Ganoderma lucidum · herb
Evidence tier: weak
The "mushroom of immortality" in TCM. An immune modulating adaptogen that supports stress resilience, sleep depth, and liver function.
Partly demonstrated, partly preclinical. Beta-glucan polysaccharides and triterpenes (the ganoderic acids) are thought to modulate immune cell activity, meaning macrophages, natural killer cells and T cell subsets, with mild sedative and antioxidant effects alongside (MSK About Herbs, plus the immune parameters reported in Cochrane PMID 27045603). Not a settled human outcome.
Weak. A deeply traditional immune tonic whose modern human evidence is thin, sits mostly in a cancer adjunct setting a supplement cannot claim on, and otherwise rests on preclinical immune activity that has never been shown to change a health outcome in a healthy person. NCCIH has no reishi fact sheet, and no mushroom entries at all, so the usual top tier referee has not graded it. The best single piece of human evidence is a Cochrane review pooling five randomised trials in cancer patients, and it is not flattering: Cochrane did not find sufficient evidence to justify the use of Ganoderma lucidum as a first line treatment for cancer, and it remains uncertain whether it helps prolong long term survival; as a chemotherapy add on, tumour response was more likely but the result was fragile (relative risk 1.50, 95 percent confidence interval 0.90 to 2.51, crossing 1), and no trial even recorded long term survival (PMID 27045603). Beyond cancer, a review of fungal beta-glucan trials found only mild immune support, fewer or milder cold and respiratory symptoms and slightly better mood, with inconsistent cellular findings, and that is a class effect across many mushrooms, not a reishi specific result (PMID 33876798). Stress resilience, sleep depth and liver function, all named in the seed, have no adequate human trial verifiable from any named source, and the supports liver function line is actively contradicted by the safety record: NIH LiverTox gives reishi a likelihood score D, a possible rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury, with a documented fatal case (PMID 17621752). MSK About Herbs also states plainly that reishi can increase the risk of bleeding.
LiverTox prints a typical dose of 500 mg to 3 g daily. The seed carries a wider traditional range of 1.5 to 9 g of dried mushroom or the labelled extract equivalent. Given the liver signal, the lower characterised extract dose is the safer reading, and form matters: the liver cases cluster around powdered and concentrated forms rather than traditional boiled preparations.
1 to 3 g hot water extract daily, or 500 to 1500 mg dual extract capsules. Evening use suits its calming properties.
May increase bleeding risk at high doses. Use cautiously with anticoagulants and immunosuppressants.
Pregnancy: avoid
Breastfeeding: avoid
Active compounds: beta-glucan polysaccharides, triterpenes (ganoderic acids)
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.