The Other Magic Mushroom
This blog has been dormant for the last week due to me catching a truly epic flu on my flight from Shanghai to Los Angeles. I spent about a week on my friend Chris's couch, curled up with his little dog Sassy, who didn't seem to mind me coughing my lungs out next to her. What a little trooper! I'm back in Canada now, and despite the record breaking cold temperatures, my health is improving. Since getting home, I've started drinking Ling Zhi (otherwise known as Reishi Mushroom Tea) on the daily. I've been combining the dried mushrooms in a spice grinder with Pericarpium Citri Reticulate (known commonly as Orange Peel), which helps loosen the phlegm lingering in my chest.
Throughout history in holistic medicine practices, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), reishi mushrooms have been considered to be adaptogen herb-like substances, meaning they help us deal with the negative effects of stress — such as increased inflammation, depleted energy levels, damaged blood vessels and various types of hormonal imbalances. Studies have repeatedly shown that reishi mushrooms have antioxidant abilities that allow them to strengthen the body’s defenses against cancer, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, allergies, infections and more.
Over the past several decades, dozens of different studies conducted in Japan, China, the U.S. and the U.K. have demonstrated that reishi mushrooms are capable of offering protection against numerous diseases or illnesses, including:
inflammation
fatigue (including chronic fatigue syndrome)
frequent infections (urinary tract, bronchitis, respiratory infections, etc.)
liver disease
food allergies and asthma
digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome
tumor growth and cancer
skin disorders
autoimmune disorders
diabetes
viruses, including the flu, HIV/AIDS or hepatitis
heart disease, hypertension, high blood pressure and high cholesterol
sleep disorders and insomnia
anxiety and depression
Because they work as an “immune modulator,” reishi mushrooms can help restore hormonal balance, bring the body back to homeostasis and regulate activity of the immune system, including fighting tumors and cancerous cells. Research shows that reishi mushrooms act like a normalizing substance, regulating various cellular functions and systems, including the endocrine (hormonal), immune, cardiovascular, central nervous and digestive systems.
One of the best things about using reishi mushrooms is that they’re capable of doing so much, yet compared to medications they’re non-toxic and produce hardly any side effects of all. In fact, most people notice a quick improvement in their energy levels, mental capabilities and moods while also experiencing a reduction in aches, pains, allergies, digestive issues and infections.
Reishi mushroom products can be purchased online here: iHerb.ca