If you’re looking for a simple way to boost your overall health, there are many things you can try.
Exercise, diet…these things are amazing, but some people don’t have the time or the budget to make big changes to their lives.
But there’s one thing you can add to your routine with almost no adjustment to your routines at all: reishi mushrooms!
It might sound strange that a mushroom could help improve your overall health. If you’ve never heard of this mushroom before, you’re not alone, but trust us—you’ll be happy you did!
Curious to learn more about reishi mushroom benefits to your health? Here’s everything you need to know…
What Are Reishi Mushrooms?
Reishi mushrooms, also known as lingzhi mushrooms, are a type of mushroom that has become very popular in herbal medicine.
These mushrooms are commonly associated with Asia, but they don’t solely grow there. In fact, if you travel to California, Oregon, or other states in that region of the US, you’ll find them growing freely!
Reishi mushrooms are growing in popularity due to their purported health benefits.
Reishi mushroom benefits help with a whole slew of health issues…but what exactly do they help with, and why?
Health Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms
Antioxidants
One of the health benefits of reishi mushrooms is that they increase antioxidants in the body.
Antioxidants, to put it plainly, defend your cells from harm caused by “free radicals.”
Free radicals can cause health problems as minor as cataracts and as serious as cancer. They can enter your body if you smoke cigarettes, live in an area with high pollution, or even through certain medications.
By increasing your antioxidant intake, you can protect yourself from experiencing an overabundance of free radicals.
Reishi mushrooms are said to increase antioxidant levels, though studies have proven somewhat inconclusive on the subject.
Regardless, if you’re looking to increase your antioxidants, take advantage of the benefits of reishi mushrooms! It’s a harmless way to try it out.
Blood Sugar and Pressure
By consuming reishi mushrooms, you can potentially lower your blood sugar, as well as your blood pressure.
As far as blood pressure, one of the benefits of reishi mushrooms is that they are thought to help lower stress. This can have a positive effect on blood pressure.
They also contain peptides (which can also be found in soy, wheat, eggs, and more) that can potentially help reduce blood pressure.
Reishi mushrooms are also packed to the brim (or the cap, rather) with various nutrients that can lower blood sugar.
High blood sugar can put you at risk for conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease.
High blood pressure can result in a higher chance of contracting heart disease.
Obviously, nobody wants to risk any of that! And for those who don’t have time in their routine to add other ways to reduce risk factors, reishi mushroom benefits are a great help.
Immune System Boost
A daily dose of reishi mushrooms is also thought to boost the immune system.
If you work in fields that expose you to a lot of germs, a reishi mushroom pick-me-up for your immune system might not be a bad idea.
In fact, this is the most proven and popular benefit of reishi mushrooms!
Many people choose to add reishi mushrooms to their regimen in addition to vitamin C and other immune boosters.
If you don’t want to take reishi mushroom supplements daily for too long, another option is to start before flu season kicks in. You can then stop once the height of flu season has passed!
Heart Benefits
Because these mushrooms can improve blood pressure, they consequently can improve and protect heart health!
Reishi mushroom benefits also help lower cholesterol, another risk factor for heart disease.
Heart health is one of the hardest things to protect. Reishi mushroom benefits offer an extra layer of protection—and extra peace of mind!
Energy and Mood
If you’re concerned about how much caffeine you’re consuming, reishi mushrooms can help boost your overall energy.
When you get too reliant on caffeine, just like anything else, its effects lessen. So even when you increase your intake, you still feel tired.
By easing off the caffeine and introducing something more natural, you can boost your energy in a way that doesn’t actually create more fatigue.
This can also assist with lowering anxiety. Caffeine can cause intense “jitters” when too much is consumed. This can result in anxiety, tremors, an inability to concentrate or sit still, and even panic attacks in cases where consumers already struggle with anxiety.
Reishi mushroom benefits can save you from these unpleasant side effects!
How to Add Reishi Mushrooms to Your Diet
Vitamins
The most common and simplest way to get your dose of reishi mushrooms is through vitamins.
Some people aren’t able to or don’t prefer to take capsules, and there are plenty of alternative methods of consumption to choose from.
However, capsules are the most widely available. They’re also the least likely to result in a bad taste. They’re also most likely the least disruptive to your current routines!
You can simply add your capsules to your daily vitamin regimen if you already have one. If not, it’s as simple as a two-second addition to your morning routine.
Coffee
Good news, coffee addicts! Adding reishi mushrooms to your diet can be as easy as switching to reishi mushroom coffee.
This coffee’s flavor doesn’t deviate too far from a classic coffee brew. It promises your usual boost in energy without the unpleasant effects often caused by caffeine.
You don’t have to add any extra powder or take any capsules. All you have to do is make your usual cup in the morning and enjoy!
You may have to adjust your creamer or sugar to strike just the right balance.
However, it’s worth the switch to get rid of the negative effects of coffee and gain the benefits of reishi mushrooms.
Powder
Another easy way to consume reishi mushrooms is by purchasing reishi mushroom powder.
While the flavor isn’t exactly pleasant, it’s not too hard to disguise.
You can mix your daily portion of this powder into a smoothie, a cup of tea, or even soup broth!
You can also add this powder to a mug of ordinary coffee, but the flavor may actually be more difficult to disguise.
You’re more likely to enjoy the actual reishi mushroom coffee than the addition of powder to your daily cup.
If you enjoy making soups and stews, you can mix the powder into your usual recipes. Just keep in mind the way the powder will change the flavor!
While characterized as “bitter,” this flavor can actually blend better in savory meals than sweet smoothies.
Reishi Mushroom Benefits FAQ
Are reishi mushroom benefits proven?
There have been many studies that have confirmed these health benefits. However, they aren’t medically recommended as a sole treatment for various health issues.
So while these benefits have been observed, they’re not meant to be a replacement for medications or treatments already in place.
Are there any negative effects of consuming reishi mushrooms?
While one of the reishi mushroom benefits is a boost in energy, if you choose to replace your coffee with mushroom coffee, there may be an adjustment period.
When you suddenly reduce caffeine intake, you may experience caffeine withdrawal. Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal include fatigue, headache, irritability, and anxiety.
In other words, it may get worse before it gets better.
If you have a sensitive stomach, reishi mushrooms can irritate your gut. You can end up feeling nauseous or experiencing vomiting and diarrhea.
Because they lower blood sugar and pressure, they can also cause dizziness.
They can also interfere with proper blood clotting, which can cause bruising and nosebleeds.
Taking reishi mushrooms daily for longer than a year is not recommended. Any span longer than a month can result in these negative side effects.
Who should avoid reishi mushrooms?
If you are pregnant, you should not consume reishi mushrooms without consulting your doctor.
You also should avoid them if you are someone who suffers from chronic low blood pressure or low blood sugar.
Because reishi mushrooms are used to lower blood pressure and sugar, there’s a chance that consuming them could cause these conditions to worsen.
Experience the Best of Reishi Mushroom Benefits!
All in all, if you’re looking for an easy way to improve a number of health problems, reishi mushroom benefits offer a single solution to multiple issues.
No matter which way you choose to introduce them to your daily life—vitamins, smoothies, or even coffee—it’s easy to try them out!
Looking to learn about more unique mushrooms? Head to our mushroom section now to learn about different mushroom varieties, where to find them, and even how to grow them!
- About the Author
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Cassidy Eubanks is a proud Michigander, an avid reader, a lover of colorful gardens, and a writer for Minneopa Orchards.
After earning her bachelor’s in Creative Writing (partially through virtual learning, thanks to the pandemic), gardening gave her an excuse to get outside and get away from all the screens. With a particular love for decorating with colorful flowers, using herbs grown in her own garden, and finding creative ways to build big gardens in small spaces, Cassidy enjoys helping others learn about growing their own food, flowers, and trees through Minneopa Orchards!