Ganoderma is a genus of polypore mushrooms used in treating a wide range of ailments including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Ganoderma Lucidum, also referred to as Reishi and Ling Zhi, is the species most commonly prescribed by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners.
The benefits are widely promoted, but are there side effects of Ganoderma use that could taint the image of this wonder mushroom? Ganoderma is referred to as "The herb of longevity" by the Chinese due to its wide range of applications.
It is commonly used to treat and prevent viral diseases, tumors, heart disease, chronic insomnia, high blood pressure, and Asthma.
In addition, Ganoderma is prescribed for fighting the effects of aging, detoxifying the liver, and improving general skin quality.
With so many proposed applications, many wonder what are the side effects of Ganoderma Lucidum? Western medicine has been slow to adopt as wide an application of Ganoderma as the Chinese, but research is gradually affirming what TCM has supported for centuries.
The benefits of Ganoderma were first globally accepted when a team of Japanese scientists successfully isolated LZ-8, an immunomodulatory protein that could prevent anaphylaxis reaction while not being inhibited by mono- or dimeric sugars thus successfully treating diabetes in test subjects.
Additionally, this research indicated Ganoderma's abilities to stabilize membranes against histamine release, which lays a clear path for its use in treating Asthma and allergies.
The benefits of Ganoderma have also been seen in a direct relation between the amount ingested and the reduction of hypertension in subjects.
Ganoderma's effects as a cancer fighting agent are the most widely researched area, but outcomes have been inconclusive and unreliable by western standards despite TCM's strong claim that this mushroom can prevent and treat tumors.
Is China's responsibility for 80% of the world's Ganoderma production leading them to inflate the proposed effectiveness of this mushroom while withholding knowledge of possible side effects of Ganoderma Lucidum? With such a wide variety of benefits, are there side effects of Ganoderma? Currently, there are no lasting side effects recorded on Ganoderma.
Most commonly reported side effects include dizziness, dry mouth, diarrhea, stomach pains, body aches, and itchiness.
In cases of high blood pressure and diabetes, some patient's conditions became exacerbated by treatment.
Frequently, side effects from treatment subsided within 24-hours, but a person should consult a licensed physician if they are taking Ganoderma and experiences any of these conditions.