Reishi Mushroom

There have been many articles claiming that Reishi mushroom is harmful. It has come up again in recent days, with news reports in the press. What Is Red Reishi Mushroom? What Are Its Benefits and Harms? February 22nd, 2011 With a history of 4,000 years, the reishi mushroom is a name we commonly encounter especially in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cultures. This plant is also known as Ganoderma lucidum, Ling Zhi, or Lingzhi. Reishi mushroom is a plant that has recently attracted great interest and is found in many products ranging from coffee to anti-aging creams. Traditionally used as an herbal tea, reishi mushroom can also be used today in supplement form. Here are the countless benefits of red reishi mushroom: • Relieves migraine-related headaches. • Lowers blood pressure. • Has anti-inflammatory properties. • May be preferred by those with asthma. • Improves kidney function. • Regulates the immune system. • Used as a support in chemotherapy patients. • Recommended in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. • Has effects that relieve allergies and insomnia. • Helps with menstrual pain and hemorrhoids. • Makes a person feel better and provides energy. Reishi Mushroom and Side Effects Of course, reishi mushroom also has side effects. Although these side effects are very mild and vary from person to person, it is worth mentioning them. Dry mouth, itching, nausea, and nosebleeds may occur. Because it has a blood-pressure-lowering effect, it may be risky for people with low blood pressure or those taking blood pressure medication to use it without a doctor’s advice. It is also not suitable for pregnant women. There are also comments from users saying that their energy increased, they felt better, and their concentration improved.

Nutritional Values

• Internal Medicine Specialist-Endocrinologist
• Herbal treatments have begun to be used in every field in the world and in our country in recent years. Herbal treatment clinics have been opened in many countries around the world, especially in Germany, and continue to serve in the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. Herbal treatment departments opened at universities in many countries in the USA and Europe are leading many studies.
• One naturally wonders, “Are so many people just spinning their wheels in their research?” When we think about it, of course such serious research cannot be done without scientific data. In recent years, Red Reishi mushroom in particular has started to stand out in herbal treatments. Both the mushroom’s story and its effectiveness seem likely to increase interest in Red Reishi mushroom even more. Red Reishi mushroom should not be considered merely a herbal support product. With its mechanisms of action, it can affect important pathways in the immune system and metabolic systems. These features have made this mushroom Japan and China’s most important herbal product. In fact, Japan’s Ministry of Health has approved Red Reishi mushroom as the only herbal product that can be used in cancer treatments. Being approved by such an important institution in Japan, where herbal treatments are carried out most actively and seriously, is enough to show us how special this product is.
• Where is Red Reishi mushroom effective:
• 1-Anti-carcinogenic effect: Cancer cells are notable for their abnormal rate of growth. Although it is not known exactly how normal cells transform into cancer cells, there are theories that this is due to a viral origin or possibly the result of a change in the body’s natural defense system (the immune system). In recent years, it has been thought that some people are genetically in a cancer risk group. As these people age and their immune system weakens, their risk of developing certain types of cancer increases. Red Reishi
• Mushroom prevents cancer through which pathway?:
• The immune-system-strengthening effect of Red Reishi mushroom is also seen in preventing cancer and fighting cancer. It helps macrophage T-cells fight cancer cells more effectively.
• Research has shown that the polysaccharides in Red Reishi mushroom, called beta-1,3-D-glucan and beta-1,6-D-glucan, have strong anti-tumor effects. Results vary depending on the type and severity of the cancer. Glucan helps immune cells surround tumor cells; some scientists also argue that it reduces the number of cancer cells, making it easier for immune cells to fight them. In some studies, a 50% regression in tumors has been recorded.
• It is also stated that another substance in Red Reishi mushroom, called Canthaxanthin, slows the growth of tumors.
• Our body naturally produces anti-cancer substances - interferon and interleukin 1 and 2. It has been proven that regular consumption of Red Reishi mushroom encourages the production of these anti-cancer substances and prevents tumor growth.
• Consumption of Red Reishi mushroom reduces or eliminates the unpleasant side effects seen during radiotherapy and chemotherapy in cancer treatment, such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, sore throat, and loss of appetite. Therefore, it can be used before, during, or after chemotherapy. In some studies, these effects were found to decrease by 90-95%. Even this effect alone is effective in fighting the disease by improving the patient’s morale and quality of life. Ganoderma lucidum destroys everything that has a negative and toxic effect on the human body. Its ability to strengthen the immune system without causing any toxic effect is an incomparable superiority of Ganoderma lucidum over all other medicines.
• 2- Effects on the immune system: The main function of the immune system is to identify pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and other microbes entering the body and eliminate them without causing any harm to the body. Leukocytes form the body’s primary defense mechanism against diseases, but they are ineffective against chronic and malignant diseases. At such times, lymphocytes form the secondary defense mechanism. However, if lymphocytes also remain ineffective, macrophage T-cells appear as the last line of defense, and when these cells are activated, they destroy all foreign organisms, including cancer cells. However, activating these cells is quite difficult.
• It has been scientifically proven that the polysaccharides in Red Reishi mushroom, beta-1,3-D-glucan and beta-1,6-glucan, not only increase the number of white blood cells and lymphocytes, but also increase and activate macrophage T-cells, the most important cells of the immune system. Regular consumption of Red Reishi mushroom strengthens the immune system. If there is a malfunction in the immune system, all of these pathogens entering the body cause disease. In people who fall ill repeatedly, these mechanisms become disrupted, and eventually the person may become defenseless even against minor illnesses. Red Reishi mushroom keeps the immune system constantly on alert through T-lymphocyte activation, protecting the person against all kinds of microbes and tumor cells.
• 3- Effects on the heart and blood vessels: Experimental and clinical studies on animals support that G. lucidum expands the coronary arteries, increases blood flow in the vessels, and improves cardiac capillary circulation. Thus, oxygen supply and energy in the cardiac muscles increase. It helps protect the heart in heart conditions caused by slowed blood flow. It is ideal for the treatment and prevention of heart diseases. It is clearly evident that Ganoderma lucidum reduces triglyceride, lipoprotein, and blood cholesterol levels in hypertensive patients. Its positive effects on blood clotting mechanisms have important benefits in preventing heart attacks and strokes. In addition, Red Reishi mushroom reduces blood pressure by up to 80% by decreasing activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
• 4- Effects on diabetes: Among the compounds contained in Ganoderma, those called Ganoderma B and C have been found to lower blood sugar. It has been understood that this effect stems from Ganoderman making blood sugar more readily usable by the body’s own tissues. G. lucidum components have also been found to support insulin by preventing the release of fatty acids in this process. It has also scientifically demonstrated its effectiveness in helping control blood sugar in diabetic patients.
• 5- Effects on other systems: - By regulating the sympathetic nervous system, it helps ensure sleep patterns, strengthens memory, and protects against stress and depression. - It regulates the body’s allergy response and helps reduce the number of asthma and allergy attacks. - Due to its effects on the immune system, it slows aging by increasing cell regeneration.

Red Reishi Mushroom in the Press - Hürriyet Newspaper Report The mushroom known by its Latin name ‘Ganoderma lucidum’ and known as the ‘Mushroom of Immortality’ was produced for the first time in Turkey at Çukurova University (ÇÜ). The mushroom, described as a cure for many diseases, including many types of cancer, and characterized as a “miracle plant,” will be marketed in Turkey, where it was produced after the Far East and the USA, as tea under the name ‘GanoTürk’. HERE IS THE MUSHROOM OF IMMORTALITY Prof. Dr. Ömer Çolak, faculty member of the Biology Department at the Faculty of Science and Letters, who succeeded in producing the mushroom of immortality in ÇÜ’s biotechnology laboratory, said they had become a focus of interest both in Turkey and abroad. Explaining that companies from China, Taiwan, Japan, and the USA, which produce the mushroom and export it at 4 euros per gram, keep the information about seed production secret, Prof. Dr. Çolak said that while conducting research on environmental protection in 1996 he came across findings related to the mushroom and began working to develop it. Prof. Dr. Çolak, who researched the internet on one hand and searched for the mushroom all across Turkey on the other, said he saw samples in the Black Sea, Marmara, and Mediterranean regions and began working to produce it in a laboratory environment by using its spores (the reproductive organ in plants). ITS NAME BECAME ‘TURK’ Stating that they had obtained successful results in their work in biotechnology laboratories, Prof. Dr. Çolak said, “I believe that this mushroom, which we produce in every stage from spore to fruiting stage, will reach the summit it deserves among alternative public health and protective plants. For this reason, importance should be given to its production. After producing the mushroom of immortality at our university, a company that would bring it to consumers contacted us. This company, which will establish a facility in Adana, will produce the mushroom under my consultancy, dry it in slices, and bring it to market like dry tea. The dried mushroom of immortality, which will be marketed under the name ‘GanoTürk,’ can be consumed by adding 2 grams to one liter of water, boiling it, and drinking it.” USED IN CANCER TREATMENT Emphasizing that the mushroom of immortality has been officially accepted by the Japanese Ministry of Health as a parallel treatment agent in conventional gastrointestinal cancer treatments, Prof. Dr. Çolak noted that it has a highly beneficial effect on Hepatitis C. Prof. Dr. Çolak said, “In addition, the mushroom’s most effective feature is that it balances blood pressure. Its cholesterol-lowering, immune-strengthening, stress-eliminating, circulation-regulating, and blood-clot-preventing effects inside blood vessels can be listed. Besides that, it is also considered to have blood-sugar-regulating, anti-carcinogenic effects and even hair-strengthening and hair-growing properties.” Hürriyet - July 12, 2008