Medicinal properties and contraindications to the use of ganoderma

Mushroom coffee

This drink helps to fight stress, insomnia, enhances and restores immunity. On sale you can find goods of such manufacturers and brands: "Ganoderma lusidum Halal" (Malaysia, cost about 1500 rubles / pack), green, white coffee with the addition of reishi (from 500 to 1500 rubles per pack). In addition, there is tea with additions of ganoderma, as well as a chocolate drink "Elite dark chocolate from the company" Smart & Rich "(Smart and Rich).

The healing properties of a hot drink with reishi: • strengthens the body and increases resistance to diseases; • slows down the aging process; • normalizes cerebral circulation and improves brain function; • raises mental and physical performance; • improves concentration of attention; • increases the body's resistance to stressful situations and unfavorable environmental factors.

Method of application: the contents of the sachet should be poured into a cup and filled with hot water (temperature 80–85 ºС). You can add honey or lemon to taste.

Description of the genus of mushrooms and its main varieties

Ganoderma is the general name for the genus of mushrooms, which has more than 80 species. The most common are:

• Ganoderma lucidum - Lacquered polypore, or Reishi, or Lingzhi;
• Ganoderma applanatum - Flat polypore (applanatum);

• Ganoderma philippii is a plant pathogen;
• Ganoderma tsugae - Coniferous polypore.

Ganoderma applanatum

Ganoderma lucidum

Ganoderma tsugae

Ganoderma philippii

Mycologists divide this genus into 2 sections: mushrooms with a shiny cap and fruiting bodies with a glossy surface. All representatives of Ganoderma are distributed throughout the world and are found on any continent.

The most useful and well-known mushrooms are Ganoderma lucidum (varnished tinder fungus), which are also called reishi, lingzhi, lin-chi, mannentake. This species belongs to the genus Ganoderma of the Polyporovye family.

Reishi is a saprophyte that grows well on dead wood, on dying or weakened trees. Most often, lingzhi can be found on oak, elm, beech, alder, less often on conifers. Prefers stumps or the lower part of the trunk closer to the ground. Traditionally, the place of growth of lacquered tinder fungus is the southern and southeastern regions of Asia, especially China, Korea and Japan. Because of this, it is believed that the high price of this mushroom is associated precisely with its low prevalence.

The Reishi hat is glossy, its diameter ranges from 3 to 18 cm. The shape of the mushroom is like a fan, round, almost kidney-shaped. Edges are pointed, sometimes bent down. The leg has a length of 5 to 25 cm, it is cylindrical, uneven, the skin is dense, glossy. The color, as a rule, corresponds to the color of the cap.

Reishi pulp is tough, like a sponge or cork, as it matures, it becomes harder, almost wood. It has almost no smell and taste.

Important! The appearance of the varnished tinder fungus, as well as its composition, is highly dependent on the substrate. No other mushroom whose stem is on the side of the cap is as long as the Reishi mushroom demonstrates.

What else will Ganoderma help with?

The list of diseases that the Reishi mushroom is able to cope with is quite long.

Pulmonary diseases of various origins. Including tuberculosis. Ganoderma is very useful in the treatment of pneumonia and asthma. Although, no doubt, the healing process will take quite a long time.
Epilepsy. Official medicine considers this disease incurable. However, the Japanese chronicles contain evidence of how the imperial son was cured by the Reishi mushroom as early as the seventeenth century. Ganoderma is also used in cases of other mental illnesses.
Removal of nervous tension.Most of the medications prescribed to achieve this goal inevitably cause drowsiness, which is why it is forbidden to get behind the wheel or deal with machinery.

Ganoderma has an amazing property, when calming down, not to fall asleep and not to distract attention.

Diabetes. It cannot be cured exclusively by the Reishi mushroom.

However, taking drugs from it lowers blood sugar and maintains it at the achieved level.

Drugs

Various preparations are now produced from the Ganoderma mushroom. It can be capsules, coffee, tea, chocolate, toothpastes, creams, shampoos. In some, only the mycelium of the fungus and its body are used, while in others auxiliary elements are added, such as ginseng, sea buckthorn, vitamins.

All of them have a therapeutic effect of varying intensity. In Russia, you can see the names "Reishi", "Linzhi", "Ganoderma" on packages. They are all the same mushroom. There are also preparations of ganoderma with cordyceps. This is another type of fungi (not tinder fungi) that parasitize insects. Despite its extraordinary popularity and high cost, scientific studies have not confirmed the value of this product as a medicine. In China, cordyceps is used more as an aphrodisiac, added to dishes, but some patients who took it as a medicine noticed an improvement in their well-being.

Interesting Facts

It is very difficult to find lingzhi in nature. In ancient times, the place where the mushroom grew was kept in great secret. Only a select few possessed this knowledge, they passed data from generation to generation.

According to the entries in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, Reishi has 6 varieties associated with the elements:

• The Green Dragon Mushroom from the sacred Mount Taishan has a sour taste and heals the liver (wood);
• Yellow from Songshan Mountain - sweet in taste and heals the spleen (earth);
• Red from Hengshan Mountain - bitter, medicine for the heart (fire);
• Black from Changshan Mountain - salty and heals kidneys (water);
• White jasper mushroom from Huashan Mountain - pungent and heals the lungs (metal);
• Woody gives eternal youth to the body, is most often found in nature, is neutral in taste.

Lacquered tinder fungus spores are one of the most valuable parts of the fungus. However, all of them are covered with a dense black shell, the removal of which requires the use of high technologies.

A large number of people who want to improve their health with the help of the miracle mushroom has led to the fact that many companies have appeared around the world that produce counterfeit medicines based on Reishi. When buying, you should definitely check the quality certificate and do not trust dubious sellers. In addition, it must be remembered that acquiring a genuine lingzhi is not a cheap pleasure.

The growth of lingzhi has always been accompanied by dozens of legends and mystical stories, most of which mentioned Taoists. According to legend, the real mushroom was guarded by dragons and snakes.

Triterpenoids, which are part of ganoderma gum, have a similar effect to hormonal steroids, allowing the body to quickly recover and increase working capacity. But, unlike steroids, mushrooms do not have a detrimental effect on the liver and kidneys. That is why lingzhi-based drugs are so popular among athletes.

The unique healing properties of Reishi can be enumerated indefinitely. Western medicine is just beginning to fully investigate this amazing gift of nature, while Chinese pharmacists have been creating entire courses of treatment based on lingzhi for a very long time. In any case, you should be very careful about experimenting with your health and take any medications only after consulting your doctor.

Application methods

Several pharmaceutical companies offer the Ganoderma mushroom in capsule form. However, finding them is rather difficult. Most often it comes in dried or powder form.In this case, either a decoction, or an infusion, or a tincture is made, which are then used for treatment.

1. Broth. Two teaspoons of mushroom powder are poured with water (seven hundred milliliters), put on the slowest fire and, after boiling, left on it for an hour. After straining, the broth is drunk in a glass three times a day half an hour before you need to sit down at the table.
2. Infusion. A spoonful of reishi in a glass of boiling water, cover and wait a quarter of an hour. It is added little by little to any drink.
3. A spoon - this time a dining room - of ganoderma is poured with half a liter of high-quality vodka, sealed and kept in the dark for a month and a half. In the morning, a spoonful of tincture is diluted with a small volume of water and drunk on an empty stomach.

Sometimes reishi is also used dry, like a powder - a quarter of a spoonful a couple of times a day. You can season the first courses with them, little by little, instead of or with salt.

Positive properties and nuances of use

The ganoderma lucidum product has mostly positive reviews, but there are also negative customer comments. Many nutritionists note that the remedy not only helps to lose weight, but also contributes to the improvement of the digestion process, toxins are removed from the body.

Another important property of ganoderma lucidum, the instructions for which are set out right on the packaging of the drug, is to strengthen the immune system and protect the body from various diseases. The manufacturer even claims that the remedy does not allow cancerous tumors to form, but in case of suspicion of the development of such a serious disease, it is better to consult a doctor.

The most important property of the Ganoderm mushroom is usually called its positive effect on the process of losing weight. Such a drug blocks the feeling of hunger, helping a person to lose weight without unnecessary problems and serious restrictions. In addition, getting into the body, the drug ganoderma lucidum affects the fact that harmful fats decompose as quickly as possible, preventing them from being deposited.

Description of ganoderma resinous

The fruiting bodies of resinous ganoderma consist most often of caps, more rarely of caps and sharp legs. The hats are flat. The structure of the caps is woody or cork. In diameter, they can reach 40-45 centimeters.

The color of young mushrooms is reddish, the surface is shiny, later it changes to brown or brick, and then becomes almost black and dull. In this case, the edges are grayish with an ocher tint.

The pulp is similar in structure to a cork, it is soft in consistency. The color of the pulp at a young age is grayish, and later it becomes brown or red. The hymenophore is located under the cap. The tubes are most often placed in one layer.

Their shape is elongated, and their length reaches 3 centimeters. The pores of the hymenophore are round, grayish or cream-colored. The spores are slightly truncated in the upper part; they are covered with a two-layer shell. The color of the spores is brown.

Lingzhi Growing Areas

This species grows everywhere, but in our forests it is rare. Ganoderma resinous grows in the Far East, Altai, the Carpathians and the Caucasus. The favorite habitats of these mushrooms are conifers, especially sequoias. They can also often be seen on deciduous species - willow, oak, beech, alder.

Most often, gum ganoderms settle on dead wood, dry, on stumps, as well as on the trunks of living trees. Lingzhi cause the development of white rot on trees. These are annual mushrooms.

The chemical composition of ganoderma gum

The chemical composition of this mushroom is very rich: it contains a large amount of vitamins C and D. In addition, the fruit bodies of resinous ganoderma contain calcium, iron, phosphorus.

Ganoderma for nutrition

Sometimes people have a question: "Is a polypore an edible mushroom or not?" In fact, most of the members of the genus are not eaten. Only a few varieties are considered conditionally edible, and even then with certain reservations.For example, sulfur-yellow can only be eaten by young people and only those that have grown on a deciduous tree. Otherwise, the eater receives not only poisoning, but also hallucinations. But a tinder fungus called a liverwort is edible, but again only not old. Birch is bitter and tough, while using it you will not get poisoned, but you will not get pleasure either. Umbrella is an exception, it is edible without restrictions, but practically does not grow in Russia. The Chinese respect him very much. And about the chestnut tinder fungus - an edible mushroom or not - it is impossible to say at all due to the impossibility of verification: even at a young age, it is so cruel that even after a long cooking it will not work to bite off a piece of the cap. As for reishi, it is not categorically used in cooking: it is grown only for medicinal purposes.

Description of Ganoderma

When it comes to Ganoderma, what this mushroom looks like should be considered first
queue. It should be noted that this mushroom grows on almost all continents.
and everywhere has different names, for example, it is also known as reishi, mushroom
immortality, mannentake, lin chi, etc. On the territory of Russia and the CIS countries, this
the mushroom is better known as varnished tinder fungus. The body of Ganoderma consists of
caps and legs, which is typical for almost all types of mushrooms. The hat has a dark
color, which can range from brown to black and yellow. Usually,
in the center of the cap, the color is darker and more saturated. The edging of the mushroom cap is more
light. The shape of the cap is usually ovoid and slightly flattened.

Describing Ganoderma where
grows and what this mushroom looks like, it is necessary to clarify that the size of the cap of a mature
the fruiting body is from 10 to 15 cm.On closer examination, the caps of the mushroom
you can see many concentric rings, differing in shade. These rings
are the growth zones of the fruiting body. The surface of the cap is usually uneven,
but it has a special shine. As the fruiting body develops, its pulp first has
spongy consistency, but gradually hardens and stiffens. Over time, the lower
part of the mushroom cap changes color from white to yellow or brown. The leg of the mushroom can reach
height from 5 to 25 cm, depending on which tree and specific conditions
a mushroom grows.

Among the entire family of tinder fungi, only Ganoderma has a full
leg. Ripe spores that stand out from the bottom of the cap tend to be
are brown in color. Since ganoderma grows on trees, the leg can be curved and
elongated. It should be noted that the fruiting body of this fungus is annual,
but in rare cases it can live 2 seasons. The next question that worries
many people wishing to solve their health problems is where the ganoderma mushroom grows
and why only Chinese traditional medicine adopted its miraculous
properties.

Biological description

There are many types of mushrooms with the name Ganoderma. Negative reviews about him, perhaps, are due to the fact that the wrong plants were used. These mushrooms belong to the Ganodermaceae family, which means "growing on stumps and trees." All of them are divided into two subfamilies - with a shiny and a regular cap. Ganoderma lucidum belongs to the former. It is almost impossible to confuse it with other tinder fungi, since it is the only one that grows not on the tree trunk itself, but on a leg, sometimes reaching 25 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter. The hat of the ganoderma is oval or ovoid with an approximate size of 8 x 25 x 3 cm, but there are also smaller or larger specimens. From above it, like tree trunks, is lined with multiple annual growth rings. Outwardly, the cap is brown (maybe purple-brown, even black), with a light edging, smooth, shiny, for which many call the mushroom varnished. Its pulp is almost as hard as wood. There is no taste or smell in it. Below the cap is light, tubular. This is the hymenophore of the fungus.Its spores are small, like a powder, brown in color.

Ganoderma against allergies

One of the most used abilities of Reishi is to cure allergies and autoimmune diseases. Allergy sufferers, as you know, are most often prohibited from taking immunostimulants, and therefore their immunity is often weakened. The uniqueness of Ganoderma is that it does not stimulate the immune system, but regulates and restores it: it maintains depressed functions and inhibits too active ones. A substance called lanostane is engaged in this, which delays the formation of antibodies, which are the culprits of allergic reactions. The treatment of autoimmune diseases and allergies with the help of Reishi will be quite long, but it is guaranteed to be successful.

Evaluation of taste, benefits and possible harm of ganoderma

Tinder fungus is unsuitable for food, not only because it has no taste. Its pulp is too tough, fibrous, it is almost impossible to eat it. Nevertheless, Ganoderma has a number of useful properties, which led to its widespread use in traditional and official medicine. The mushroom is used for the following purposes:

• prevention and therapy of hepatitis;
• hypertension treatment;
• fight against chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma;
• prevention and treatment of nervous diseases;
• hyperglycemia - an increase in blood sugar in patients with diabetes mellitus;
• cancer and neoplasm treatment;
• fight against gastritis, ulcers, rheumatism.

Do not use drugs from tinder fungus for children under 9 years old, pregnant and lactating women, patients with exacerbations of chronic diseases. In addition, any treatment should be supervised by a physician.

Medicinal properties and use in traditional medicine

Numerous studies of scientists have revealed the excellent ability of the flat tinder fungus to provide antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, regenerating, antiallergic and immunostimulating effects.

From flattened ganoderma, tinctures and other various drugs are made that help in the treatment of bronchitis, asthma, diabetes, hepatitis, heart and vascular diseases, rheumatism and even oncology.

Healing tea is often used to increase immunity, improve blood condition, and fight viruses. How to prepare it:

1. Dry the fruit bodies of the flat tinder fungus, grind them into powder.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of powder with 350 ml of cold water.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Pour into a thermos, leave for 10-12 hours.
5. Take 2 tablespoons 3 times a day 40 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is 3 weeks, then a week - a break.

This broth can also be taken as an effective means for losing weight, as it helps to quickly and easily remove harmful substances, toxins, toxins from the body.

In addition, the properties of the mushroom have been proven to provoke the production of enzymes by the liver that break down proteins, which is especially important during the period of losing weight.

Application area

The chemical composition determines a wide range of diseases and negative conditions, in the treatment of which ganoderma (mushroom) helps. Reviews of people who used it indicate a significant effect in many diseases. In folk and alternative medicine, ganoderma is recommended for:

- heart diseases (ischemia, myocardial infarction and others);

- hypertension;

- problems with the gastrointestinal tract;

- asthma;

- neurasthenia;

- epilepsy;

- cirrhosis;

- oncology;

- diabetes mellitus;

- allergies;

- skin diseases (eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis);

- colds;

- sore throat;

- bronchitis;

- lowered immunity;

- overweight;

- pancreatitis;

- insomnia;

- increased fatigue and others.

It is difficult to list all diseases. Among other things, Ganoderma restores the cells of the body and returns them youth.

The use of ganoderma in traditional medicine

In official medicine, tinder fungi are not used, but the medicinal properties of ganoderma (resinous and varnished) have long been known to folk healers of Southeast Asia. You can buy chopped or powdered reishi mushroom, as well as tincture based on it. The instructions for use of these drugs indicate that they can be taken for the treatment and prevention of diseases.

The mushroom pulp has an unpleasant bitter taste. Medicines not based on it are prepared in the form of solutions, teas or extracts, which are prescribed for:

• viral infections, influenza, ARVI;
• respiratory diseases: asthma, bronchitis;
• cardiovascular diseases: coronary insufficiency, high blood pressure, bradycardia, angina pectoris, arrhythmias;
• frequent exacerbations of viral and infectious diseases;
• increased anxiety, insomnia, nervousness, chronic fatigue syndrome;

• with HIV infection (as an immuno-strengthening agent);
• treatment of prostate cancer (as part of complex treatment);
• benign neoplasms;
• epilepsy and diseases associated with impaired blood supply to the brain;
• a tendency to form blood clots and varicose veins;
• allergic dermatitis and edema of allergic origin.

As a preventive measure, Ganoderma extracts are prescribed for:

• increasing the resistance of liver cells to the effects of toxins;
• improving the parameters of the body's immune system;
• prolonging the action of insulin therapy, increasing the sensitivity of tissues to insulin;
• increasing the emotional mood, strengthening the strength of the spirit.

Given the high cost of the original tinder fungus drugs, as well as their shortage, many more affordable means can be selected for weight loss:

• tea with hibiscus flowers will not only provide the body with vitamins, but also improve metabolic processes and increase physical activity;
• geranium oil is actively used in aromatherapy to muffle appetite and reduce irritability;
• sweet and sour pomegranate seeds are shown to everyone who wants to correct their figure, while remaining young and healthy.

Ganoderma for weight loss

According to distributors, Ganoderma has the following effects:

• suppresses appetite;
• breaks down cellular fat (according to supplement sellers, this special type of subcutaneous fat cannot be destroyed through exercise);
• energizes; (you may be interested in another divorce - an energy bracelet)
• heals all diseases;
• improves skin condition;
• returns youth.

Descriptions may vary depending on the imagination of the distributors. According to the sellers of the product, this effect is provided by: fiber; proteins; calcium; magnesium; potassium; iron. To put it mildly, such statements by manufacturers are very doubtful.

• Proteins are found in abundance in eggs and meat, but you can hardly find people who would lose 20 kg in a month using these products.
• Fiber is a component of all plant foods without exception. Unfortunately, buckwheat porridge or vegetable salad also does not lose weight so quickly.
• Minerals can be bought in tablets at any pharmacy. We have never met people who would have lost 20 kg a month with the help of vitamin and mineral complexes.

Reishi mushroom for the heart

Another popular direction in which Ganoderma is used. The reviews of the cores and the attending physicians coincide: positive dynamics is observed after the first admission. Just five hours later, blood cholesterol is reduced by ten percent. And two weeks of treatment give a stable decrease in pressure in hypertensive patients to normal values. Even stubborn traditionalists, who reject traditional medicine, recommend Reishi drugs for people who have suffered a stroke or heart attack. Recovery with them is much faster and in a more complete form. There have even been cases of cure of partial post-stroke paralysis.

The Ganoderma mushroom also has a positive effect on blood vessels. Reducing "bad cholesterol", it cleans their walls, preventing atherosclerosis and stopping its development.

Ganoderma

Ganoderma

Ganoderma (lat.Ganoderma lucidum, reishi mushroom or Lingzhi)) Is a genus of tinder fungi from the Ganodermataceae family that grow on trees. Ganoderma became popular as the new marketing scam of 2015.

The mushroom has been used in Chinese medicine, along with ginseng, one of the most popular remedies for "all diseases", however no studies have proven its medicinal properties and effects on weight

Today, Ganoderma is produced and sold in the form of dietary supplements by many pharmaceutical companies. Ganoderma is available in different dosage forms (teas, capsules, powders) and is used for a wide variety of purposes.

Every supplement containing ganoderma has many unfounded indications. None of these supplements are registered as medicinal products. Doses that can be beneficial are not known.

When using Ganoderma for health promotion, you can only rely on your own peril and risk, since the properties of this mushroom are currently not studied. Perhaps it is really good for health, but it should not be considered a cure for all diseases.