One of the most apparent influences modern times has brought to people is their realization of going back to the basics, to the natural, and to the organic. Although the advances brought by technology has made life easier to people, many are still looking for better organic alternatives that are proven to be more effective in their most natural of form, like reishi or commonly known as anoderma.

Believed by the Chinese as the iraculous King of Herbs, reishi is highly-regarded for its medicinal properties that help improve human body healing ability while helping its user to maintain good physical shape. Aside from promoting longevity, reishi has unique properties that contribute much to the strengthening of the immune system. Somewhat rare in the West, reishi has been worshipped as a kind of herbal medicine the emperors of the great Japanese and Chinese dynasties drank with their special teas and mushroom concoctions to achieve greater vitality and longer life. reishi was also believed to be visible in the lixir of eternal youth that the ancient Taoists constantly searched for.

A fungus known by its many names like eishi, ing zhi, and annentake, among others, reishi, for hundreds or even thousands of years, is recognized as powerful medicinal fungi because it has properties often associated with health and healing, long life, knowledge, and happiness. In fact, during the ancient time, it is believed that the Ganoderma Lucidum in medicine was considered so promising that its medicinal value has been attested in a 2,000-year old Chinese medical text nown as an authentic textbook of Oriental medical science. For years, medicinal mushrooms such as reishi have long been included in the history of folk medicine for contributing much to curing cancers of all sorts and for showing positive effects to the development of the immune system.

Aside from contributing a lot to the treatment of various diseases, Ganoderma Lucidum has also become popular because of its promising properties that might extend life span while increasing vigor and vitality.

Mushroom miracle

The role of Ganoderma Lucidum in the medical field is quite impressive. Even if its role in the treatment of cancer doesn have a strong and solid medical backing yet, Ganoderma Lucidum is still recommended to prevention because of the absence of unfavorable side effects. While people from different walks of life take interests and contribute a lot in the rediscovery of herbal treatments, the popularity of Ganoderma Lucidum increases steadily.

Under the extensive research continuously done so many scholars, as well as the cooperative analysis and clinical experiments conducted by people in the hospitals, inside the colleges and universities, and even by pharmaceutical manufacturers, Ganoderma Lucidum potential as an effective medicine is becoming clearer and defined. And like in ancient China here Ganoderma Lucidum is considered not just a symbol of rosperity and peace or an tem of tribute he so-called iracle herb is now also seen by the people in the modern world as a potential elixir for immortality.

With so many research and emerging evidence how Ganoderma Lucidum helps the body work more effectively, efficiently and optimally, the people who do these extensive and never-ending researches continues to hope that Ganoderma can bring a brighter view to humanity on its conquest for longevity.

REISHI AND ITS MEDICINAL USES

Reishi has long been known to extend life span, increase youthful vigor and vitality. It also promotes good blood circulation by eliminating thrombi in the blood streams. As a result, the person feels renewed vitality. Deterioration of mind and body is arrested. Reishi is indeed a herb with multiple applications.

During recent years, experiments on animals and clinical tests are made in order to record constructions of reishi. Results were reported from time to time, yet no satisfactory conclusion can be arrived.

More research is being conducted and the vast number of such works adequately attest to the complexity and inviolability of the research matter. Summarized from these reports, it is found that reishi have the following properties:
- improves cholesterosis, coronary insufficiency
- improves hyper and hypotensions
- improves nervous tension, neurosis
- improves chronic bronchitis, hepatitis
- improves leukocytopenia and reticuloendothelial system
- effective in numerous other ailments.

The percentage of curing various diseases are tremendously high. For example in allergy related chronic bronchitis, among the difficult to cure has a recovery of 60% to 97.7% when treated with reishi. In treatment of upper respiratory infection, reishi has a complete cure rate of over 50% and shown effectiveness in 80% of the cases. This statistics is as impressive as that treated by pharmacology.

(A) Reishi Prevents and Improves Diseases that are related to Blood Vessels and Circulatory System.

The three major killers these days are: cancer, cerebrosis and coronary diseases. The latter two have their etiology closely linked to the blood circulatory system. Related problems like stroke, heart block, arteriosclerosis, obesity etc. are all tied to problems in the blood circulation. One out of three persons die from one of the above ailments everyday.

High incidences of these illnesses are closely linked to the adoption of the North American dietary habits: heavy meat consumption, heavy carbohydrates and sodium consumption, lack of food fiber, change in basic food components when food is processed, frozen, and mixed with chemical additives etc..

Consumption of these products provide fats and proteins in an unbalanced proportions. This assimilation damages the blood vessels and oxygenation process to a marked degree that could affect the body's metabolism. Yet, reishi can correct this imbalance and strengthen the system to prevent further deterioration.

Reishi eliminates cholesterol build-up and promotes blood circulation. When there is a built-up of starch, protein or fatty acids in the blood stream, cholesterosis arise. The normal blood cholesterol level is between 130 - 230 mg per decimalitre (dl), it can elevate up to 300 mg/dl in case of cholesterosis; normal level of protein is between 230 - 500 mg/dl, it will also elevate to over 1000 mg/dl in this case. This can quickly leads to arteriosclerosis which is linked to hypertension, stroke, cardiac attacks, obesity, lung and liver diseases etc.. Cholesterosis also slows the circulatory system resulting in stiffness of the joints and shoulders, insomnia, anxiety attacks, dizziness and fatigue etc..

The function of blood is to transport oxygen and nutrients to various parts of the body. This function is being carried out by capillaries. These minute vessels is about 1% the thickness of human hair. When cholesterosis occurs, blood viscosity becomes too thick for fluid circulation. Nutrients cannot reach the extremities as easily as when under normal conditions. Immunity decreases following the decrease in nutrient supply especially in the extremities.

Simultaneously, the circulatory system carries waste products from all parts of the body via the veins to the liver and kidney to be expelled from the system as feces and urine. Pigmented splotches showed up on facial skin if any melanin substance settled due to waste accumulation in slowed circulation cycle. Areas like the face, eyes, bones marrow etc. have high capillaries concentration, a slowing in blood circulation shows prominently in this area as physical marks e.g. lost of skin lustre and texture, appearance of wrinkles and freckles etc..

In the case of tooth infection - black root indicates a lack of blood supply; the sign of nutrient deficiency results in a drop in natural immunity. Tooth becomes easily infected in the end.

In the case of cholesterosis, viscosity of blood becomes thick, heart muscle has to pump harder to transport blood especially to the extremities. This increases the heart load and elevates the blood pressure; an increase in both the systolic and diastolic measures.

Hemorrhoids is a copious escape of blood from the blood vessels around the anus when vessels ruptured under excessive pressure from a backlog of blood in an inhibited circulation. Once that circulation returns to normal upon removal of the obstruction, hemorrhoids disappear.

Consequently, problems mentioned above can be rectified by improving blood circulation. This is achieved when blood viscosity is kept normal by reducing cholesterol built-up. Anticoagulants are employed for such a purpose and reishi is a natural anticoagulant.

In a laboratory experiment involving 3 groups of mice, each given different diets for 4 consecutive days. Group A was fed a diet high in fat content. Group B was fed a diet of fat and reishi. Group C, the control group, was fed a regular diet. Refer to fig.1, Group A was found to have elevated levels in cholesterol, triglyceride and protein - all suffering from cholesterosis. But Group B maintained normal levels on all 3 categories. This result points to the positive factor of reishi in cholesterosis control. Examinations of the intestines found that GOT & GPT levels of fatty acids were under control in Group B. Reishi activates metabolism of fats thus restricting its deposition in the intestines. Body functions return to normal when excessive assimilation is controlled. After 2 months, Group A all acquires cholesterosis and fatty liver. When toxin from intestinal bacterium was administered, the mice developed thrombosis and phlebitis causing the blood vessels to rupture resulting in massive hemorrhage and eventually, death. Group B was prepared with the intake of reishi for a week. The mice were then injected with the same substance as Group A - toxin from intestinal bacterium. There were no death. It is therefore safe to conclude that reishi plays a role in controlling thrombosis and cholesterol in the blood streams, and facilitating circulation simultaneously. These together discourage formation of fatty liver.