What is Ganoderma Extract Role of Red Mushroom in Cancer Prevention
What is Ganoderma? This was my first question when a friend told me about Ganoderma extract. I'm from Asia where this red Ganoderma mushroom is supposed to have a special place in Traditional Asian medicine. This red mushroom even has a role in prevention of various types of tumor.
But I was ignorant about what it is and what it is for. This was 5 years ago. I have been taking Ganoderma supplements since 2004 and I know what it is. So, you may ask me "What is Ganoderma?"
Ganoderma Lucidum is actually the scientific name for this mushroom. It is a polypore kind of mushroom. Its color is red that's why it is also called as red mushroom.
It is also known as Lingzhi among the Chinese, Reishi among the Japanese and Yeongji among the Koreans. It is one of those edible mushrooms -- but it is not recommended for cooking.
Ganoderma red mushrooms grow on wood or logs in densely wooded mountains of high humidity and dim lighting. Thus, they are fungi. Among herbs, mushrooms have profound effects on your body's cells because they are fungi. Fungi and the human body have more in common than higher types of herbs.
What is Ganoderma used for? It is considered as the most important herb in traditional Asian Medicine. In fact, Ginseng only comes in second in terms of importance.
It has been used extensively as a medicinal mushroom to promote health, strength and longevity for over 2,000 years. By the way, traditional Asian medicine includes the Chinese, the Japanese and the Koreans.
Among the Chinese people, Ganoderma is regarded as "King of Herbs". The late Hiroshi Hikino, recognized as the world’s authority on the chemistry of Oriental medicinal plants, called it as one of “the most important elixirs in the orient.”
But for more than a thousand years, Ganoderma mushroom has been covered with mystery. People only knew it is highly effective in maintaining health but no one scientifically investigated why it is effective.
Thankfully, researches have been done by both Asian and other foreign scientists in recent years.
What does Ganoderma have that makes it as King of Herbs?
Ganoderma extract is the only source of Tripertenes, which are also known as Ganoderic acids. It contains more than 200 active elements. Ninety five percent of these 200 elements are either water or organic soluble. Its solubility makes your body absorb Ganoderma easily and fully.
The major elements are Polysaccharides, Adenosine and Triterpenoids, which all provide health benefits of ganoderma extract to your body. One of its health effects is prevention against cancer.
Ganoderma and its preventive effects on cancer have been the subject of extensive studies in China, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom for the past 30 years. Its various therapeutic benefits are being studied until today.
What is Ganoderma and its impact to Western medicine?
The mainstream Western type of medicine does not 100% recognize the beneficial effects of this red mushroom yet. Maybe because mainstream medicine still focuses more on finding the ultimate "cure" after the disease has set in.
In contrast, traditional Asian Medicine believes that prevention of any disease such as cancer is possible by sustaining balance within your body.
