Learn about Reishi Mushrooms | Hokkaido Reishi

What Are Reishi Mushrooms?

Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lingzhi) are a rare type of mushroom rich in beta-glucan. A common native Japanese name is “Mannen-take” (which means “10,000-year mushroom”). For convenience, we will refer to it herein simply as “reishi.”

This porous mushroom has long been used by royalty for longevity and improved health. Research into the medicinal properties of reishi dates back nearly 2,200 years. The efficacy was documented in the oldest Chinese medical text, The Classic of Herbal Medicine (Shennong Ben Cao Jing). It was also recorded as a "tufted herb" in the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history, The Chronicles of Japan.

In nature, reishi grows on decaying plum and oak trees. Today, it is possible to cultivate the mushroom in a controlled setting. We have developed technology based on our research and development to cultivate Red Reishi and the rare and valuable Rokkaku Reishi.

Active Ingredients

The active ingredients in reishi are water-soluble polysaccharides that have been recognized by researchers as having anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, and blood pressure and circulation-promoting properties.

Triterpenes are also critical active ingredients, and ganoderic acid is abundant in reishi mushrooms. Ganoderic acids alleviate common allergies by inhibiting histamine release, improving oxygen utilization, and enhancing liver function.

Why Reishi Are So Popular

Historically, reishi extract has been added to teas. Another common method is decoction, a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material to dissolve the chemicals of the material, which may include stems, roots, bark, and rhizomes.

Modern consumption methods include capsules, tinctures, and extracts of mushrooms, mycelium, and spores. Reishi has been added to chocolate bars, candies, energy drinks, and even coffee blends.

Due to its long history of medicinal use, research on reishi has advanced. According to the DOE Joint Genome Institute, they are among the few mushroom varieties for which the complete DNA sequence (16,113 genes) has been determined. Other species include the button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) with 10,438 genes and the flat mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) with 12,330 genes.

The reason why reishi mushrooms are trusted

Reishi is remarkable for its diversity of genes coding for cytochrome P450 enzymes. These enzymes not only afford this species a broad arsenal for producing secondary metabolites for digesting nutrients but may also confer benefits to human health such as enhancing the degradation of toxins and free radicals and increasing the liver's metabolic efficiency. The variety of these enzymes, among more than 400 active constituents that have been found, indicates that mushrooms such as reishi are like miniature pharmaceutical factories that can produce hundreds of medicinally-interactive compounds. Through trial-and-error and observable outcomes, our ancestors narrowed the field of edible mushroom candidates to just a few with remarkable, health-supporting properties. Today, reishi stands out as one the most valuable of all polypore mushrooms in nature for the benefit of our health. Many naturopaths and doctors prefer organically-grown reishi ( and we are the only grower certified JAS Organic in Japan)from pristine environments because they are purer.