Lingzhi Mushrooms
Lingzhi mushrooms enjoy a reputation in the East as the ultimate herbal substance. In Chinese, the word lingzhi means “herb of spiritual potency.”
A Brightly Colored Lingzhi Mushroom growing in the wild
Lingzhi mushrooms have been used successfully as herbal medicines for thousands of years and are known as the “Mushroom of Immortality.”
Lingzhi mushrooms are one of the oldest and most effective mushrooms used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Lingzhi mushrooms have been effectively used as an anti-inflammatories (including for the lungs), antivirals, anti-parasitics, anti-fungals, anti-diabetics and anti-hypotensives. They are also protective of the liver. Lingzhi mushrooms have been shown to effectively lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
Lingzhi Mushrooms for Asthma
While numerous studies of Lingzhi mushrooms have shown their effectiveness in a wide range of diseases and symptoms, the reason I have written about them (and take them myself), is because of their ability to strengthen the respiratory system and their healing effect on the lungs. It has been shown that Lingzhi mushrooms are particularly beneficial for individuals with asthma, cough and other respiratory complaints.
In an article entitled, “Medicinal Mushrooms”, published in the January/February 1997 Issue of Herbs for Health, written by Christopher Hobbs, a population study conducted in the 1970s is offered as validation confirming this claim.
The article describes a population study conducted on more than 2000 Chinese with chronic bronchitis. They were instructed to consume Lingzhi mushroom syrup over a period of two weeks. Approximately 90% of this population reported significantly improved breathing as well as improved appetite.
Lingzhi mushrooms have also been successfully used in cardiovascular treatment, in bronchitis prevention, in the treatment of high blood pressure, hepatitis, HIV support, fatigue, allergies, chemotherapy support, altitude sickness, and high triglycerides. Due to the presence of triterpenes, lingzhi mushrooms are understood as an adaptogenic, anti-allergenic and anti-hypertensive.
Lingzhi mushrooms are soft, corky, and flat polypores. They have a kidney shaped, red varnished cap. Lingzhi mushrooms lack gills on their underside, and instead depending on their age, have white to dull brown fine pores, which they use to release their spores, the very reason their morphological classification is polypores.
Lingzhi mushrooms are classified into six categories, according to The Chinese Herbal Materia Medica, depending on their respective shape and color. Each of the six categories is said to nourish a different part of the body:
- White Lingzhi Mushroom – Lungs and skin
- Black Lingzhi Mushroom – Kidneys and Brain
- Green Lingzhi Mushroom – Liver
- Purple Lingzhi Mushroom – Joints
- Yellow Lingzhi Mushroom – Spleen.
- Red Lingzhi Mushroom – Heart
Lingzhi mushrooms can be consumed in high doses with other medications due to their generally slight side effects. Lingzhi has been shown to enhance the immune system and lessen nervous tension, which may help normalize and balance the body.
Lingzhi mushroom formulations are easily prepared. Simmering thinly sliced or pulverized Lingzhi mushrooms in a pot of boiling water for two hours is the traditional method. The resulting liquid is normally bitter in taste, with the less active black Lingzhi mushroom tasting less bitter than the more active red Lingzhi mushroom. The liquid can also be used to make an extract in liquid, capsule, or powder form, and be added to a formula decoction.
Some studies have shown that long-term use of Lingzhi mushrooms (approximately 4 months) can result in very mild side effects. These have included stomach upset, nosebleed, and dryness of the nasal passages, mouth and throat. These side effects were completely avoided by discontinuing the use of Lingzhi mushrooms for approximately 1 month after taking them for four months, then taking them again for four months.
Lingzhi mushrooms are available for sale all over the world. Both polysaccharides, and triterpenoids are available as a hot water extract and an alcohol extract. Lingzhi mushroom extracts may also be called reishi, reishi mushroom, ganoderma, ling zhi, and ling-zhi.
Buy Lingzhi Mushroom extract:
Lingzhi Mushroom on Amazon.com
Lingzhi Mushroom on VitaminTree.com
Lingzhi Mushroom on HouseofNutrition.com
Lingzhi Mushroom on eVitamins.com
Lingzhi Mushroom on Ebay.com
I’ve also written an article about OPC Antioxidants which briefly describes the benefits of grape seed extract and pine bark extract. OPC’s used in combination with Lingzhi have proven to be an effective one-two punch for some asthma sufferers.
Thanks for posting this! My wife and I purchased some Lingzhi supplements, along with a couple of others because of you and it seems to be working well.
Thanks again –> and we’ll keep you updated on our progress.
@ Jose&Mayra
Thanks for such a nice comment (and for an even nicer pm)!
I appreciate you stopping by. Please keep us posted on your results with the Lingzhi Mushroom supplements.
Thanks for this info. Can you tell us where we can buy the ASHMI medicine? Or, if that’s not available yet, then how much of the 3 ingredients would you need to take in order to get the desired effect? I’ve tried to find sellers online but seem to only be able to come up with one seller who hasn’t updated their availability since 2006!!
@ Laura
Thanks for stopping by.
ASHMI is still not available. Unfortunately, it’s still under patent review(Please see my November 29, 2009 comment below for an important update). My wife & I have been getting by with a homemade version which we put together from the 3 ingredients found in ASHMI: Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao, plus a couple of other herbs, which are readily available in supplement form.The original formulation for ASHMI is as follows: 20 grams (63%) of raw Lingzhi mushroom (Reishi mushroom) plus 9 grams (28%) of Kushen (Sophora root) plus 3 grams (9%) of Gancao (Licorice root).
The following is what has worked for my wife and I after quite a bit of experimentation: 600 mg of Lingzhi mushroom (Reishi mushroom) plus 450 mg of Gancao (Licorice root) plus 1,100 mg of Wild Oregano plus 500 mg of Olive Leaf extract, twice a day, every day. We add Sophora Root when we can (see below).
Note: I will be adding articles on Olive Leaf extract and Wild Oregano to azmacare.com shortly.
We personally purchase all of our supplements at a brick and mortar store called the “Vitamin Shoppe”(which is a national chain),located a few miles from our home(their website can be found @ vitaminshoppe.com). [UPDATE: My wife and I have begun experimenting with different online sources, since they definitely offer better pricing than brick & mortar vitamin shops. For example, herbspro.com has the best prices I have found on the “net,” so far, but you can find good deals on Amazon and Ebay also (see below for some suggestions). The cost of the supplements does not add up to very much and the overall health benefits have been tremendous for us. Ever since we started the supplementation our household medication use has plummeted and we’ve saved quite a bit of money.I can’t promise the same would be true of your experience, but it is certainly worth a try (Be sure to have a discussion with your doctor about any planned supplementation to discuss negative interactions, etc).
I’m surprised that you’ve had difficulty finding online sources. Below you’ll find some online sources which reliably stock and sell a huge assortment of herbs and assorted supplements:
Online sources of herbs and supplements:
Amazon.com
VitaminTree.com
HouseofNutrition.com
eVitamins.com
Ebay.com
Hope that helps.
Cody Wells
hey i was just wondering who would i be able to sell ling zhi to because i actually have some and dnt noe what should i do with them..
@ mala
Depending on how much you’ve got to sell, I suppose you could try Cragslist or Ebay? I have no idea about any of the laws that govern the sale and distribution of mushrooms, so that’s something you should do research on. The last thing I’d imagine you’d want is to end up getting into any trouble.
UPDATE
@Laura ==> Yes, ASHMI can be purchased, although the formulation is not called ASHMI (please read my article titled “Clear Breathing with Chinese Herbs” for more details). I found a product called PhytoCort, manufactured by a company called Allergy Research Group and marketed under the name Nutricology.
Phytocort is formulated with the original herbs found in ASHMI which are lingzhi mushroom (reishi mushroom), licorice root (gancao) and sophora root (kushen), plus a fourth ingredient called noni.
Please go to the “Buy ASHMI (PhytoCort)” section of my article titled “Clear Breathing with Chinese Herbs” for a list of some online sources of PhytoCort.
My wife and I have stopped taking our “home made” ASHMI and have begun taking “PhytoCort.” We purchase it from herbspro.com because of their prices, but there are many places that sell it, including ebay & amazon.