortality

29/10/2014

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This mushroom has been extensively  used in Asian medicine for 2000 years.   In Asia it is known as the lingzhi or reishi mushroom. It is regarded as "the mushroom of immortality" and is used as a symbol of  longevity on  Chinese ceramics .   Reishi comes from the Chinese name ruizhi 瑞芝  which means "auspicious mushroom".  Both Chinese Ling and Zhi have multiple meanings  so Lingzhi has English translations  that include,  Possessed of soul power, Herb of Spiritual Potency or Mushroom of Immortality,  Numinous or divine mushroom, Magic Fungus and Marvelous Fungus. 

A Translation of the
Divine Farmer's Materia Medica,  a Chinese book written down between 200 and 300 BC said  the reishi mushroom "mainly treats binding in the chest, boosts the heart qi, supplements the center, sharpens the wits, and [causes people] not to forget. Protracted taking may make the body light, prevent senility, and prolong life so as to make one an immortal.

Western science  has studied  Ganoderma Lucidum species extensively and found  they contain approximately 400 different bioactive compounds and a very wide range of medical effects.    The list is astounding.   

Ganoderma Lucidum has been found to:

  • promote sleep 
  •  relieve pain 
  • slow aging 
  • lower blood sugar and  help treat diabetes 
  • be antibacterial, antiviral, anti-oxidative  and anti-ulcerative 
  • lower cholestrol
  • support the immune system
  • protect liver function and  treat hepatitis
  • protect against the side-effects  of chemotherapy and radiation 
  • be an  effective add-on treatment  for leukemia  and carcinoma

Description:  Ganoderma Lucidum is a polypore mushroom that is soft (when fresh), corky, and flat, with a conspicuous red-varnished, kidney-shaped cap  with white to dull brown pores underneath.

Where it is found:  Ganoderma Lucidum is found worldwide in both tropical and temperate  climates.    It is a parasite  that causes white rot on the many types of trees  on which it grows at their base.  However, it is extremely rare in the wild,  only being found on  old trees  and on only two or three out of 10,000  of these.

As early as  the Liang Dynasty 502-587  the Chinese were growing national mushrooms, as demonstrated by an illustrated text of that period, called Zhong Shenzhi 種神芝 "On the Planting and Cultivation of Magic Mushrooms".

 Supplies today  are cultivated both indoors and outdoors on logs or woodchip beds.    Growing  gourmet and Medicinal  mushrooms  by  Mycologist Paul Stammets,  tells you how.

How it is prepared:  Thinly sliced, finely chopped or powdered fresh or dried  reishi is added to a lidded pot of boiling water and simmered for two hours  or more, yielding a very bitter  and dark liquid  which is drunk.

Supplements: These days Reishi extract can be taken as a capsule available from Fungi Health.



Further reading
  • Xie, J.T.; Wang, C.Z.; Wicks, S.; Yin, J.J.; Kong, J.; Li, J.; Li, Y.C.; Yuan, C.S. (2006). "Ganoderma lucidum extract inhibits proliferation of SW 480 human colorectal cancer cells". Exp Oncol 28 (1): 25–9. PMID 16614703.
  • Müller, C.I.; Kumagai, T.; O’kelly, J.; Seeram, N.P.; Heber, D.; Koeffler, H.P. (2006). "Ganoderma lucidum causes apoptosis in leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma cells". Leukemia Research 30 (7): 841–848. doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2005.12.004. PMID 16423392.
  • Gao, Y.; Tang, W.; Dai, X.; Gao, H.; Chen, G.; Ye, J.; Chan, E.; Koh, H.L.; Li, X.; Zhou, S. (2005). "Effects of water-soluble Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides on the immune functions of patients with advanced lung cancer". J Med FoodTimo H. J. 8 (2): 159–168. doi:10.1089/jmf.2005.8.159.
  • Lindequist, U.; Niedermeyer, T.H.J. ; Jülich, W.D. (2005). "The pharmacological potential of mushrooms.". Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2 (3): 285–99. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh107. PMC 1193547. PMID 16136207.
  • Tanaka, S.; Ko, K.; Kino, K.; Tsuchiya, K.; Yamashita, A.; Murasugi, A.; Sakuma, S.; Tsunoo, H. (1989). "Complete amino acid sequence of an immunomodulatory protein, ling zhi-8 (LZ-8). An immunomodulator from a fungus, Ganoderma lucidum, having similarity to immunoglobulin variable regions.". J. Biol. Chem. 264 (28): 16372–7. PMID 2570780.
  • Murasugi, A.; Tanaka, S.; Komiyama, N.; Iwata, N.; Kino, K.; Tsunoo, H.; Sakuma, S. (1991). "Molecular cloning of a cDNA and a gene encoding an immunomodulatory protein, Ling Zhi-8, from a fungus, Ganoderma lucidum.". J. Biol. Chem. 266 (4): 2486–93. PMID 1990000.
  • Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2009 Dec;10(8):717-42.Ganoderma lucidum: a potent pharmacological macrofungus.Sanodiya BS1, Thakur GS, Baghel RK, Prasad GB, Bisen PS.
  • Paterson RR (2006). "Ganoderma – a therapeutic fungal biofactory". Phytochemistry 67 (18): 1985–2001. doi:10.1002/chin.200650268. PMID 16905165.
  • Reishi mushroom, Reishiessence.com.
  • Smith JE, Rowan NJ, and Sullivan R (2001) Medicinal Mushrooms: Their Therapeutic Properties and Current Medical Usage with Special Emphasis on Cancer Treatments Cancer Research UK, p. 28.

1 Comment

    Australian Fungi

    Australia is estimated to have 200,000 fungi species compared with only 6,000 European.  However, only about 12,000 Australian mushrooms have been identified  with  about 6,000 named and described. This website and Fungioz app are dedicated to  increasing knowledge of both known and unidentified Australian mushrooms.
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    I am not a mycologist  but have been fascinated by fungi  since childhood  sheep farm forays..   After moving  to the  northern edge of Australia's Otways National park I realised how many more wonderful species there are on  uncultivated  land..   I began photographing and researching and now sharing the ongoing results via FungiOz website and FungiOz app.  Fungi identification via field characteristics alone is tentative as are any suggested identifications in FungiOz app and website.

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