Lingzhi Mushrooms

Lingzhi Mushrooms

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The mechanisms of action and medical applications of Lingzhi products

In principle, lingzhi is used to prevent illnesses; this complies with the principle of Chinese medicine, which states that prevention is more important than treatment. Lingzhi can enhance human's natural immunity, strengthen one's body and keep the body in normal homeostatic state, therefore using lingzhi as a supplement to maintain health is highly recommended. According to the clinical findings of Mycologist all over the world, it was found lingzhi to be useful against many disease conditions, this is because it has the following properties:
? It increases the amount of super-oxidant dehydrogenase which are useful in eliminating free radicals in the body.
? It enhances the exchanges and tightness in the cell membrane and keeps the human cells in energised state.
? It enhances the human immune system.
? It maintain the normal growth of the tissue thus prevent abnormal cell or tissue growth.
? It has anti-tumour property which stop metastasis, and it destroys the endoplasmic reticulum in the tumour cells and prevents tumour cell from further replication.
? It can prevent cancer patient dying from pulmonary embolism. It can relieve the side-effects of chemotherapy and relieve cancer pain.
? It enhances pancreatic secretory function and thus lowers blood sugar.
? It promotes circulation of blood, therefore human organ can get enough oxygen and nutrient.
? It can lower the amount of cholesterol and lipids in the blood.
? The adenosine in lingzhi, can prevent platelet related blood clotting, and dissolve the thrombus in the blood vessels.
? It can reduce the process of thrombosis and prevent atherosclerosis thus allow anti-tumour medications to circulate to tumour cells and achieve maximal anti-tumour effect.
? It reduces the side-effect of anti-hypertensives.
? It prevents the release of histamine, it promotes regeneration and repair of bronchial epithelium (thus treats asthma and coughs); when the histamine does not enter the body then no allergic reaction will occur.
? It prevents leukocytopenia and anaemia resulted from bone marrow impairment.
? It stabilises the red cell membrane
? It protects the liver from damage and enhances its detoxification action.
? It prevents the ageing process of tissue, and keeps the body in youth, and manages the discomfort of menopause.
? It can improve the renal function, and maintains the balance of various hormones in the body.
? It can restore the central nervous system dysfunction, and improve symptoms such as neurasthenia.
? It has good anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The anti-tumour effect of Lingzhi
In this day and age, many people still cringe when hear about cancer, this is because cancer cell multiplies and spreads quickly and human immune system could not be boosted fast enough to fight against cancer thus cause many tragedies. The D6 type polysaccharides of sporangium of lingzhi can enhance the action of macrophages and speed up the formation of special substance, which is useful against cancer, in particular the suppression of S-180 can reach 83.9%. The sporangium has high concentration of polysaccharides, thus its rate of tumour suppression would be higher still.
The D6 type polysaccharides contain active substances, which enhance immunity and enhance anti-tumour action. It also restores the T-lymphocytes, which is useful against villous type tumour in animal, and it is useful to enhance the weakened immunity due to chemotherapy.
Lingzhi can inhibit the thrombus and improve vascular action
Thrombus can arise from atherosclerosis, and lead to poor circulation and eventually cause tissue hypoxia, and necrosis. Therefore, they often accompany myocardial infarction, angina, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke and cerebrovascular disease.
Thrombus can also cause disturbance of autonomic nervous system, menopause maladjustment, lower back pain, haemorrhoids, chronic hepatitis, neck and shoulder stiffness, irritability , insomnia and gingivitis.
Lingzhi can reverse this vessel abnormality, and inhibit the process of thrombus formation. This is one of the most miraculous actions of lingzhi and an important medical breakthrough.
Results from clinical trials showed that lingzhi was effective in treating 85% of patients with myocardial infarction or angina, and it could improve symptoms such as dizziness, headache, chest discomfort, tiredness, insomnia, indigestion and especially useful in treating high or low blood pressure. Medical specialist believe lingzhi has 8 therapeutic effects on cardiovascular system:
1. It treats the symptoms of hypertension.
2. It restores the blood pressure back to normal in patient with hypotension.
3. It prevents the process of atherosclerosis.
4. It stops thrombus formation, and lyses thrombus where possible.
5. It treats hyperlipidaemia.
6. It treats the side-effects of anti-hypertensives.
7. It slows the natural process of agein.
8. It complements other hypertensives.
The importantance in treating central nervous system dysfunction
Lingzhi is useful in treating central nervous system related conditions such as insomnia and neurasthenia. Lingzhi has an excellent analgesic effect and thus can treat all kinds of painful conditions especially cancer pain.
The clinical presentation associated with disturbance of autonomic nervous system:
a. headache, or heaviness in the head.
b. Dizziness and tinnitus.
c. Cold extremities in winter and warm extremities in summer.
d. Vasodilatation in superficial vessels of the eyes and impair one's vision.
e. Lower back or waist pain.
f. Difficulty passing urine, and development of noctuira.
g. Shoulder and lower neck stiffness.
h. Weakness from waist down.
The patience use of lingzhi would see the improvement or disappearance of the above symptoms.
Lingzhi can treat diseases related to the respiratory system such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, coughs and sputum
According to the clinical evidences, lingzhi is incredibly effective against respiratory diseases e.g. it relieves 80% of allergic bronchitis and 85.8% of bronchial asthma.
Lingzhi can treat diseases related to the liver and gastrointestinal system such as acute or chronic hepatitis and stomach ulcers
Lingzhi can restore the impaired liver and stomach function, the rate of improvement in B type hepatitis, gastritis and gastric ulcers are as high as 80%. It can also effective in preventing leukocytopenia and anaemia.

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The active components of Lingzhi

For the last decade, the researchers from east and West have been active in analysing and discovering the therapeutic benefits of Lingzhi. Various universities, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies also co-operated in further analysis and conduct clinical trials on the therapeutic effect of Lingzhi. The wide therapeutic effects of Lingzhi are therefore elucidated by their efforts, such as: thinning the blood, potentiation of the detoxification process, increasing in the renal function, enhancement of liver function, aiding in active bowel movement, protective for cardiovascular risks, maintaining normal blood pressure, vitalising the human body, anti-microbial effects, anti-tussive effects, analgesic effects, sedating effect and anti-tumour properties etc. Lingzhi is rich in active components, in particular Ganoderma polysaccharides, Ganoderma acid and adenosine
1. Ganoderma Polysaccharides.
From analysis, Ganoderma polysaccharides can be separated into mostly 200 types of β-glucose compounds, and a few α-glucose compounds, polysaccharides made up from triple monosaccharide chains, it is a helical structure in 3D dimension, and it is very similar to the structure of DNA and RNA. The helical structure is held together by nitrogen bond, the number of bonds range from 100,000 - 1000,000, majority exist in the interior of cell wall. Apart from small parts of mircromolecular polysaccharides, majorities are non-soluble in high concentration of ethanol, but they could be dissolved in hot water. The external polysaccharides, which are secreted by the hyphae of Lingzhi, can be cultured in either liquid or solid medium. These polysaccharides are the active or therapeutic polysaccharides. Lingzhi is rich in heterosaccharides such as glucose, maltose, sucrose etc and many other monosaccharides.
Amongst these varied Lingzhi polysaccharides, there are four that have strong anti-oncogenic properties. These four polysaccharides are rich in proteins, one of which is known as the β-D-glucose, with molecular weight of either 3.12 * 105 or 1.56*106, and this is also known to have the best anti-tumour activity.
The Ganoderma D6-polysaccharides is also one of the active component, therefore, it also caught the attention of medical and pharmaceutical researchers around the world, hence there are many reports on this compound. From recent research, it is found that Ganoderma polysaccharides has a wide pharmacological activities, it can enhance the body immunity, increases the oxygen tolerance, scavenges the oxygen free radicals, suppresses tumour growth, protects against radiation, enhances liver function, maintains normal muscle and marrow regeneration, it is also important in the process of DNA and RNA protein synthesis. One Japanese giant pharmaceutical company extracts Lingzhi to make into pills because of its property to enhance immunity against infective pathogens, and subsequently this pill was approved by the ministry of health in Japan as a health supplement for its citizens.
2. Ganoderma Acid
The structure of Ganoderma acid is complex and it is made up of mostly 30 carbon atoms and in small parts by 27 carbon atoms. The Ganoderma acid is of either a cyclopropene or cyclopentene orientation.
The quantities of Ganoderma acid vary depending on the species of the Lingzhi, the different cultivation mediums, or the stage of Ganodermal sporangium. Due to this variability, the level of bitterness varies too, it is believed that the higher the content of Ganoderma acid the more bitter the taste. Mayasaki et al proposed that the Ganoderma acids content increases with the ripening of the sporangium, and they concentrate in the exterior of the sporangium.
Ganoderma acid has many active pharmacological properties; it has anti-nociceptive effect, sedating action, anti-histamine action, detoxification, liver protection, and antitumour properties. Lingzhi has the highest content of Ganoderma acids. The pharmaceutical industries hold a very high regard for Lingzhi products, especially Ganodema acids A, B, C, D. It is widely accepted that the higher the Ganodema acid contents the higher the quality of the Lingzhi product.
3. Ganoderma Adenosine
Adenosine belongs to the family of purine group and it is a major base sound in the nucleic acids. Lingzhi is rich in many adenosine-derived products; all contains potent pharmacological activities. Ganoderma adenosine's can reduce the blood viscosity; suppress the platelet aggregation, therefore prevent the thrombus formation; and increase lipoprotein 2-3 phosphricglycerine contents, and enhance the oxygen carrying ability hence increase blood supply to the brain; purify the blood and increase blood circulation throughout the body.
4. Organic Germanium
Germanium is a rare element; it has molecular number 32. A German scientist discovered germanium in 1885 while analysing a certain mineral. Therefore, the element was name as Germanium after his country Germany. According to research findings, Organic Germanium can produce large quantities of oxygen and substitutes the action of oxygen, and it can enhance the oxygen carrying abilities of human blood circulation by 1.5 times, hence enhances metabolism and prevent ageing.
Human body is composed of electrons, therefore has energy level. Any increase or decrease in this energy level would indicate pathology or disturbed homeostasis. Organic Germanium can maintain this normal homeostatic energy level in all human organs thus maintain health. For example, cancer cells would cause elevation of energy levels, due to the rapid and uncontrollable multiplication of these cells. Organic Germanium can lower this energy level and thus contain the tumour cells. In biochemical terms, this is known as the de-nitrogenation effect, thus suppressing the tumour growth. (Note: it is the nitrogen, which is the electron that establishes the energy level in human.)
a. Organic Germanium increases oxygen carrying capacity, and reduce the occurrence of cancer
Dr. Koche, a world famous German oncologist, once presented the finding that one of the cause of tumour is due to ischaemia. Prof. Caesly of Montreal University Canada also found that when one attempt to constrict the blood vessel or decrease the amount of blood flow into a human organ experimentally, that organ is prone to disease. The main issue related to decrease blood flow to an organ relates to the decrease in circulating haemoglobin that holds the oxygen required for normal tissue functioning. Therefore, we can avoid many diseases by avoiding the risk of ischaemia. Organic Germanium is well known for its ability to replenishing oxygen or substitutes oxygen, and it can help eliminate the toxins inside the human bodies, therefore if our organs are replenished well with oxygen, then they can function normally and are less prone to any pathology.
With regard to cancer, An world authoritative Japanese cancer researcher once pointed out "Cancer cells can spread haemotogenously." This is because cancer cell can adhere to the blood vessel wall, and invade through the entire wall and causing damage locally then spread outside the blood vessel. Since Organic Germanium can reduce the viscosity of blood and promote efficient blood circulation, therefore cancer cells is less likely to adhere to the vessel wall, also Organic Germanium can terminate the tumour cells via the powerful oxidative process.
b. Organic Germanium can reduce the damage resulting from radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy can destroy abnormal tissue and surrounding normal tissue, it can also destroy the red blood cells. From the findings of biochemical research: Organic Germanium will adhere strongly to red blood cells, thus shield the incoming beam of rays from damaging the red blood cells. Therefore the cancer research world wide, mostly conclude that those patient who took Lingzhi are less likely to have side effects related to radiotherapy compare to the placebo group.
c. Organic Germanium can prevent any pathology related to ischaemic injuries.
Organic Germanium can stop the electron movement between nerve cells, therefore exerting its potent pain-killing effect. (Pain transmission relates to the movement of electron from the site of injury to the brain.) Human brain consumes the majority of oxygen supply to the body; therefore Germanium's enhancement of oxygen carrying ability can be readily explained. Also, many neurological problems are related to ischaemia to the brain causing hypoxia. Therefore, Organic Germanium can improve depression, hysteria, and brain-softening etc. Also polluted air, blood supply and food, can also cause many pathology. Organic Germanium can follow the blood flow and enter our organ to fight off the invading contaminant or pollutant, thus help eliminating or detoxifying their toxic effect and decrease the risk of pathology.
d. Lingzhi has both Germanium and Ganodermal polysaccharides.
Although there are plants those contain either Organic Germanium or Ganoderma polysaccharides, but none of it contains both. Lingzhi is an amazing plant in which contains both Organic Germanium and Ganoderma polysaccharides.

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The paradoxical reversal reaction

1. Awareness that the symptoms have resolved.
2. Feeling of revitalisation.
3. Feeling of hunger (return of appetite but able to control weight).
4. Improve sleeping quality. (can sleep soundly, reduce the sleeping time yet feel refreshed the next day.)
5. Improve urination and bowel motion. (normal bowel activity and urination)
6. Paradoxical reversal reaction.
A. Paradoxical reaction = Reversal reaction = Detoxification process.
In Chinese medicine and dietary therapy, there is a term known as transient paradoxical reaction, which is often mistaken as side effect to the therapy. To the contrary, these paradoxical effects often resolve with gradual disappearance of discomfort or illnesses. There are even sayings that without paradoxical reaction, there will be no remission of disease.
Paradoxical reversal reaction is a detoxification process; it is also a prodrome for therapeutic effect. The extent of paradoxical reaction also varies between individual, no two people present with the same symptoms, it is purely depend on the person's illness and diathesis.
In general, those with allergic diathesis or those who take chemical by-products regularly, are prone to this paradoxical reaction, the eczema not only present on face and trunk, it can also cause mouth ulcer, ankle swelling, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, tinitis, blood pressure fluctuation, and increase in stool. It is also possible some people only presented minor symptoms that they are not aware off. Therefore, if you can witnessing the above symptoms, do not worry, for it is not a side effect. Just continue your medications, and it will resolve or decrease gradually with time.
B. The analysis of paradoxical reaction
1. Improvement of body to healthy diathesis
When we move from "acid diathesis" to "alkaline diathesis", that implies we are making progress in that we are accelerating the elimination of toxins out of body. Thus it is possible to experience some symptoms of paradoxical reactions (for about 3-10 days). But, one will feel relaxed and revitalised once the symptoms resolved.
2. Symptoms are more severe with acid diathesis.
The blood is more turbid in patient with acid diathesis, therefore are more prone disease of any organ in the body, if there is symptom they are often more severe. E.g. Somnolence (even in the day time), dry mouth, nocturia, and flatulence.
3. The minor symptoms associated with various diseases: (approx. 3-10 days)
? Hypertension patient: Heaviness of head, persist for 1-2 weeks.
? Anaemia patient: according to the diathesis of the person, there might be minor bleed (more in female).
? Patient with indigestion: heart burns, and poor appetite.
? Peptic ulcer patient: pain in the ulcer regions.
? Patient with stomach pathology: heaviness of stomach, and belching.
? Patient with poor intestinal function: Diarrhoea.
? Patient with poor liver function: nausea and vomiting.
? Liver cirrhosis patient: blood in the stool.
? Nephritic patient: There is lowering of protein count, and slightly swelling of face.
? Diabetic patient: temporary rise in blood glucose. Swelling of hand and ankle.
? Haemorrhoids: temporary bleeding.
C. Issues that require attentions
1. Nine of ten patients will present with symptoms of paradoxical reaction, mostly mild symptoms, and only few with severe symptoms.
2. Those with symptoms are more likely to experience the therapeutic effect of Lingzhi, therefore have better recovery.
3. Those with mild symptoms must persist therapy for 2-5 days, and those with severe symptoms must persist for 7-30 days.
4. If one is experiencing very severe symptoms, they should stop the therapy or consult the doctor to relieve the symptoms first. (those with severe skin allergy, the symptoms will resolve with cessation of therapy.
5. The symptoms occur 3-10 days after Lingzhi intake, but some takes 2-3 months for the symptoms to resolve. Also, the symptoms occur more than once, until the disease resolves.
6. One must take Lingzhi for sometime before the therapeutic effect starts.
D. The reasons Lingzhi fail to work
Under normal circumstances, it takes 2-3 bottles of Ganopoly products before one's condition improves. But some might experience no improvement for the reasons below:
1. Non-compliant (not eating regularly, nor taking the right dose).
2. Inadequate dose.
3. Cessation of therapy due to lack of understanding of paradoxical effects.
4. There is lack of balance in diet, exercise and lifestyles.
5. The patient has been sick for too long, therefore has taken many different medications, therefore the body cannot rid itself all toxins in such a short time. Also, the patient has not taken the right medication and cause accumulation of toxins in the body.
6. The condition of the patient fluctuates, and the patient lack of patience or lack confidence therefore stops therapy without instruction.
7. Psychogenic factors: patient stop therapy because of negative comments from others.
8. Drug interaction with illicit or contraindicated medication.
Lingzhi Mushrooms are as well used in cooking, especially in China & Korea as additional and special ingredient or as well as medicinal herbs in teas.

Best regards & enjoy!
Stefan