Organic reishi powder from Dragon Superfoods — Ganoderma lucidum, the mushroom known in China as língzhī and in Japan as reishi, and depicted in Chinese and Japanese art for well over two thousand years as a symbol of longevity.
Reishi is not a culinary mushroom. Unlike shiitake or oyster mushrooms, it is woody, corky and intensely bitter — it is not eaten, it is extracted. Traditionally it is simmered for hours to make a decoction, because the compounds of interest (triterpenes and beta-glucans) need heat and time, and in the case of the beta-glucans, a chitinous cell wall that has to be broken down before anything is available at all. A raw powder stirred into a smoothie is the least effective way to take reishi, and it is worth knowing that before buying.
A quality distinction the market rarely explains. Mushroom products divide into those made from the fruiting body — the mushroom itself — and those made from mycelium grown on grain, where a large proportion of the finished powder is actually the grain substrate. The two are very different products at similar prices, and labels are frequently unhelpful. If this matters to you, look for a product that specifies fruiting body, and treat vague labelling as a warning.
What the evidence shows, honestly. Reishi has been studied a good deal, mostly in small trials and mostly in Asia, and the results are inconsistent. Systematic reviews have generally concluded the evidence is insufficient to support definite conclusions. The European Union authorises no health claims for reishi — not for immunity, not for sleep, not for anything else — and we make none.
Cautions that matter. Reishi may have antiplatelet effects, so speak to a doctor if you take anticoagulants or have surgery planned. It may also affect immune signalling, so it is not appropriate alongside immunosuppressants or after a transplant without medical advice. Not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
How to use it: simmered in hot water or plant milk for at least fifteen minutes rather than stirred cold, with cocoa, cinnamon or a little sweetness to meet the bitterness.
Available at Só Verde, an organic concept store in Foz, Porto.
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