- The ‘King of Herbs’
Just recently I
was introduced to the most amazing coffee I have ever had, which did not give
me the jitters or caused any heart palpitations and most significantly it did
not cause me to have a sleep deprived night even though I had it after 11pm! I
have loved coffee from I was a child, however I have stayed away from it for
years because of all the side effects I just mentioned, as some years ago when
I was preparing for my designation exams and needed to stay up late at nights,
I had a particularly strong brand (which will remain nameless here) and since
then I have had all those reactions. So after experiencing this curious well
tasting coffee, I sought to find out what made it so special and found out that
it was infused with this incredible herb known as Ganoderma lucidum mainly found in Eastern Asia .
I therefore decided to do some research on it myself to see if everything they
were touting about his herb was true. Well whaduyahknow … I have discovered some
awesome health benefits packed in this hardly known herb in the Western World!
So as usual, in my quest to bring you information on little known natural
health supplements I am sharing this information with you.
So what is Ganoderma Lucidum?
Ganoderma lucidum is a potent immune system regulator, promising
anti-cancer agent, and stress reducer, frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is found
in the bitter, hard Reishi Mushroom, which grows wild on trees and logs.
According to www.Examine.com (who does
research on supplements and serves as a reference guide):
Ganoderma lucidum has anti-oxidative
effects when supplemented. It also has a therapeutic effect on insulin
resistance, reduces the risk of prostate cancer, and can help treat a variety
of conditions associated with metabolic syndrome.
The lingzi mushroom is well known
for its anti-cancer effects. It is able to activate natural killer cells,
increasing their activity and the body’s ability to fight tumors. Supplementing
Ganoderma
lucidum reduces the chances of metastasis, which is when cancer
spreads to another part of the body.
Ganoderma lucidum has a variety of
mechanisms, but they are focused on moderating the immune system. The lingzi
mushroom is able to reduce immune system activity when the system is
overstimulated, and bolster the immune system when it is weakened. In general, Ganoderma lucidum
increases the amount of active immune system cells.
According to Web MD (www.webmd.com), these are the health benefits of Ganoderma Lucidum:
Ø
Herpes-related pain. Some people report
that hot water extracts of reishi mushroom decreases pain when conventional
treatment doesn’t work.
Ø
Boosting the immune system.
Ø
High blood pressure.
Ø
High cholesterol.
Ø
Viral infections.
Ø
Tumors.
Ø
Prostate cancer.
Ø
Heart disease.
Ø
Asthma and bronchitis.
Ø
Stress.
Ø
Kidney disorders.
Ø
Liver disease.
Ø
HIV disease.
Ø
Altitude sickness.
Ø
Fatigue.
Ø
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
Ø
Trouble sleeping (insomnia).
Ø
Stomach ulcers.
Ø
Poisoning.
Ø
Shingles.
Ganoderma though is not
without its side effects: because of its potency in boosting the immune system,
people suffering from Lupus and any other autoimmune disease which causes the
body’s immune system to attack itself should not consume Ganoderma Lucidum. It
also causes thinning of the blood (which is why it is so good with fighting
heart diseases) and it can lower the blood pressure too much if it is taken
while on medication for High Blood Pressure (so if you are on meds for
hypertension or high cholesterol then perhaps you could cease taking them a bit
and try Ganoderma lucidum for a while and you might find you do not need the
meds again!). It has been found however that the benefits of Ganoderma lucidum
greatly outweighs the cons.
Having discovered all
of the above I have therefore decided to keep Organo Gold’s organic coffee and
teas as a permanent fixture in my tea cupboard! What do you have in yours?
Be blessed and stay healthy!
sharbs
Reference:
http://examine.com/supplements/Ganoderma+lucidum/
http://symphonicoffee.myorganogold.com/company/ganoderma/
