Mushrooms
have been valued throughout the world as both a food and medicine for thousands of years. Throughout the world, many people enjoy hunting for wild mushrooms.
Europeans have always appreciated the gastronomic value of wild mushroom. In
Japan, pushcart vendors on the streets still sell medicinal mushrooms to the
average citizen who uses them to maintain health and promote longevity. Some
Japanese people have been said to travel hundreds of miles in order to collect
wild mushrooms that only grow on very old plumb trees - such as the Reishi - renowned as a cure for cancer and degenerative diseases.
When it comes to mushrooms, most Irish and British
are rather ignorant. Many people have a distinct dislike, even a fear of fungi.
The principle edible mushrooms most people know are the bland Agaricus
Bisporus, or ‘button mushroom’ found in supermarkets. It has little flavor and
negligible medicinal value compared with other wild species.
Fungi have played an important role in
Chinese culture for perhaps 7,000 years. A number of medicinal mushrooms, such
as Ganoderna lucidum and Cordyceps
are, along with Ginseng and Astragalus, considered to belong to the highest
class of medicines which are said to impart strength, vigor and longevity.
Ganoderna
lucidum is without doubt, one of the most famous medicinal mushrooms. It is
known as Ling Zhi in china and Reishi in Japan. It has been used for thousands
of years to treat liver disease (such as hepatitis), nephritis (kidney
inflammation), high blood pressure, arthritis, neurasthenia (tiredness and
weakness of the body), insomnia, bronchitis, asthma and gastric ulcers. In the
past, Reishi was very expensive, because it only grew in the wild, but
cultivation techniques developed in the last 20 years have now made it
accessible and affordable. Today, this king of fungi is used especially for
age-related and degenerative conditions, such as cancer, and as an immune
stimulant.
In the last 20 years, Reishi has undergone
a number of clinical studies with humans and is thought to be beneficial for a
wide variety of disorders; of special note is Reishi’s action on the lungs and
heart. In clinical studies conducted in China during the 1970’s over 2000
patients with chronic bronchitis were given a tablet form of Reishi. Within two
weeks, 60-90% of the patients showed marked improvement. The older patients,
especially seemed to benefit the most, and those with bronchial asthma, in
particular, responded well.
As for its action on the heart, Reishi has
been reported to benefit patients with coronary heart disease and high blood,
cholesterol. It also has been found to lower blood pressure.
Another key action of Reishi, is found in
its anti-allergic effects. It is very useful in treating asthma, rhinitis
(hay fever), sinusitis all with an allergic element. It seems to act by helping
the body to become less allergic to the collagen.
The Japanese government has officially
listed Reishi as and adjunct herb for cancer (Willard 1990)
In my experience, it is especially suitable
as a calming herb for people with anxiety, sleeplessness, on nervousness
accompanied by adrenal weakness or general fatigue.
The dosage of Reishi for general use is
2-3grams a day taken before food. It can be taken long-term without side-effects; in fact it can be taken for years in some cases, especially older
people.
David
Foley
MRCHM,
MNIMH
Medical
Herbalist
