Medicinal mushrooms have been immensely popular in Asia for millennia. Today, Americans are waking up to these powerful nutraceuticals. In the wake of this new awareness follow issues of product quality claims made by competing brands.
This information applies to all species of medicinal mushrooms. For practical purposes, this article will focus on the most popular medicinal mushroom species, red reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), over which the most intense battle of conflicting claims is being fought.
The first and perhaps obvious caution is to stay away from cheap mass-produced brands of medicinal mushrooms that may only contain dried and pulverized mushrooms, in which case the medicinal compounds are still inaccessible behind the mushrooms' cell walls.
But even among the truly effective therapeutic brands, which are plentiful, there are important differences. Each seems to claim superiority over other brands, not surprisingly, because why else would anyone buy them? This article aims to clarify the confusion of conflicting and sometimes misleading information that is out there.
There are primarily three ways to extract the medicinal compounds from red reishi. Each method pulls out different compounds, all of which have been proven by scientific research to be therapeutically important.
1. Water (Hot) Extraction (polysaccharides, etc.)
2. Alcohol/Ethanol Extraction (triterpenoids, etc.)
3. Fermented (arabinoxylanes, etc.)
Polysaccharides have been shown to possess powerful anti-tumor qualities through enhancing the immune system and by inhibiting blood profusion through tumors. They are also strong antioxidants. [1]
The alcohol soluble compounds are mainly triterpenoids, a large group of related compounds. Scientific studies suggest they help stabilize cholesterol, blood pressure and clotting. Most importantly, they are the anti-inflammatory compounds so critical to many of reishi's suggested uses, including arthritis, allergies and asthma. [1]
And then there are the new and unique medicinal compounds that get created when reishi is fermented. These "secondary metabolites" have their own therapeutic properties, different from the first two groups, including anti-tumor, immune support and blood-sugar balance. [2]
This article is intended to give general guidelines to help you choose an effective reishi product, not to recommend any particular brand. But there are at least two reishi companies on the market which both state only hot water extract is useful while alcohol extracts are of no value.
Naturally, the reason they say so is because they want to sell their own brand. However, those statements are scientifically untrue. Hot water and alcohol extractions both contain critical compounds.
To find the best red reishi products, look for those brands that use at least the first two extraction methods in combination: Hot Water Extraction and Alcohol Extraction. Better yet would be brands that incorporate all three extraction methods, including Fermentation.
Last but not least, remember to look at the form the reishi comes in. If the reishi is able to dissolve completely in water-based drinks like coffee, it's a safe bet that it only contains the water-soluble polysaccharides. An excellent choice as far as coffee goes but an incomplete reishi supplement because it does not include the anti-inflammatory triterpenoid compounds.
Surprisingly, though, alcohol tinctures may include both hot water extract and alcohol extract. You will know if the alcohol tincture contains polysaccharides because when the alcohol and hot water extracts are blended, the polysaccharides fall out of solution and the tincture becomes cloudy. (Just shake it before you take it.) A cloudy medicinal mushroom tincture is an indication of high polysaccharide content. Capsules and tablets may be either hot water extract or alcohol extract or both.
[1] Boh B, Berovic M, Zhang J, Zhi-Bin L, 2007. "Ganoderma lucidum and its pharmaceutically active compounds." Biotechnology Annu Rev-:265-301.
[2] Tang YJ, Zhang W, Zhong JJ. "Performance analyses of a pH-shift and DOT-shift integrated fed-batch fermentation process for the production of ganoderic acid and Ganoderma polysaccharides by medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum." Bioresource Technology 2009 Mar;100(5):1852-9. - 31822
This information applies to all species of medicinal mushrooms. For practical purposes, this article will focus on the most popular medicinal mushroom species, red reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), over which the most intense battle of conflicting claims is being fought.
The first and perhaps obvious caution is to stay away from cheap mass-produced brands of medicinal mushrooms that may only contain dried and pulverized mushrooms, in which case the medicinal compounds are still inaccessible behind the mushrooms' cell walls.
But even among the truly effective therapeutic brands, which are plentiful, there are important differences. Each seems to claim superiority over other brands, not surprisingly, because why else would anyone buy them? This article aims to clarify the confusion of conflicting and sometimes misleading information that is out there.
There are primarily three ways to extract the medicinal compounds from red reishi. Each method pulls out different compounds, all of which have been proven by scientific research to be therapeutically important.
1. Water (Hot) Extraction (polysaccharides, etc.)
2. Alcohol/Ethanol Extraction (triterpenoids, etc.)
3. Fermented (arabinoxylanes, etc.)
Polysaccharides have been shown to possess powerful anti-tumor qualities through enhancing the immune system and by inhibiting blood profusion through tumors. They are also strong antioxidants. [1]
The alcohol soluble compounds are mainly triterpenoids, a large group of related compounds. Scientific studies suggest they help stabilize cholesterol, blood pressure and clotting. Most importantly, they are the anti-inflammatory compounds so critical to many of reishi's suggested uses, including arthritis, allergies and asthma. [1]
And then there are the new and unique medicinal compounds that get created when reishi is fermented. These "secondary metabolites" have their own therapeutic properties, different from the first two groups, including anti-tumor, immune support and blood-sugar balance. [2]
This article is intended to give general guidelines to help you choose an effective reishi product, not to recommend any particular brand. But there are at least two reishi companies on the market which both state only hot water extract is useful while alcohol extracts are of no value.
Naturally, the reason they say so is because they want to sell their own brand. However, those statements are scientifically untrue. Hot water and alcohol extractions both contain critical compounds.
To find the best red reishi products, look for those brands that use at least the first two extraction methods in combination: Hot Water Extraction and Alcohol Extraction. Better yet would be brands that incorporate all three extraction methods, including Fermentation.
Last but not least, remember to look at the form the reishi comes in. If the reishi is able to dissolve completely in water-based drinks like coffee, it's a safe bet that it only contains the water-soluble polysaccharides. An excellent choice as far as coffee goes but an incomplete reishi supplement because it does not include the anti-inflammatory triterpenoid compounds.
Surprisingly, though, alcohol tinctures may include both hot water extract and alcohol extract. You will know if the alcohol tincture contains polysaccharides because when the alcohol and hot water extracts are blended, the polysaccharides fall out of solution and the tincture becomes cloudy. (Just shake it before you take it.) A cloudy medicinal mushroom tincture is an indication of high polysaccharide content. Capsules and tablets may be either hot water extract or alcohol extract or both.
[1] Boh B, Berovic M, Zhang J, Zhi-Bin L, 2007. "Ganoderma lucidum and its pharmaceutically active compounds." Biotechnology Annu Rev-:265-301.
[2] Tang YJ, Zhang W, Zhong JJ. "Performance analyses of a pH-shift and DOT-shift integrated fed-batch fermentation process for the production of ganoderic acid and Ganoderma polysaccharides by medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum." Bioresource Technology 2009 Mar;100(5):1852-9. - 31822
About the Author:
Dr. Markho Rafael has worked in the health field since the early 90's, recently specializing in medicinal mushrooms. He partners with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC on premium reishi extract and cordyceps extract plus the newly popular mesima mushroom and many more.
