Why Now is the Time to Add Reishi Mushroom to Your Diet
How to Get the Immune-Boosting Benefits of this Powerful Traditional Supplement
You’ve probably been thinking a lot about immunity these days.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has raised everyone’s awareness about immunity. And while everyone is becoming more concerned with important precautions like proper hand washing, disinfecting surfaces, wearing face coverings, and social distancing, you may be missing an important part of keeping your immune system running in top form.
Immunity is a complex equation—so much of which has to do with what we eat. There are many foods that have immune-boosting properties, and maintaining an overall healthful diet of whole, nutritious foods will go a long way in protecting you from disease.
But there is one powerhouse of immunity that people often overlook: mushrooms.
There’s a wide variety of medicinal mushrooms out there, but when it comes to immunity the all-star player is reishi. It’s the most popular medicinal mushroom in the world—and for good reason.
IMMUNE-BOOSTING PROPERTIES
Reishi mushrooms have a long history. First depicted in Chinese art as far back as 1400 AD, they were known in ancient Chinese medicine as Ling Zhi, which translates to “divine mushroom” or “mushroom of immortality.”[1]
Chinese medicine considers reishi an enhancer of vital energy, or Qi. Qi is like a force field surrounding your body that protects health and vitality.
Over 600 years of anecdotal evidence of the mushroom’s benefits in traditional use is pretty compelling. But modern studies are also starting to confirm these claims, showing that reishi mushrooms can boost your immune system in a couple of ways.[2]
Some types of the mushroom have been shown to affect inflammation in white blood cells, which protect your body from disease.[3] One type of white blood cells, called “natural killer cells,” fight infection and cancer.[4] Studies have shown that parts of the reishi mushroom increase the activity and effectiveness of these natural killer cells, giving your body an extra boost of protection.[5]
Reishi has also been shown to have positive effects on another kind of white blood cells: lymphocytes—a main type of immunity cell in your body.
In a study on people with cancer, reishi mushrooms were shown to increase the number of lymphocytes in the body.[6]
But what about people who are already healthy? Is there evidence that reishi can benefit an already healthy immune system?
There is: a study conducted on athletes under stressful conditions indicated that reishi contributed to improved lymphocyte function.[7]
All of these are great reasons to add reishi to your diet, especially right now when maintaining strong immunity is so important. But these specific immune-boosting properties aren’t the only ways that reishi can promote a healthy immune system.
OTHER BENEFITS THAT BOOST IMMUNITY INDIRECTLY
On top of these specific immune-boosting properties, reishi has other health benefits that can also indirectly improve immune function, including a better night’s sleep, enhanced energy, and reduced anxiety and depression.
There have been studies carried out to investigate the sleep- and energy-enhancing qualities of reishi. The mushroom has been shown to promote better and longer sleep in rats.[8] It has also been shown to reduce fatigue in humans, and the participants of that study also reported less depression and anxiety.[9]
The relationship is complex, but it seems that all of these things are intertwined:
The quality of your sleep affects your immunity.[10]
Lack of sleep can increase anxiety[11] (and of course we all know that feeling anxious can make it impossible to fall asleep).
And anxiety is related to immune function in a complex but seemingly important ways.[12]
All of these benefits of reishi—both direct and indirect—work together to support your immune system and overall health. It’s more important than ever to keep your immune system strong, making now the perfect time to add reishi to your arsenal.
HOW TO ADD REISHI TO YOUR DIET
What’s the best way to get all of these benefits?
The easiest way to add reishi mushroom into your diet is through powders and supplements. But it’s important to be sure that you’re using a high-quality product to know that you’re getting all the potential benefits.
A recent study of the quality of 19 reishi supplements was carried out in cooperation with the US Pharmacopeia and published in Nature. Comparing the supplements to the mushroom itself showed that only 5 of them passed the test—which means 74% of reishi supplements on the market are inauthentic and of poor quality.[13]
We only use organic, high quality reishi mushrooms in our bars, which is why they are effective & delicious.
Eat Gold Organics Immune Shroom adaptogenic chocolate bars take the work of sourcing quality reishi and the bitterness out of the equation by infusing high-quality, organic chocolate bars with adaptogenic mushrooms.
They combine the power of reishi with two other potent mushrooms: chaga (with anti-inflammatory properties) and cordyceps (an energy booster with anti-aging properties) for an all-in-one immune-boosting indulgence.
They also contain 70% organic cacao, which is not only f*cking delicious—it’s also loaded with tons of antioxidants that have immune-boosting superpowers of their own.
Click here to buy the Immune Shroom bar—because boosting our immunity and enjoying ourselves are both things we could all use right about now.
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16230843/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25571788/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12916709/
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16428086/
[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18048435/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22207209/
[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22203880/
[10] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/expert-answers/lack-of-sleep/faq-20057757
[11] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0754-8