Reishi Mushrooms: A Conversation

Written By Kat Houghton

This is our first blog in a series about individual mushrooms, focusing on mushrooms that have been used traditionally for their medicinal properties. We will explore where they grow, what they have traditionally been used for, dip into some western research that has been undertaken and get Chris’s top tips. This blog is based on Kat and Chris in conversation about the wonderful Reishi Mushroom.

“Some mushrooms embody change, they live on the cusp of changing environments, taking something that is dying and make something powerful from that.” The Reishi Mushroom is one such mushroom, lets dig a little deeper.

“Reishi are striking mushrooms, little forest soldiers”.....popping up where you don’t always expect but once you see them....“they carry the energy of something solid, tough and so strong”

The Reishi Mushroom has been used in various cultures for centuries mainly for its medicinal properties. The Chinese call it The Mushroom of Immortality and have been using it for over two thousand years. References to Reishi can be found throughout historic Chinese art and culture. The antlers (which Chris will explain later) used to be reserved only for China’s royalty, such was their power.   

Golden Reishi antlers grown by Chris Parker

Tell us more about Reishi in the USA, where do they grow naturally, and how are they different from other mushrooms?

In the eastern United States, a couple of different types of Reishi grow naturally. Firstly, the Hemlock Reishi, this can be found growing on dead and dying hemlock. Secondly, the Golden Reishi whose color fluctuates from an iridescent purple to a golden yellow and then thirdly what we call Late Reishi, (G. sessile).  

“The Golden grows on the west coast, but the others are mainly East Coast. Not a lot of research has been done into the Golden Reishi and they may be genetically different......Red Reishi – typically grow on Oak, Hemlock Reishi on Hemlock and sometimes White Pine, Golden grow on Cabbage Palms, Southern Magnolia, Oaks, Red Maple...Honey Locusts”.

Reishi is a polypore fungus. They have a stem and a cap, but under the cap are pores rather than gills or spines. It is from here that they produce their spores for reproduction.

One of the great things about Reishi Mushrooms are the antlers. Antlers is the name given to a long stem of the mushroom that contains concentrated amounts of the medicinal compounds. It is caused when the mushroom is looking for fresh air.

 “if no fresh air is available when they grow up – they contain more medicinal compounds than the rest of the mushroom which is busy with spore production”

These are the parts only royalty was allowed to use in China!

Reishi growing wild on a dead hemlock at The Forest Farmacy

 What are the traditional uses, and is there any scientific research to back this up?

Reishi has been used over the centuries for general health and wellbeing. Science has more recently helped to pinpoint specific ways Reishi can contribute to overall health and wellbeing.

Recent studies have shown “it is good as a blood pressure modulator, used for other cardiovascular risk factors and has been show to have anti-cancer properties and brings your immune system back into balance”. See references below for more information.

Reishi can taste bitter, this is often why they do not have a large culinary following and to extract properties a double extraction method is used. “It’s very woody, but when first growing....I call them marshmallows.....if you know what it is then it is safe to consume.....I let the mushroom grow out...trim a bit...but yes make a tea out of it or a double extraction.”

However, the bitterness and bitterness is Ganoderic Acids which are antihistamines and therefore great for people with seasonal allergies.

Other areas that western science has been working on is looking at the Reishi mushrooms use as an anti-inflammatory, and the possibility that it may activate the Killer T Cells in our immune defense systems to help them go after virus and bacteria more effectively.

There is also some suggestion that it may help the P53 which is cell know as being the last gatekeeper against certain types of cancers.

“There is lots of research into virus like HIV”

If you are interested in finding our more about Resihi and specific aliments you can find links to some of the research at the end of the blog.

Red Reishi in our indoor grow room

So now we know a bit about Reishi, and the potential benefits the important question is can you grow it easily at home?

The simple answer is yes. Reishi is relatively easy to grow at home, especially if you have access to Oak branches. Chris says that if you inoculate the logs in Fall by next June you will have a good crop of mushrooms.

“Golden and Red Reishi do enjoy being in contact with the ground as it simulates where they would usually grow, off dead leader roots.” They also produce more antlers when nearer the ground and these antlers are the bits you want! So, if you want the antlers with higher concentrates then bury the logs half way into the ground if possible.

Chris’s Top Tip for Reishi Growing......

“You could place a bucket over the mushroom with the bottom cut out, pack sand or clay around it, and stretch some clear plastic over the top that way it keeps humidity close to the mushroom but denies it fresh air so it will continue to climb to get out of the bucket.....then it will produce antlers”

How can you find out more?

If you are keen to find out more about the wonderful Reishi, growing, harvesting, and uses then sign up the The Forest Farmacy newsletter to be the first to hear about any courses Chris is running. Sometimes these are at The Forest Farmacy, but he also works in conjunction with local business and outreach programs. It is also worth having a delve around The Forest Farmacy’s website for more information from Chris and to see what courses are currently on offer.

Information, tips and tricks can also be found on Facebook @theforestfarmacyhealing  and Instagram @theforestfarmacy 

We hold a Mushroom Medicine Making Masterclass twice a year where you can come learn about Reishi and five other mushrooms in person, including how to make medicine from them! See the upcoming dates and learn more below!

Scientific References for Further Reading

Note: There is a abundance (hundreds) of peer-reviewed scientific papers investigating the effects of the Reishi mushrooms. Here we include a handful to get you started. These are mostly review papers that have looked at multiple studies and as much as possible we have included links to papers that are publicly available not hidden behind a paywall or only accessible to academics.

Learn more about the science behind the medicinal benefits of Reishi here >>>

Reishi and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Reishi and Cancer

  • “Antitumour, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Antiacetylcholinesterase Effect of Ganoderma Lucidum Terpenoids and Polysaccharides: A Review”, Cör, D.; Knez, Ž.; Knez Hrnčič, M., A Review. Molecules 2018, 23, 649. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23030649
    Full Text: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/23/3/649

  • “Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment.” Jin, Xingzhong et al. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews vol. 4,4 CD007731. 5 Apr. 2016, doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3
    Full Text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6353236/

  • Restoration of the tumor-suppressor function to mutant p53 by Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides in colorectal cancer cells. Jiang D, Wang L, Zhao T, Zhang Z, Zhang R, Jin J, Cai Y, Wang F. Oncol Rep. 2017 Jan;37(1):594-600. doi: 10.3892/or.2016.5246. Epub 2016 Nov 15. PMID: 27878254.
    Full Text: https://www.spandidos-publications.com/or/37/1/594

Reishi and Diabetes

Kat Houghton
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Outdoor Mushroom Cultivation Methods: An Overview
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Chris Parker: The Man behind the Mushrooms Part 3