Reishi Mushrooms or Ling zhi: A Pharmacist's Perspective

Written & scientifically reviewed by Isabella Truong

Key Takeaways

• Reishi mushrooms: Traditional remedy with healing properties.
• Reasons for taking reishi: Immune support, anti-inflammatory effects, and stress relief.
• Bioactive compounds: Triterpenes, and beta-D-glucans, offer antioxidant, anti-tumour, and immunomodulatory benefits.
• Who should avoid: Those on anticoagulant medication or with low blood pressure.
• Consultation advised: Especially during pregnancy or with underlying health conditions.
• Cautionary approach: Consider individual differences before supplementation.
• SuperFeast product: Popular choice for incorporating reishi into a daily routine.
• Important tip: Use warm water to activate the active compounds in powdered reishi.

Firstly, what is Reishi mushrooms?  Reishi mushrooms, technically known as Ganoderma lucidum, is a fungus used in traditional Eastern medicine for thousands of years. In Chinese medicine, it is known as Lingzhi whereas in the Japanese culture, it is known as the commonly used Reishi. This mushroom has been revered for its healing properties and has been considered the "herb of spiritual potency", or even the mushroom of immortality.

Organic reishi mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine for a wide range of health benefits. But they are quite bitter. Consuming them in the form of tea, a beverage that is popular with most people, is a great way to enjoy their nutritional and health benefits in a more palatable way.

What Is Reishi Mushroom Tea?

Reishi tea is a herbal tea made with a fungus called reishi mushrooms. Reishi mushroom tea is considered a tonic of sorts in Eastern cultures. It's supposed to promote relaxation and a sense of calm.

It's also considered to have wellness benefits, such as boosting your immune system, because of the presence of compounds that help balance disease states.

In this sense, reishi mushrooms are also known as 'functional mushrooms'—types of mushrooms that have a positive impact on health in addition to being a good source of essential nutrients.

Why Do People Take Reishi Mushroom?

Reishi mushrooms or ling zhi have many wonderful properties which is no surprise why so many people choose to take this dietary supplement in their daily routine. Reishi is commonly known to support immune function and has anti-inflammatory properties and anti-tumour properties that may kill cancer cells. 

It has also been shown to aid with sleep with its adaptogenic properties in calming the nervous system and supporting the body's stress response.

This herbal medicine is also a very powerful antioxidant and studies have shown that it also may help in lowering blood pressure, blood sugar along with other health conditions.

How Do Reishi Mushrooms Help, You Ask?

The science comes down to its bioactive constituents or active compounds. These compounds are triterpenes and beta-d-glucans.

Triterpenes are phytochemicals i.e. chemicals that are produced by plants that induce a biological response, it has also been found to display potential anti-tumour properties.

Beta-D-glucans are a polysaccharide that is the most commonly found carbohydrate found in all living organisms including foods and is an essential compound or "macromolecule". It also has many biological and pharmacological properties which is why reishi mushrooms exhibit many health benefits and why people have taken this supplement for thousands of years.

Some of these biological and pharmacological properties of polysaccharides include anti-tumour, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic and anticoagulant, which is making this active constituent very popular in research.

It has been established that polysaccharides derived from mushrooms have been extensively studied for their potent antitumor and pharmacological activities, hence the coined term "medicinal mushrooms". 

How they exhibit these activities is how it induces the response either against the biological pathway eg inhibits the inflammatory response and thus you see a reduction in the inflammatory markers or it enhances a biological pathway eg inducing an immune response to help fight against infections in the body and boost the immune system.

Therefore, this supplement has been a popular product for many to take daily to help support their immune system.

How to Perfectly Brew Reishi Mushroom Tea

You can make amazingly flavourful reishi mushroom tea through two tried-and-tested methods. Use the faster method if you don't want to spend as much time brewing a good cup of reishi tea.

Method 1 (Traditional Method)

• Chop up some good-quality dried reishi mushrooms.
• Place a steel pot on a stove and add water.
• Next, add the mushrooms, and bring to a boil.
• Once the mushroom-water mixture has started to boil, turn the flame down, and allow it to simmer for, ideally, two hours. The longer you simmer, the stronger the tea.
• You know the tea's ready when it turns amber in colour.

Method 2 (Quick Method)

Reishi mushrooms themselves don't have any caffeine, whether it's the dried mushrooms or the powder. The caffeine, if any, could be present in the tea. The labelling on your tea container should give you some indication of the amount of caffeine to expect in the final cup.

Bear in mind that the amount of caffeine in tea can vary due to several different factors, such as the type of tea (for example, black or green tea), when it was harvested, whether it was grown in the sunlight or under the shade, how long it's brewed, and how much tea you're using.

To learn more about caffeine in tea, read our article Which Tea Has the Most Caffeine? where we break down different types of tea and their caffeine content.

Is Reishi Mushroom Tea Caffeine-Free?

Reishi mushrooms themselves don't have any caffeine, whether it's the dried mushrooms or the powder. The caffeine, if any, could be present in the tea. The labelling on your tea container should give you some indication of the amount of caffeine to expect in the final cup.

Bear in mind that the amount of caffeine in tea can vary due to several different factors, such as the type of tea (for example, black or green tea), when it was harvested, whether it was grown in the sunlight or under the shade, how long it's brewed, and how much tea you're using.

To learn more about caffeine in tea, read our article Which Tea Has the Most Caffeine? where we break down different types of tea and their caffeine content.

Benefits of Reishi Mushroom Tea

Research is still in the early stages, but based on what we do know, reishi mushrooms are seen to support the following positive effects:

1. Reishi mushroom tea has been found to have sleep-enhancing properties. It can help regulate sleep patterns, improve sleep quality, and promote relaxation, allowing for a more restful night's sleep

2. Fighting cancer through the activation of natural "killer" white blood cells, specifically in the case of breast cancer, hepatoma, and myeloid leukaemia. They show potential for use in cancer treatment and speeding up recovery.

3. Decreasing fatigue, anxiety, and depression in people with specific medical conditions which in turn improves their quality of life (sound mind in a sound body!).

4. Fighting ageing through the presence of compounds called polysaccharides.

5. Preliminary laboratory studies have suggested that Reishi mushrooms may exhibit anti-viral activity against various viruses, including certain strains of the coronavirus.

More research is still needed to further substantiate these findings.

Reishi Mushroom Tea Side Effects

Generally, reishi mushrooms are seen to be safe for consumption by most healthy adults. Do not exceed recommended doses, and start off with small doses if you have any concerns about taking this fungus. Consuming reishi mushrooms in high doses can negatively impact your liver and kidneys. Rarely, some people have experienced side effects such as stomach aches, diarrhea, dizziness, and headaches.

If you're planning to take reishi mushroom tea daily, aim to use no more than 1 tsp (2g) of reishi mushroom powder to create your tea.

You should consult your physician if you have an existing medical condition and are considering taking reishi mushroom tea. Stop consuming reishi tea if you experience discomfort in the stomach or issues with your digestive system.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or people with autoimmune disorders should especially seek medical advice.

What to Consider When Choosing Reishi Mushroom Tea

Unfortunately, there are a lot of low-quality reishi mushrooms in the market, so here's a quick guide on what to look for with suppliers:

Ethical and transparent sourcing - The company should be able to say where and how they're sourcing and processing the dried mushrooms or mushroom powder. They should be sourcing the mushrooms from the regions where they naturally grow. And ideally, they should have testing measures in place to weed out toxins, heavy metals, and pesticides.

Third-party vetting - If they have been vetted by independent quality standard authorities, that's always a plus!

Customer service - Look for reviews online or speak to existing customers in your circle. Good reviews mean that the company is vested in making the customers satisfied with their products. Overwhelmingly bad reviews mean you should definitely give the company a pass.

Who Should Not Take Reishi Mushrooms?

While there is ample evidence highlighting the wonderful health benefits of reishi mushrooms, certain individuals should avoid consuming them. These individuals include the following:

• People on blood thinning medication. Given the blood thinning properties, which are good at preventing potential blood clots, those on blood thinner medication or who have bleeding disorders should avoid as they don't want to increase the risk of bleeding by taking reishi mushrooms. This should also apply to those who have surgery scheduled, it is advised to stop taking reishi 1 week before surgery to minimise the risk of bleeding.
• People with low blood pressure and taking antidiabetic medication should exercise caution as reishi has been shown to lower blood pressure and lower blood sugar (hypoglycemic effects). This is attributed to the bioactive effects of the triterpenes present in reishi.
• Pregnant women: Whilst there is a lack of evidence of reishi use in pregnant women, it would be best practice to discuss taking it with your healthcare professional as all pregnancies vary from person to person.

As with all medications and supplements, it's not one size fits all and care and consideration should be exercised before taking them.

As a pharmacist I commonly get asked about natural medicines and supplements and "if they work?" There is a lot of information out there and can get quite overwhelming for people. Therefore, after hearing so much about medicinal mushrooms and their popularity I wanted to see for myself if it stacks up.

After reviewing the evidence and research available, there is, in fact, compelling evidence towards the wonderful benefits of medicinal mushrooms, including reishi. I've shared some of my learnings above in a way that hopefully makes sense to you much as it does for me.

Check out the review on the best reishi mushrooms to see which one suits you.

My Personal Experience Taking Reishi Mushrooms?

I recently travelled to Japan for a holiday and sitting on 9+ hour flight with people coughing and splattering is not ideal, especially for someone like me who has an autoimmune condition taking immunosuppressant medications. I wanted to take something that will boost my immune system whilst travelling so that I don't get sick and ruin my holiday.

I started taking the reishi mushrooms a few days before travel and during my holiday.  Our flight was jammed-packed and of course, I could hear the coughing and sneezing nearby and so was prepared to fall sick. It's been almost 2 weeks since return and voila I am fit as a fiddle! My partner on the other hand felt a bit under the weather a few days after returning with a scratchy throat and feeling quite low energy (the onset of a cold or flu). So personally, I believe it's helped me as I'm normally the one to get sick in our household, especially after travels. What's even more interesting was I found I slept really well whilst away in our Airbnb - I usually find it hard to sleep in hotels or basically NOT my own bed. So that was an added bonus, and also a popular claim for taking reishi mushrooms where it helps calm the nervous system and aids sleep.

The reishi mushroom product that I chose to take was from SuperFeast.

Check out my short video below demonstrating how to take reishi mushrooms.

Important tip: ALWAYS use warm water when mixing your powdered reishi mushrooms. Using heat activates the bioactive compounds in the mushrooms. Therefore, adding reishi mushrooms to your tea, coffee or soups is a great way to get the added benefits into your daily routine! Also, when travelling pack your SuperFeast Reishi Mushroom in a zip-locked bag, to prevent spillage - TRUST me on this one! You're welcome!

FAQs About These Medicinal Mushrooms

What does reishi mushroom do to the body?

Reishi mushrooms contain bioactive compounds that exhibit biological responses in the body such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anxiolytic and adaptogenic properties.

How long does it take to feel the effects of reishi mushrooms?

Individual responses can vary and it has been documented that responses can be seen after taking reishi for 2-3 weeks. However, some who use it to aid with sleep have claimed it has worked for them within a few days of taking it.

How long before reishi or lingzhi starts working?

I recently took reishi mushrooms whilst travelling overseas, with the hopes of boosting my immune system. Did I "feel the effects of reishi mushrooms"? No, however, for someone who suffers from an autoimmune condition and taking immunosuppressive medication, I'm prone to getting sick often especially when travelling.

What I did notice during the 8 days I was away travelling and returning home was I did not get sick. My partner on the other hand has been feeling a bit under the weather since returning and did not take the reishi mushroom and does not suffer from an autoimmune disease. So for me, I believe this has helped me and has had an effect during the 1 week of taking this supplement.

But again individual responses may vary.

What is reishi mushroom tea good for?

Reishi mushrooms have been used for a wide variety of health benefits; hence you can expect reishi mushroom tea to provide similar benefits. It's known to be a powerful immune booster, anti-ageing and anti-cancer agent. It's also seen to alleviate fatigue, depression, and anxiety. It works to calm the mind and hence can be beneficial in managing stress. Aside from all of this, mushrooms are generally a great alternative source of vegetarian protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Can you drink reishi mushroom tea every day?

Most healthy adults can drink reishi mushroom tea every day. Limit the amount of mushroom powder you use to no more than 1 tsp per day, and make sure you're sourcing your mushroom powder from reputable and trustworthy suppliers. Stop drinking reishi mushroom tea if you experience any discomfort or side effects such as headaches, dizziness, stomach upset or diarrhoea.

How long can you drink reishi mushroom tea?

There has yet to be a study carried out on the long-term effects of reishi mushrooms. Reishi mushroom powder in isolation could potentially be safe for up to 16 weeks. If you enjoy drinking reishi mushroom tea, stick to no more than 1 tsp of reishi mushroom powder daily for preparing your tea. Stop consuming the tea if you experience any side effects.

When should I drink reishi tea?

A lot of people prefer to take reishi mushroom tea a few hours before bedtime. It gives the tea just enough time to interact with your body and promotes a state of relaxation ideal for sleep. You can also consume reishi tea first thing in the morning. Also, stick to smaller doses, such as no more than 1 tsp of mushroom powder per day, to avoid unpleasant side effects.

Are there any reishi mushroom tea benefits for the skin?

Yes, reishi mushrooms have some amazing benefits for the skin! Reishi mushrooms have compounds called beta-glucans that help fight inflammation in the form of acne or breakouts helping you achieve smoother and more toned skin. They have a high level of antioxidants which helps in preventing cell damage and slowing down ageing. Because they help balance hormones, they can also alleviate skin conditions that are the result of stress or pre-period breakouts. They also help wounds heal faster.

Final Thoughts

Reishi mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in the East to help restore wellness and maintain good health. Drinking reishi mushroom tea can help promote calmness, boost immunity and vitality, and help you stave off infection and disease for longer. 

Having gone through the claims and looking deeper into the research, the evidence is compelling to show the wonderful benefits of reishi mushrooms. The powerful properties of this superfood which deems this a "medicinal mushroom" really stacks up especially when it comes to boosting immune health and assisting in sleep.

I am still taking this product post our holiday and have incorporated this into my daily routine. I definitely have felt this has improved my immune system and am really happy I started taking this.

If you're still wondering which mushroom or mushroom supplements will work for you, check out our guide on whether you should take them and which one to take.