Reishi or lingzhi (Ganoderma sichuanense, G. lingzhi) is a shining red fungal fruiting body in shades from orange to deep maroon. The mushroom is hard and bitter. In the East it's used medicinally. The mushroom is also connected to the mystic arts.
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Reishi and lingzhi are the same species of mushroom. Reishi is Japanese and linzhi Chinese, meaning "miraculous fungus" or "divine mushroom". Some go as far as to purvey the fabulous fungus as a mushroom of immortality.
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Ganoderma species sold as reishi or lingzhi include:
Ganoderma sichuanense, also called Ganoderma lingzhi
Ganoderma lucidum
Ganoderma sinense - black reishi or zizhi.
Ganoderma sichuanense is the most common species in Chinese herb shops today. The fungus is widely cultivated in China and shipped to other countries. About 7–10 other Ganoderma species are also sold in some shops.
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They have different Chinese and Latin names, and are attributed diverse effects and functions. The differences are based on concentrations of triterpenes such as ganoderic acid, the active element, and its derivatives, which can vary among species.
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Ganoderic acid A (GAA), an active triterpenoid from Ganoderma lucidum, has been reported to show medical benefits including:
antinociceptive (stimulates body's natural defenses ie stronger immune function)
antioxidative (reduces oxidative stress causing cell damage)
hepatoprotective (strengthens and protects the liver)
anticancer activity
relief of inflammation
Medical effects have been tested on rats.
Common side effects may include
dizziness
dry mouth
itching
nausea
stomach upset; boating; gas
diarrhea
rash
Compounds in the mushroom can cause harmful reactions with prescription medications such as drugs for diabetes and abnormal blood pressure. Whether in powder, extract or fresh form, it shouldn't be mixed with alcohol.
Ganoderma sichuanense (G. lingzhi) is found at roots of hardwood deciduous trees such as oak, beech and maple. A reddish brown, banded, fan-shaped cap with stem, it can have a glossy sheen or varnished look.
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Fresh lingzhi is soft, porous, and flat. It has no gills on its underside. It releases spores through fine pores.
Ganoderma lingzhi is found growing as a parasite or saprotroph on a variety of trees. In North America, Ganoderma curtisii and G. ravenelii are the closest relatives of the lingzhi mushroom.
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Wild reishi is rare because it occurs on only two or three trees in ten thousand. Native to East Asia it's successfully raised elsewhere. Mycophiles can cultivate the fungus on hardwood logs, sawdust, or woodchips.
According to Forbes Magazine, the reishi / lingzhi trade industry today has a global market of more than $2.16 billion or approximately 2% of the worldwide dietary supplement sales. Experts confirm G. sichuanense (G. lingzhi) is often sold as G. lucidum.
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Problems in translation may arise due to the name lucidum, which suggests mental lucidity. It's Latin for shiny or brilliant, referring to the sheen on the shroom. G. lucidum has no particular effects on mental acuity but may have other health benefits.
For centuries Taoist temples are called "the abode of mushrooms". According to their teachings, use of woody mushrooms zhi (Ganoderma) or lingzhi "spirits mushroom" can be revealing. They make a concentrated elixir with hallucinogenic properties.
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Followers can see spirits or become spirits themselves. They receive the magical energy of the immortals xians, located on the fields of grace, in the heavenly mushroom fields (zhi tian). These mushrooms are though to be G. lingzhi (Ganoderma sichuanense).
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According to the Huainanzi, a blend of Chinese folk religion, Buddhist, Taoist and other beliefs, the lingzhi mushroom personifies nobility and divinity. Shamans or spirit workers brew this magical shroom into a psychedelic drink.