Reishi Mushroom Powder

• Certified Organic by Organic Food Federation

• Known as the " Mushroom of Immortality"

• Perfect to Make Hot Reishi Tea

About Reishi Mushroom

The reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) is a fungus that predominantly grows in tropical and subtropical woodlands in the Asian continent. The word Ganoderma lucidum was derived from two Latin words, ‘Gan’ which means shiny and ‘Derm’ meaning skin and ‘Lucidum’ with the meaning ‘brilliant’. This term describes the glossy appearance of the mushroom. The reishi mushroom bears the nickname “queen of mushrooms” as it has been revered by Chinese people for ages. In China, it is popularly known as “Ling Zhi” which means a spiritual or miraculous mushroom, “Rui-Zhi”, and “Chi-Zhi. In Japan, it is referred to as “Reishi”, “Sachitake” or “Mannatake”. Americans commonly refer to it as Reishi while the Koreans named it “Youngzhi”, while it is wideley referred to as the "mushroom of immortality". This mushroom belongs to the family Ganodermataceae and the genus Ganoderma. The term reishi is usually used when naming a group of closely related species of mushrooms that grow in woodlands particularly, Ganoderma tsugae, Ganoderma sinesis and Ganoderma lucidum. The species Ganoderma lucidum is the one with the highest demand in the human health realms.

Reishi mushrooms thrive best in the wild, particularly in temperate and humid forests found in the mountains in Asia. The forests are usually located in very remote areas that are free from pollution that has clouded a majority of cities today. The reishi mushroom is a polypore, a sizeable group of mushrooms that form on dead and decaying hardwood trees. They have tubes on the underside of their cap with white pores that produce a large number of spores within a short time. A single fungus can give rise to not more than three fruiting bodies. The fruiting body can be flat, shaped like a kidney and grows over 8cm in width. Alternatively, it can be tiny and assume the shape of a cloud. The skin of reishi mushrooms has a reddish-brown glossy appearance. However, the colour ranges from black to purple in certain locations. Mature reishi and growing reishi feel soft, like a sponge. Once they are harvested, they become hard and woody. The fruiting body, which consists of the head and stem, is the one which is often used. It is dried and finely ground to form the reishi mushroom powder. Reishi mushroom powder has a really bitter and earthy taste that’s why many people prefer to consume it with tea, smoothies and other drinks. Reishi can grow for several years, but people and animals feed on them as soon as they have started fruiting.

Reishi mushroom has been used by the Chinese for centuries and was often referred to as the “mushroom of immortality” because of its ability to make the body feel young and fresh. It is said that it originated on the Changbai Mountains over 2000 years ago. Some Chinese legends state that reishi is one of the living things that came from heaven when the Emperor ruled with wisdom and fairness. One ancient Chinese script which was compiled during the Han dynasty (25-220 A.D.) classified reishi as a superior herb on account of the benefits its consumers reaped after consuming it. In addition to these scripts, some Taoism artworks, engravings and paintings have been discovered to further reinforce the usage of Reishi from ancient times. Taoist priests made magic concoctions with this mushroom as they believed that it had spiritual powers which could increase the number of years one could live before joining the immortals as a spirit. The Chinese Goddess of Healing and Mercy, Kuan Yin is at times portrayed to hold a reishi mushroom. The various depictions of reishi are believed to be a sign of good luck among the general Chinese population. 

• Please note it is against MHRA guidelines for us to talk about any potential health benefits for this supplement however a quick google search on the potential benefits and you may be surprised.

How To use

We suggest taking 1 - 5 grams per day mixed with water, in juice or smoothies or can be made into a hot tea.

Please check out our interesting article on the power of medicinal mushrooms which features Reishi!