Who said mushrooms is just for cooking and for some “fun-high-time” with friends?

Mushrooms can actually be used as an alternative medicine. In fact, a mushroom called Reishi, also known as the “herb of good fortune”, is one of the most-widely used herbal remedies in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Also called lingzhi in Chinese, meaning “herb of spiritual potency”, reishi has also been described as “mushroom of immortality”. And because of its presumed health benefits and apparent absence of side-effects, it has attained a reputation in the East as the ultimate herbal substance.

According to Reishi at LongevityHerbs.com, it has been used since the 2nd Century B.C. but for a long time was restricted from anyone outside of royalty. With regards to its medicinal uses, lingzhi has been found to be “anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, anti-diabetic, anti-hypotensive, and protective of the liver. It has also been found to inhibit platelet aggregation, and to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.” With these properties, this mushroom Because of these properties, lingzhi has been regarded as blood pressure stabilizer, antioxidant, analgesic, a kidney and nerve tonic. Moreover, according to an article in Wikipedia, “It has been used in bronchitis prevention and in cardiovascular treatment, and in the treatment of high triglycerides, high blood pressure, hepatitis, allergies, chemotherapy support, HIV support, and even for fatigue and altitude sickness.”

So the next time you find a mushroom, I hope that with this information, you’ll be looking at it in a different light.