What Is Reishi
Reishi is a basidiomycete, lamellas fungus belonging to the family of Polyporaceae. It grows naturally in densely wooded mountains of high humidity and dim lighting.
Since it flourishes mainly on the dried trunks of dead plum, Quercus serrata, or pasonia trees, it is very rarely found. Out of every 10 10,000 such aged trees, perhaps 2 or 3 will have Reishi growth and therefore it is very scarce indeed.
- The spores of Reishi have such tough outer husks that germination is not easily possible and this phenomenon accounts for its rarity. It was said that when Reishi was discovered by anyone in the olden days.
- It would have been kept as a secret even from his kin and kin and besides, there would have been a great celebration for the successful location of Reishi and safe return.
- The herballous history of Reishi had long been documented in the oldest Chinese Pharamacopocea written in about the first or second century B.C.
It had been recorded in it that Reishi had the most extensive and effective healing powers.
- The late Hiroshi Hikino recognized as the world’s authority on the chemistry of Oriental medicinal plants, called Reishi one of “the most important elixirs in the Orient.”
- Relatively rare and undiscovered in the West, Reishi and other mushrooms have been revered as herbal medicines for thousands of years in Japan and China.
Emperors of the great Chinese dynasties and Japanese royalty drank teas and concoctions of the mushroom for vitality and long life and with a constant search for the elixir of eternal youth, Reishi was believed to be having such ingredients.
These Medicines Are Basically Classified Into 3 Broad Categories:
- 120 of them are classified as “superior” medicines
- Another 120 as “average” and the
- Remaining 125 as “fair”.
The “ superior” medicines are called “God’s Herbs” and they are for perpetual youth and longevity the medicines of the legendary wizards.
- The “average” category medicines are those which can be taken as a tonic, and The “fair” category is taken for the remedy of specific ailments.
- One must be careful about the volume taken of the “average” and “fair” category medicines and should never take them continuously.
- However, the book states that any amount of“superior” medicines can be taken as desired on a continuous basis with no unfavorable effects. Of all the superior medicines listed in the text, Reishi was rated number one.
- Centuries ago, Reishi was considered to be a medicine that would give you eternal youth and longevity. In the 16th Century pharmacopeias Pen Tsao Kang Mu, contains details about hundreds of natural medicines the Chinese have used for thousands of years.
Its compiler Le Shih-Chen describes the uses of Reishi, “It positively affects the life energy, or qi of the heart, repairing the chest area and benefiting those with a knotted and tight chest.”
- He also wrote that it increases intellectual capacity and banishes forgetfulness. “Taken over a long period of time, the agility of the body will not cease, and the years are lengthened to those of the Immortal Fairies.”
- In ancient times, Reishi was considered a Fu Zhen herb (immune modulator.) Presently, Reishi has various applications including lowering or raising blood pressure, stimulating liver actions, and blood cleansing.
- And acting as an adaptogen in helping the body to fight the effects of stress. The method of cultivation of Reishi for commercial purposes was found out with the result of which, Reishi is now made available easily to everyone.
A number of countries are now conducting sophisticated research in Reishi hoping to further the practice and science of medicine.
- As little as 20 years ago, Reishi was rare and not widely found in Asia. It grew in the wild but was extremely hard to cultivate. Now with an increased knowledge of the climates in which it thrives.
- Scientists are able to set up artificial growth conditions with the correct amounts of oxygen and moisture for the spores to grow into the Reishi mushroom.
With the success of Reishi cultivation, the world rejoiced over the abundant use of reishi in research and its useful application in medical practice.
There Are Many Varieties In Reishi
Akashiba – Red Reishi
Kuroshiba – Black Reishi
Toshiba – Blue Reishi
Shiroshiba – White Reishi
Kishiba – Yellow Reishi
Murasikishiba – Purple Reishi
Each of these has been classified in the “Shinnoh Honshokyo” and in the catalog of herbs written by the Ming Dynasty in about the first or second century B.C. The Akashiba-Red Reishi is the one being cultivated at present.
Reishi And Its Medicinal Uses
Reishi has long been known to extend life span and increase youthful vigor and vitality. It also promotes good blood circulation by eliminating thrombi in the bloodstream.
As a result, the person feels renewed vitality. Deterioration of both mind and body is arrested. Reishi is indeed a herb that can be used in multiple applications. It
- Improves cholesterol, coronary insufficiency
- Improves hyper and hypotension
- Improves nervous tension, neurosis
- Improves chronic bronchitis, hepatitis
- Improves leukocytopenia and reticuloendothelial system
- Effective in numerous other ailments.
Reishi was used in curing various diseases like allergy-related problems, diabetes, liver diseases, and other diseases infected due to the low immunity or resistance power of the body.
- In traditional Oriental applications, Reishi is also used to treat insomnia, gastric ulcers, neurasthenia, arthritis, nephritis, asthma, bronchitis, hypertension, and poisoning.
- It is also being used in treating neuromuscular disorders, stress-induced tension, myasthenia gravis, and muscular dystrophy – all with varying degrees of success.
After 2000 years of its application, Reishi has jumped into the spotlight as a specific medicine for cancer.
- This must be a better irony for those in the modern medical profession who discounted the herbal remedies of Oriental medicine as being “old wives’ tales.”
- But the families of many cancer patients who have received a diagnostic “death sentence” now seek Reishi as the only way left for them.
- And it is a fact that no one can deny that by using Reishi, such cancer patients have taken a new lease on their lives. The percentage of it curing various diseases is tremendously high.
- For example, allergy-related chronic bronchitis, among the difficult to cure has a recovery of 60% to 97.7%, when treated with Reishi.
In the treatment of upper respiratory infection, Reishi has a complete cure rate of over 50% and has shown effectiveness in 80% of the cases. This statistic is as impressive as that of treated pharmacology.
- In almost all the countries of the world, people succeeded in curing diseases using herbs for thousands of years. India was at the forefront of curing diseases through such herbs.
- Chinese and Japanese are also giving priority equal to that of India in using herbs in curing diseases.
- Out of all these herbs, the superior one is the Ganoderma called “Reishi”. That is why it is called “The King of Herbs”.