Ganoderma applanatum, commonly referred to as the Artist’s Conk or German Horny Cap fungus, can be found growing on both living and dead trees alike. With its shiny surface and distinctive form, this popular white rot fungus makes an excellent source for making tea, tinctures and decorative purposes – it can even be found year-round on living and dead trees! Throughout all 50 states and Canadian provinces.

Contrary to what one might expect, this particular mushroom’s polysaccharides are insoluble in water and must be broken by either heat or solvents like alcohol before they can be released from its cell wall. There are various methods available for extracting these beneficial compounds from fungi – some yield very different results so it is wise to first determine your product requirements before proceeding with any extraction process.

Ganoderma is often made into tea by steeping dried mushrooms in hot water for several minutes before infusing with herbal remedies or decoctions that last several hours, ensuring all their beneficial properties have been released into the mix.

When making tea, it is best to use a quart or half-gallon canning jar. Begin by filling half the jar with dried mushrooms before adding vodka and capping. Place this container somewhere warm away from sunlight for 4 to 6 weeks while shaking regularly to maintain optimal results.

Hasnat, Pervin, Cha, and Kim (2015) discovered that Ganoderma Lucidum Mycelia extract reduced inflammation by suppressing production of NO and PGE 2 in LPS-stimulated macrophages as well as by decreasing expressions of COX-2, iNOS, TNF-a, and IL-6 mRNAs – all benefits which have been demonstrated for its consumption. For example: cholesterol reduction; blood pressure regulation; and immune system support. Furthermore it showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects which were shown to reduce cholesterol levels by 30%; cholesterol reduction of 20% was reported, cholesterol reduction of 20%! Furthermore it has shown to reduce cholesterol by 25% versus standard medical treatments by 25%!

Ganoderma applanatum has also been demonstrated to possess antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo, including one study where purified lectins from Ganoderma applanatum showed significant cytotoxic and proapoptotic effects against HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells – further research needs to be completed in order to confirm these findings.