Common Medicinal Mushrooms Part One: Reishi
Debra Hultgren
Today I wanted to share a brief, but important message: never underestimate the value of fungus! I’m sure you weren’t aware that some of the most common wild species are superfoods. Through the next three posts, I’ll be talking about three common medicinal mushrooms - reishi, maitake, and shiitake.
Today, I’ll start with Reishi. The latin name is Ganoderma tsugae - coming from Tsuga canadensis, latin for Eastern Hemlock tree. It grows on hardwood trees and is most often found in hemlock forests. While it's usually found in June, it doesn’t seem to have a set fruiting time according to Adam Haritan, one of my favorite mycophiles, who actually found a fruiting body in December! Since we’re focusing on consuming these particular mushrooms for their medicinal benefits, it’s good to mention that, of course, they are non-toxic. In addition, they can be taken daily without side effects. When taken regularly, they can restore the body to its natural state, enabling all organs to function normally. Another interesting note is that if you know somebody who happens to be going through chemotherapy, this particular species has been shown to enhance immune response and alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea. In general, reishi mushrooms are used mainly for medicinal purposes - to enhance our body's immunity. While reishi is typically not used in culinary preparations - they are non-toxic and are prepared as extracts, powders, and chopped and dried for use in bone broths. For more information on Reishi mushrooms, take a look at the link below.
Image taken from http://www.woodlandessence.com/herbal.htm