Reishi

Ganoderma lingzhi syn. lucidum

Reishi is classified as macrofungi, as it has visible fruiting bodies (also known as mushrooms).⁸ Its fruiting body type is called shelf, conk, and bracket fungus or polypore, meaning it grows attached to tree trunks.⁷ In the wild, it can be found around the world but it prefers hot and humid weather and the species vary in size and shape, along with their tree preference, based on location.^6,9

North American Reishi is shelf-like and typically large, although in Asian and tropical/subtropical locations, it is typically smaller and shaped with a cap and stalk.^6,9 The highly prized, rare antlered form develops naturally and can also be cultivated with high CO2 and low light.⁹ Other in-between shapes also occur and vary in branching and twisted stalks.⁹ As with most polypore, their feeding type is saprophytic, meaning they decompose wood, but sometimes they can be parasitic to gain their nutrients.⁹ Reishi mostly grows on the roots or bases of North American hardwoods.⁹ In North America they prefer Maple trees but also can be found on conifers.⁹ The fungi choose Plum trees in Japan and can be mostly found on dead Oaks in China.⁹ In cultivation, fruiting bodies are much more uniform in shape than those found in the wild.⁹

Reishi, or Ling Zhi, belongs to the Ganodermataceae family along with 218 others in the Ganoderma genus.⁶ The family consists of basidiomycetes (fungi that develop spores within basidia) that have double-walled basidiospores (fungal spores that come from the basidia).⁶ Basidiomycetes are a club-shaped spore bearing structure. Fruit shape, host preference, and other characteristics can vary from species to species, including color ranges from red, black, blue/green, purple, white, or yellow.⁶ These morphological identifiers, along with where the mushroom is found, are used to identify and speciate specimens.⁶ However, cultivation in various locations and climates can alter the characteristics of the fungi, just as natural selection in the wild can.⁶ Over time, identification by macroscopy has resulted in a species with indistinct taxonomy and many overlapping names.⁶ While there is a lot of reliable lab testing available for speciation, it may be out of reach for most.⁶ When using macroscopic techniques to speciate, it is more reliable to compare the microanatomy of the crust of the pileus (the cap-like structure of the fruiting body), size and shape of the spores, and texture, as well as context color of the fruiting body.⁶

In Chinese the mushroom is called Ling Zhi, meaning “spirit mushroom”, “spirit plant”, or “mushroom of spiritual potency” referring to its use in meditation exercises by Taoist monks.^2,9 The Chinese characters that make up the name Ling Zhi portray a “shaman crying for rain”, signifying the divine and magical benefits of the mushroom.⁹ The name itself suggests success, wellness, divine strength, and endurance in Chinese lore.⁶

One of its first recorded uses was in the Shen Nong Ben Cao, one of China’s classic herbal texts written in the Eastern Han Dynasty around 200 AD.^2,6 Reishi was said to be in traditional Chinese herbalism’s “superior” classification of herbs which “lighten the body and confer longevity”.² This class of herbs was held at the highest esteem. In fact, Reishi was at the top of the 120-herb list.⁹*

A stone tablet from 1124 AD was found in the southern Gansu province in China at the Seven Buddhas Pavillion, located in the Mountain of Maiji, that revealed a record of 38 different Reishi types.⁹

It was sporadically documented in later materia medicas from the 5th century, before its inclusion in China’s first pharmacopoeia in 1590, written during the Ming Dynasty.^6,9 Reishi was not mentioned in the pharmacopoeia again until the year 2000 when it was featured in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China.^6,9 Black Reishi (Ganoderma japonicum), or He Ling Zhi, is also listed in the official Chinese pharmacopoeia and is most popular in southern China, while Red Reishi is preferred in Japan.^6,9 Its rarity in print was thought to be from its historical reputation of being reserved for royalty members and/or its relative obscurity.⁹

In Japan, in addition to being called Reishi, it is also called Mannetake, meaning “10,000-year mushroom”, “mushroom for longevity”, or the “mushroom of immortality”.^2,7 In Japanese culture, it is considered a sarunokoshikake, one of the most important of all polypore used in herbalism.⁹ Though widely used across the country, it is not recorded in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, also due to the thought that the mushroom was for nobility only.⁹*

The former species name of lucidum is a reference to the Latin lucidus, meaning “shiny” or “brilliant”, to refer to the glossy, varnish-like appearance of the fresh fruiting body surface.⁶ The shine is due to the thick walls of the pilocystidia, the specialized cells of the cap, which are found inside an extracellular melanin matrix.⁶

Research has shown Mexico’s indigenous peoples used Reishi for both maintenance use and for immediate needs.⁷

Ancient Chinese scripts have touted Reishi’s functional properties for over 2000 years.⁶ Some functional mushrooms, and specifically Reishi, were especially revered in Chinese culture.² Long before cultivation, the wild-growing species were rare, and the mushroom could only be acquired by the rich aristocracy.⁶ So sacred was it that it was believed the mushroom only grew in the “islands of the blessed”, where the immortals were said to live off China’s coast.⁶ So highly regarded, its likeness was represented in various artwork beginning around 1400 AD. First in Taoism, such as carvings on an Imperial Ruyi scepter and on the court dress of Emperor Kangxi in a portrait.² However, it expanded outside religious use and was mounted on screens, used on furniture, on silk tapestries, in paintings, statues, embroidered on clothing and emperors’ robes, and even accessories for women.^2,6,9

In one of the world’s oldest organized religions, an Iranian faith called Zoroastrianism, the recognizable shape of Reishi was used on clothing and children’s smocks as symbol of protection.³

Reishi mushroom was mentioned by alchemist Tao Hongjing in the 5th century.³ Taoist monks in China traditionally used Reishi for their meditation practices.⁹ The mushroom was highly revered, as Chinese royals believed Reishi supported longevity.⁹*

Used to ward off evil spirits, some hung Reishi on their door entrances.³ In Asia, it was used for good luck, like that of the four-leaf clover in Britain, Europe, and North America.⁷

According to ancient folklore, all 6 kinds of Reishi are said to have the commonality that after long-term use, the user will “become a celestial being”, raising the perception in the people’s eyes.⁸

The main constituents of this fungi are polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and peptidoglycans.^2,9 Reishi is known to contain over 130 individual mycochemicals, many of which are triterpene derivatives, like those in the ganoderic or lucidenic acids families.^2,6,9 While beta-glucans may be one of the most well-known of the mushroom’s constituents, there are subsects of mycochemicals that are now also gaining interest, such as ganoderan (B, D), ganoderic acid (A, B, C1, C2, through Z), ganoderenic acid (A-D), ganodermic acid, ganderiol (F), ganoderol (A, B), ganoderal (A, B), ganoderiol (A-I), epoxyganoderiol (A-C), ganodermanontriol, ganodermatriol, ganodermanondiol, ganopoly, ganolucidic acid (A-E), ganosporeric acid A, lucidenic acid (A-M), lucidone (A-C), lucidumol-B, lucidadiol, and lucidal, among others.^7,8,9

Triterpenes are created as a defense mechanism against pests which creates the characteristic bitter flavor in the mushroom.^2,7,8,9 The triterpene constituents are both hot water and alcohol-soluble but are insoluble in cold water.⁹

Lectins are known to be found in both the mycelium and fruiting body.⁶

The polysaccharide chitin is part of what makes the Reishi fruiting body tough and hard.⁹ Chitin is mostly undigestible by our bodies, so mushroom capsule, powder, and tablet products are steam-processed and then finely ground or extracts evaporated to a powder to be more readily used by the body.⁶

If dried properly and kept in typical room temperature and humidity, the compounds are shelf-stable for long amounts of time, due to its wood-like texture and the absence of volatile constituents.⁹

Reishi cultivation has been occurring since the early 1970s.⁶ Reishi cultivation is commonly done on wood logs, grain, cork residues, or saw dust substrates and can take several months to fully produce fruiting body.⁶

Commercially, Reishi can be found in many forms, from entire dried mushrooms that are almost a foot in diameter, to many types of extracts, even specific isolated compounds.⁶ These can take the form of powders, capsules, tea, raw herb, syrups, creams, hair tonics, and other dietary supplements and topical preparations.⁶ These different forms can be made from the mycelia, fruiting body (mushroom), spores, or a combination of those parts.⁶ Reishi is a popular ingredient in modern skin cosmetics in Asia, as they are an important source of chitin.⁷

Products can also be made from the extracted, isolated constituents, such as polysaccharides or triterpenes, which are put in capsules or pressed into tablets.⁶

At the turn of the 21st century, there were over 90 international brands with registered and marketed Reishi products.⁶ Reishi is considered one of the most well-known beneficial mushrooms. In 2014 Reishi was estimated to have had over $2 billion USD annual sales.^2,3 By 2023, that number has grown to over $6 billion USD.^2,5 In Asia, it is considered one of the most well-studied mushrooms, but unfortunately, a lot of this important research hasn’t been translated into English yet.⁹

As seen by the sales numbers and growing brands that carry a Reishi product, this mushroom has gained significant popularity over time. With its long history of traditional use, as well as modern research, and its beneficial effect on many body systems, Reishi mushroom is poised to catapult itself only higher in the US mainstream market.

1. American Herbal Products Association. Herbs of Commerce, 3rd ed. AHPA, 2023.
2. Powell, M. Medicinal Mushrooms: A Clinical Guide, 2nd ed. Mycology Press, 2014.
3. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens & Lawrence, S. The Magic of Mushrooms: Fungi in Folklore, Superstition and Traditional Medicine. Welbeck, 2022.
4. Bray, R. Healing Mushrooms: A Practical Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms. Independently published, 2020.
5. Grand View Research. Reishi Mushroom Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Nadure (Organic, Conventional), By Application (Pharmaceutical, Dietary Supplements, Cosmetics), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 – 2030, accessed 8/19/2024.
6. Wachtel-Galor S;  Yuen J; Buswell J. A, Benzie I. F. F. “Chapter 9: Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi): A Medicinal Mushroom.” Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects, 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. Accessed 8/21/24.
7. Ardigo, Dr. Walter. Healing with Medicinal Mushrooms: A Practical Handbook. Youcanprint – Self-Publishing. Roma, Italy. 2016.
8. Lu, D. “Ancient Chinese People’s Knowledge of Macrofungi as Medicinal Material During the Period from 581 to 979 AD.” International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, vol. 16, no. 2, 2014, pp 189–204.
9. American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium: Monograph: Reishi Mushroom. AHP, 2006.
10. Sanodiya BS, Thakur GS, Baghel RK, Prasad GB, Bisen PS. “Ganoderma lucidum: a potent pharmacological macrofungus.” Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2009 Dec;10(8):717-42. doi: 10.2174/138920109789978757. PMID: 19939212.