Ling Zhi

REISHI'S MEDICAL PROPERTIES

In the 16th Century pharmacopedia Pen T'sao Kang Mu, which contains hundreds of natural medicines the Chinese have used for thousands of years, compiler Le Shih-chen described the uses of Reishi. "It positively affects the life energy, or qi of the heart, repairing the chest area and benefiting those with a knotted and tight chest." He wrote that it also increases intellectual capacity and banishes forgetfulness. "Taken over a long period of time, agility of the body will not cease, and the years are lengthened to those of the Immortal Fairies."

In the Orient, Reishi is considered a Fu Zhen herb (immune modulation). Presently, Reishi has various applications including lowering or raising blood pressure, stimulating liver actions, blood cleansing, and acting as an adaptogen in helping the body fight the effects of stress.
Chinese herbalists prize it for its abilities to regenerate the liver. In high doses, and to some degree normal doses, Ganoderma maybe classified as a liver detoxicant and protectant.
In traditional Oriental applications Reishi is also used to treat insomnia, gastric ulcers, neurasthenia, arthritis, nephritis, asthma, bronchitis, hypertension and poisoning. It is also being used in treating neuromuscular disorders -- stress-induced tension, myasthenia gravis and muscular dystrophy -- all with varying degrees of success.
Toxicity studies show no toxic effects on humans. In research, patients are given much higher doses, as high as 10 grams of extract per day, with no ill effects.