10:1 Extract
A highly concentrated extract where approximately 10 kg of raw Reishi is reduced to 1 kg of extract. This offers higher levels of key active compounds at a lower dose than standard dried powder.
Fungal name: Ganoderma lucidum (fruiting body/spore/cultivated mycelium)
Family name: Ganodermataceae (Reishi / Lingzhi family)
Other names: Reishi, Lingzhi, Mannentake, Mushroom of Immortality
Origin: Native to East Asia; now cultivated worldwide on hardwoods
Parts used: Fruiting body (cap & stem), spore powder, and/or cultivated mycelium
────────────────────────────
Short Description
Reishi is a revered adaptogenic medicinal mushroom traditionally used to calm the spirit, strengthen overall vitality, and support long-term immunity and longevity. It is rich in β-glucan polysaccharides and triterpenoids (ganoderic acids) that modulate immune signalling, reduce inflammatory burden, and enhance resilience to stress and fatigue. Modern research regards Reishi as a foundational stress-immune tonic with notable benefits for fatigue reduction, immune balance, cardiometabolic health, and comprehensive antioxidant protection—best suited to steady daily use rather than quick results. (ScienceDirect)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/ (PMC)
────────────────────────────
Body Systems Affected
• Immune system – Balances innate/adaptive immune responsiveness
• Nervous system – Calms stress reactivity; supports sleep and emotional resilience
• Endocrine/adrenal axis – Supports adaptation to chronic stress and burnout patterns
• Cardiovascular system – Indirect support via inflammation, lipids, and oxidative stress reduction
• Liver/detox pathways – Hepatoprotective antioxidant support under toxic or metabolic load
• Respiratory system – Traditional tonic for chronic cough, weakness, and low lung endurance
────────────────────────────
Summary of Health Benefits
Reishi is best seen as a profound stress-resistant stabiliser. In traditional East-Asian medicine, it was used for people who were “wired-but-tired,” prone to recurrent illness, or recovering from prolonged stress and depletion. Modern science supports this with strong evidence that Reishi polysaccharides regulate immune balance and that its triterpenoids soothe inflammatory signalling—together reducing the burden that causes fatigue, weakened resistance, and accelerated ageing. (ScienceDirect)
Human studies in clinical populations indicate that Reishi may reduce fatigue and enhance physical well-being, particularly when fatigue is associated with chronic inflammatory stress or cancer treatment. The most well-known pilot human trial using Reishi spore powder in breast cancer endocrine therapy observed significant improvements in cancer-related fatigue and quality of life. (PMC)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3236089/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22203880/
Beyond fatigue and stress, Reishi is a long-term immune-modulating ally. Human trials and clinical reviews show improved immune responsiveness and a better balance of inflammation, supporting resilience against infections and chronic inflammatory states. (PMC)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453023001854
Finally, Reishi demonstrates consistent cardiometabolic support in experimental models and mixed/early human data—most notably for glucose regulation, lipid balance, and oxidative vascular stress. It is best used as a supportive tonic for metabolic and inflammatory processes alongside diet and lifestyle measures. (Murdoch Research Portal)
https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/view/pdfCoverPage?download=true&filePid=13186052510007891&instCode=61MUN_INST
https://publish.kne-publishing.com/index.php/tim/article/download/16536/15487
────────────────────────────
Traditional & Historical Uses
In the ancient forests of China and Japan, Reishi was not gathered as an ordinary mushroom. It was sought like a rare blessing—found on old hardwoods, carried home with ceremony, and offered first to elders and emperors. Healers brewed it for those who could not sleep from worry, for lungs that tired too easily, and for bodies worn thin by grief or prolonged illness. It was said to “quiet the heart and strengthen the will,” returning calm to the spirit while slowly rebuilding the body’s strength. Over centuries, it earned the name “mushroom of immortality,” not because it promised quick miracles, but because steady use was believed to extend vitality, preserve clarity, and help a person age with resilience and peace.
────────────────────────────
Benefits Breakdown
★★★★★ High-Quality Human Clinical Evidence
• Immune modulation & defence readiness
How it helps: Improves immune responsiveness and supports balanced defence activity in human trials and clinical populations.
How it works: Reishi β-glucans activate innate immune receptors and normalise cytokine tone, strengthening immune surveillance without overstimulation.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/
• Cancer-related fatigue & physical well-being (adjunct)
How it helps: Reduces fatigue and improves physical well-being in breast cancer patients during endocrine therapy phases (pilot clinical trial evidence).
How it works: Polysaccharides and triterpenoids reduce inflammatory fatigue drivers and support immune recovery tone.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3236089/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22203880/
────────────────────────────
★★★★ Emerging Human Clinical Evidence
• Stress resilience, mood & quality of life
How it helps: Shows improvements (or strong trends) in stress-linked mood and quality-of-life measures in pilot human studies.
How it works: Adaptogenic triterpenoids and antioxidant polysaccharides modulate HPA-axis stress signalling and inflammatory mood pathways.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7712001/
• Chronic fatigue patterns (non-cancer)
How it helps: Early clinical literature suggests reduced fatigue severity and improved well-being in chronic fatigue-type conditions.
How it works: Supports cortisol normalisation, reduces oxidative load, and improves mitochondrial efficiency.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213422024000696 (ScienceDirect)
────────────────────────────
★★★ Preclinical & Experimental Evidence
• Sleep support & nervous-system calming
How it helps: Improves sleep depth and stress reactivity in experimental models; aligns with traditional insomnia use.
How it works: Reishi fractions influence gut-microbiota–serotonin pathways and calm neuro-inflammatory signalling.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92913-6
• Anti-inflammatory & antioxidant mechanisms (systemic)
How it helps: Reduces chronic inflammatory markers and oxidative damage across models and reviews.
How it works: Triterpenoids down-regulate NF-κB/COX-2 signalling; polysaccharides boost antioxidant enzymes.
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/4/422
• Cardiometabolic support (glucose, lipids, BP)
How it helps: Improves glucose tolerance, lipid profiles, and vascular oxidative stress in metabolic-stress models; human evidence is early/mixed.
How it works: Polysaccharides influence AMPK/PI3K-Akt signalling and reduce oxidative lipid injury and insulin-resistance pathways.
https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/view/pdfCoverPage?download=true&filePid=13186052510007891&instCode=61MUN_INST
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8193219/
• Adjunct anti-tumour mechanisms (preclinical-dominant)
How it helps: Shows tumour-growth suppression and improved immune surveillance in models.
How it works: β-glucans enhance NK/macrophage cytotoxicity while triterpenoids promote apoptosis and anti-angiogenic signalling.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/
────────────────────────────
★★★ Traditional & Nutritional Evidence
• Longevity, spirit-calming, and constitutional strength
How it helps: Traditionally taken for ageing weakness, frequent infections, anxiety-insomnia patterns, and recovery after illness.
How it works: Slow adaptogenic nourishment supports stress-immune balance and deep resilience.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/
• Respiratory tonic for chronic weakness
How it helps: Historically used for chronic cough, asthma-type weakness, and breathlessness patterns.
How it works: Anti-inflammatory polysaccharides support lung-immune repair and endurance tone.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/
https://lcm.amegroups.org/article/view/8106/html
────────────────────────────
Skin & Topical Care
Therapeutic
• Inflammatory, stress-linked skin flare patterns (indirect support)
How it helps: By calming systemic inflammation and improving stress-immune balance, Reishi may indirectly support skin flare-ups linked to stress, immune reactivity, or gut imbalance.
How it works: β-glucans reduce the production of inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress, supporting healthier repair cycles.
Personal Care / Anti-Ageing
• Skin resilience and tone from within
How it helps: Long-term antioxidant and microcirculatory support may improve dullness, elasticity, and stress-aged skin patterns.
How it works: Triterpenoids and polyphenols protect collagen and stabilise inflammation-linked ageing signals.
────────────────────────────
Research & Modern Findings
Immune Modulation / Defence Readiness
How it helps: Improves balanced immune response capacity in human trials.
How it works: Reishi β-glucans engage innate immune receptors, improving cytokine tone and surveillance.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/
Cancer-Related Fatigue & Recovery Support
How it helps: Reduces fatigue and improves physical well-being during endocrine therapy for breast cancer.
How it works: Anti-inflammatory polysaccharides and triterpenoids reduce fatigue in drivers and support immune recovery.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3236089/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22203880/
Stress, Mood & Quality of Life
How it helps: Pilot RCTs show improved mood/quality-of-life trends in stress-pain syndromes.
How it works: Adaptogenic modulation of HPA-axis stress signalling and reduced oxidative neuro-inflammation.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7712001/
Sleep Support (Preclinical-Dominant)
How it helps: Promotes sleep depth and reduces latency in models; aligns with traditional insomnia use.
How it works: Gut-microbiota shifts increase serotonin-related sleep signalling.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92913-6
Cardiometabolic Protection (Preclinical-Dominant)
How it helps: Supports healthier glucose and lipid handling and reduces vascular oxidative stress in models; human evidence is early/mixed.
How it works: Improves AMPK/PI3K-Akt metabolic signalling and reduces lipid peroxidation and insulin-resistance drivers.
https://researchportal.murdoch.edu.au/view/pdfCoverPage?download=true&filePid=13186052510007891&instCode=61MUN_INST
https://publish.kne-publishing.com/index.php/tim/article/download/16536/15487
────────────────────────────
Emotional, Mental & Spiritual Influences
• Emotional: Calms inner agitation; supports steadiness during overwhelm.
• Mental: Encourages clear, grounded thought when stress scatters focus.
• Spiritual: Traditionally seen as a heart-spirit ally—quiet strength, patience, longevity.
────────────────────────────
Properties
• Adaptogenic tonic – Builds long-term resilience to stress and depletion.
• Immunomodulating – Balances immune over- and under-activity.
• Anti-inflammatory – Calms chronic low-grade inflammatory signalling.
• Antioxidant – Protects tissues from oxidative fatigue and aging stress.
• Nervine-calming – Supports a settled nervous system and restorative rest.
────────────────────────────
Actions
• Strengthens immune resilience – Supports defence readiness and balanced cytokines.
• Reduces fatigue load – Improves stamina and recovery tone.
• Calms stress reactivity – Supports emotional balance and HPA-axis steadiness.
• Supports sleep quality – Encourages deeper rest through nervous-system calming.
• Balances metabolism – Encourages healthier glucose and lipid handling.
────────────────────────────
Active Constituents
• β-glucan polysaccharides (β-1,3 / β-1,6) – Core immune and gut-immune actives.
• Triterpenoids (ganoderic acids, sterols) – Adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective actions.
• Proteoglycans & glycoproteins – Immune signalling and fatigue-modulating roles.
• Ergosterol derivatives – Antioxidant and inflammatory balance support.
• Polyphenols/peptides – Cellular protection and metabolic support.
────────────────────────────
Nutritional Profile
• Moderate protein and essential amino acids
• B-vitamins and vitamin D precursors (ergosterol)
• Trace minerals supporting immune and antioxidant enzymes
• Polysaccharide fibre contributing to gut-immune balance
────────────────────────────
Herbs / Mushrooms It Pairs With
• Cordyceps – Energy + stress-immune balance synergy.
• Lion’s Mane – Calm focus and neuro-immune support pairing.
• Turkey Tail / Maitake – β-glucan partners for stronger gut-immune axis support.
• Ashwagandha / Tulsi / Rhodiola – Classic adaptogen combinations for stress-fatigue resilience.
────────────────────────────
How to Use
Take with water, preferably with food:
• Daily wellness: 1 capsule once daily with breakfast
• Ongoing support: 1 capsule twice daily (morning & late afternoon)
• Intensive support: 2 capsules twice daily for 6–12 weeks, then reduce to Ongoing support
Do not exceed the recommended dose unless advised by a healthcare professional.
Tips for best results
Reishi is most effective when taken consistently over several weeks, as its stress-immune and sleep benefits develop gradually. Many prefer to take it in the evening for its calming effect, but twice-daily doses are ideal during periods of high stress or recovery. Combining Reishi with good sleep hygiene, regular meals, and a low-sugar diet can help reduce fatigue and improve metabolic health. Long-term seasonal use is especially beneficial in winter, during burnout phases, and after recovery from illness.
────────────────────────────
Contra-Indications & Cautions
Reishi is generally well tolerated, although mild digestive upset, dryness, or dizziness may occur in sensitive individuals at higher doses. Avoid use if allergic to mushrooms. Since Reishi can influence immune signalling, individuals with autoimmune conditions or those taking immunosuppressive medication should consult a healthcare professional before use. Caution is recommended for those on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy or with bleeding disorders, and it should be discontinued before surgery unless under medical supervision. Safety in high-strength extracts during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and in young children is not well established, so professional guidance is advised for use in these groups.
────────────────────────────
Disclaimer
This product is a natural mushroom-based health supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided is educational and reflects traditional and holistic use. Under the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965, this product may be classified as a complementary medicine/health supplement and has not been evaluated by SAHPRA for quality, safety, or intended use. Consult a healthcare practitioner before use, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children. Store in a cool, dry place.
────────────────────────────
Cultivation Snapshot
• Traditionally wild on old hardwoods; now widely cultivated on oak, maple, and sawdust blocks.
• Fruiting bodies mature over several months under stable humidity and fresh air exchange.
• Spore production occurs late in maturity and is sometimes collected for spore-powder extracts.
• Cultivation ensures consistent potency and protects limited wild stands.
────────────────────────────
Let's Go Natural 