Do Reishi (Ling Zhi) Mushrooms have Medicinal Benefits?
I recently got asked this question by a reader:
Do Reishi Mushrooms (also known as Ling Zhi Mushrooms) have Medicinal Benefits?
Chinese practitioners have used these mushrooms for centuries (at least), and the supposed health benefits include treating prostrate cancer, boosting the immune system, and treating insomnia.
However, the actual health benefits are not at all proven.
On the one hand, Reishi mushrooms just haven’t been the subject of very many large studies.
On the other hand, it’s my personal belief that very few single foods or supplements really help a great deal with any particular illness or condition. Of course, if you’re really deficient in Vitamin D, then supplementing with Vitamin D is going to help a lot. However, if you’re eating foods and living a lifestyle that contributes to various illnesses, then taking a supplement or 2 is probably not going to help very much.
And that’s the general category that Reishi mushrooms fall into.
There is probably no harm in eating a few of these mushrooms, but it’s incredibly unlikely that they’re going to make up for a bad diet and lifestyle.
In addition, it’s hard to find the pure mushrooms. Most Reishi mushrooms are found in supplements that contain a lot of other ingredients (such as processed sugar or vegetable fats), which I’d definitely stay away from.
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