Having been used for food and medicine for thousands of years, mushrooms have recently gained more interest in the research community due to their potentially unique benefits. Three mushrooms that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine—reishi (Lingzhi), lion’s mane, and cordyceps—are just some of the mushrooms that are attracting interest.
Reishi Spores vs. Reishi Powder (fruiting body)
Adore Gaia customers often ask about the differences between the two types of medicinal mushroom powders: Reishi Spores and Reishi (fruiting body). In short, Reishi Spores are more for hormone balance and immune support, where as Reishi Fruiting Body is more for modulating the immune system.
That's very broadly speaking and the key is in the concentration of the active compounds. Specifically we are looking at Triterpenes, Ganoderic Acids and Beta-Glucans and Polysaccharides.
Reishi spores are prized for their medicinal benefit and are chemically very different from Reishi mushroom. Reishi spores contain 300% more triterpenes than the fruiting body as well as being rich in polysaccharides. Reishi spores also contain adenosine, amino acids, minerals, alkaloids and polypeptides.
Reishi spores themselves are 70X more potent than the mushroom, and oil is 700X more potent – and more immune potent.
Thus, it is very clear that to us that Lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum) Spore Oil is of higher premium benefits than normal Reishi.
Liquid Extract Versus Powdered Reishi Mushroom
For those of us that consume the Reishi (fruiting body) and not the spore oil , it is good to note that while many studies have found reishi mushrooms to protect the liver, two case reports around using powdered mushrooms raise concerns for potential liver problems. Traditionally, reishi mushroom has been used as a water extract, a type of mushroom tea. Two case reports of patients developing liver toxicity after switching from water extracts to whole, powdered reishi mushrooms may indicate concerns for whole reishi mushroom products. For safety, it’s likely best to take reishi mushroom as a water extract, as traditionally recommended.
Reishi Health Benefits
Antioxidant Effects
Immune-Stimulating Effects
Supports healthy blood circulation
Aids digestion
Increased metabolism
Reducing fatigue
Enhancing alertness
Lion’s Mane
Hericium erinaceus, or lion’s mane, is a distinctive mushroom that gets its name from its resemblance to the flowing mane of a lion. As with reishi, lion’s mane has a long history of use in Chinese medicine, typically for tonifying the body along with improving digestion. And while lion’s mane, like all mushrooms, contains polysaccharides that can stimulate immune function, some of the latest research on lion’s mane has started to focus on its benefits for the brain and central nervous system.
Lion's Mane Health Benefits
Brain Health
Digestive Function
Immune Stimulation
Protects against dementia
Relieves mild depression and anxiety
Speeds nervous system injury recovery
Protects against ulcers
Reduces heart disease risk
Helps manage diabetes symptoms
May help fight cancer
Reduces inflammation
Cordyceps
Like reishi and lion’s mane, cordyceps have a long history of use in Chinese and Tibetan medicine. It also contains polysaccharides that are thought to provide at least part of the potential health benefits seen with its use. According to traditional Chinese medicine, cordyceps can act as a tonic for the lungs and kidneys.
As a fungus, cordyceps is somewhat unusual: its spores parasitize insects and grow inside them until it eventually sprouts from their bodies. Different species of cordyceps grow on different insects, with Cordyceps sinensis, one of the more common medicinal varieties, growing on caterpillars in the wild.
Numerous potential benefits have been claimed with cordyceps, while studies have slowly been accumulating to substantiate them. Cordyceps has been thought to have anti-aging properties. Studies in mice and rats found improvements in brain function, sexual function, and antioxidant systems.
Cordyceps Health Benefits
Exercise Performance
Kidney Disease
Immune Function
Ease fatigue
Improve how you use oxygen when you exercise
Destroy tumor cells
Reduce bone loss
Stabilize the heartbeat
Lower triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)
Takeaway
Mushrooms have an exciting array of potential uses and benefits. While much of the research is still new, immune-enhancing effects, antioxidant activity, and other benefits appear plausible based on some of the latest research.
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