GANODERMA-MEDICINAL MUSHROOM

Ganoderma lucidum are known as reishi in Japan and lingzhi in China. These medicinal mushrooms, which are usually ground up and added to teas and soups or sold in capsule form, have significant health benefits.
Reishi mushrooms get their medicinal powers from two components: polysaccharides and triterpenes. Iris Benzie, professor of biomedical science in the Department of Health Technology & Informatics at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who has been studying reishi for 15 years, tells Time magazine: "Polysaccharides are believed to stimulate white cells and the immune system and possibly be involved in preventing new blood vessel growth, which has an anticancer effect because cancer cells growing rapidly need a good blood supply and encourage blood vessel growth to nourish them. Triterpenes are believed to be ingredients that might have something to do with lowering cholesterol."

Also, Reishi mushrooms contain complex sugars known as beta-glucans that may stop cancer cells from growing and spreading, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They also boost immune response, and their triterpenes may have blood pressure-lowering and anti-allergy or antihistamine effects, the cancer center says.
Source: http://quiet-corner.com/…/5-medicinal-mushrooms-health-ben…/