Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi), is a reddish-brown mushroom commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve health, promote longevity and prevent illness. Lingzhi is also commonly referred to as the divine mushroom due to its powerful immune-enhancing abilities and reputation of renewing vitality, strength and endurance.

Reishi mushrooms have been demonstrated to possess antitumor, immunomodulatory, and hypolipidemic activity. With over 470 natural components like triterpenoids and polysaccharides that may protect against carbon tetrachloride or galactosamine toxicity in animals.

Reishi use has been linked with several cases of liver injury reported in the literature, from mild and asymptomatic elevations in serum aminotransferase levels, to acute hepatitis that resolved rapidly when stopped taking the herbal product, often without an identifiable cause (liver biopsies typically showed normal results and no cause could be determined in many instances)(see references ). (Kleinman).

However, it should be noted that Reishi products and GYO kits sold as “Reishi” do not always contain this species. A study using DNA analysis discovered that 93% of Reishi products and half of GYO kits labeled Ganoderma lucidum actually contained Ganoderma sichuanense instead. Other species present include Ganoderma applanatum sessile or australe.