RawFoodBlog

http://intelegen.com/nutrients/reishi.htmIts Chinese name Lingzhi, means “spiritual potency”.

“Reishi mushrooms are regarded by the Chinese as the “Medicine of Kings”. Dr. Shi-Jean Lee, the most famous Chinese medical doctor of the Ming Dynasty, strongly endorsed the effectiveness of Reishi in his famous book, Ban Chao Gang Moo (“Great Pharmacopoeia”). He stated that the “long-term taking of Reishi (Lingzhi) will build a strong, healthy body and assure a long life.”(2)

A Mushroom for the Nerves
Reishi mushrooms have been traditionally recommended by Chinese and Japanese herbalists for insomnia due to their “sleep-promoting factor”.(1) Long-term use causes a significant promotion of slow wave sleep1. Reishi mushrooms are prescribed in China for a number of psychiatric and neurological afflictions, including diseases involving the muscles, anorexia, and debility following lengthy illnesses.(3)

In Japan, the dried “mycelium” of Reishi the root-like body that produces mushrooms has been found to be highly effective in the treatment of neuroses caused by “environmental stress”.(1) In addition, in an eight-month study of Alzheimer’s disease, patients taking a Reishi mycelium product demonstrated significant improvement.

In China, Reishi is used for its muscle relaxing and analgesic (pain-inhibiting) effects. In one study, Reishi alleviated anxiety in 18 of 20 patients after four months’ use. It was concluded that the mushroom has an essentially “calmative function”, but is neither a narcotic nor a hypnotic…”

Dosage
Chinese medical texts traditionally call for using 1.5 to 9 grams of dry mushroom per day which approximates to 150 to 900 mg of concentrated Reishi extract.(1) For serious problems like cancer, Dr. Morishige adjusted the dosage from 2 to 10 grams of Reishi extract per day.(1,5)