Top 7 Health Benefits From Reishi Mushroom

Have you wondered about the health benefits of Reishi mushroom?

Medicinal fungi (mushrooms) are currently one of the hottest food trends on social media feeds and in health food stores mostly due to recent reports about their ability to improve health and wellness and improve athletic performance.

Medicinal mushrooms have been used in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean medicine for millennia, but it is only recently that the Western world started taking notice of them. In fact, it was only after the second half of the 20th century that researchers started rigorously studying the medicinal properties of one of the most popular of the medicinal mushrooms – the reishi mushroom.

Top 7 Health and Wellness Benefits of Reishi Mushroom

1. Immune System Booster

Studies reveal that reishi mushroom can significantly improve the functioning of the immune system – whether it is excessive or deficient. A study conducted in 2006 and published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology reveals that reishi mushroom is an excellent immune system modulator.

Just as reishi mushroom boost the immune system in case of an infection, it can also help dial it back in case autoimmunity is present. A study conducted in 2002 and published in Life Science revealed that the benefits of reishi mushroom helps boost the immune system by promoting the growth and strengthening of defender cells in the body.

2. Promotes Liver Health

Reishi mushroom is regarded as an adaptogen, which means that it helps the body to better adapt to any stressors surrounding it. The liver usually struggles if the outside environment is particularly toxic. It is why adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms such as reishi usually focus on the health of the liver.

According to research, reishi mushroom can help regenerate the liver. A study published in Food and Chemical Toxicology revealed that reishi helps protect against toxicity in the liver and promotes regeneration of the cells in the liver.

3. Protects the Heart

One of the leading causes of death in the United States is heart disease. Many different factors may contribute to heart disease with diet and lifestyle choices being the leading ones. However, for those following the right diet and making good lifestyle choices but still experience heart issues, reishi can help.

The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center says that compounds known as triterpenes in reishi can help lower blood pressure and slow clotting. Ganoderic acid and sterols are two of the most prevalent triterpenes in reishi. Studies reveal that sterols help improve blood circulation and lower cholesterol. Ganoderic acid may also improve oxygen flow.

4. Fights Cancer

A healthy immune system is better able to prevent and fight diseases including cancer, but reishi has a specific mechanism for targeting cancer cells. A study conducted in 2011 and published in the Journal of Clinical and Cellular immunology reveals that the ganoderic acid present in reishi mushroom helps induce natural death of the cancerous cells while reducing toxicity to the healthy ones.

A study conducted by the Chinese in 2010 found that ganoderic acid also helps inhibit the growth of tumors along with the ability of cancerous cells to migrate in the body. A different study published in Oncology Letters found that reishi mushroom makes the melanoma cells more vulnerable to the natural killer cells that are responsible for attacking viral infected and tumor cells.

Note: While reishi is a valuable ally when it comes to fighting cancer, please note that it isn’t a valid substitute for standard cancer treatment. Still, consuming it can result in patients requiring far less chemotherapy drugs.

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5. Helps Fight Depression and Improves Mood

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, or irritability? While reishi mushroom is not a permanent cure, evidence suggests that taking reishi mushroom powder extract or supplements can help to considerably ease some of the symptoms.

According to a small study conducted on Chinese patients suffering from neurasthenia, study participants that ingested reishi mushroom extract for 8 weeks had improved reports of dizziness, aches, and pains. In addition, their feelings of irritability improved, which suggests that reishi can act as a mood booster.

Reishi is a world-class fungi to use for treating depression due to its mood boosting and its calming properties. Poor nutrition, impaired lived function, and infection are all root causes of anxiety depression, and irritability, and reishi mushroom can help treat that.

6. Fighting Allergies

Allergies i.e. pollen, seasonal, pet and more are all the result of the body releasing too much histamine when you come in contact with an allergen. Some people are allergic to many different things while others are only allergic to pet hair or pollen.

Research coming from Japan shows that reishi mushroom is a powerful anti-histamine, which means that it is useful for all kinds of allergies including food and drug allergies, atopic dermatitis, anaphylactic shock, hives, and hay fever. It helps you avoid the symptoms associated with allergies including the unnecessary sweating, sneezing, crying, and even dripping.

7. Helps Prevent Neurological Degeneration

Antioxidants have been known to potentially protect the brain from damage since they help neutralize oxidative stress. Reishi contains a lot of antioxidants, which is why it is neuroprotective. It increases nerve growth and production thus helping the brain develop stronger neurons at a faster pace and protects against inflammation too.

Researchers believe that reishi helps protect the brain from oxidative damage thus protecting against degenerative diseases such as Huntington’s Disease or even Alzheimer’s Disease according to a study conducted in 2012 and published in Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology.

Further research suggests that it could actually be more than the antioxidants present in reishi that helps protect the brain. According to a different study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, reishi promotes the modulation of cytokines within the brain and by doing so may act as a neuroprotective agent.

Final Thoughts

Medicinal mushrooms and reishi mushroom in particular offer numerous health and wellness benefits as explained here. Reishi is definitely a superior mushroom that anyone that desires to have a healthy body and mind should include in their everyday life.

However, keep in mind that medicinal mushrooms can never make up for a lousy diet or lackluster training. So, always remember to adopt a healthier lifestyle even when taking reishi mushroom for the best results.