You’ve heard about it, the famous Reishi mushroom also known as Ganoderma. It’s become a staple of wellness and vitality… but what’s behind this mysterious and potent mushroom? Well, ORGANO has the complete Ganoderma guide for you, so you stay informed and make the most out of this treasure of the earth.
Table of contents
- What is Ganoderma?
- Where does it come from?
- What are the benefits of consuming Ganoderma?
- How to incorporate Ganoderma into your diet
- ORGANO making the Ganoderma Difference
What is Ganoderma?
The Ganoderma lucidum mushroom has a long and prestigious history and different names: Reishi in Japanese, King of Herbs, Lingzhi in Chinese… This epic mushroom has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, making it one of the oldest ingredients known to have been used medicinally.
You can recognize the Ganoderma mushroom for its shiny orange cap, and long brown stem. It can be harvested when it reaches maturity, or it can be used earlier, when it is around 18-days old, to take advantage of the antioxidant properties of the minerals on its roots.
The Ganoderma spores are also useful and rich in nutrients, they contain higher concentrations of polysaccharides, triterpenes, and selenium.
Where does Ganoderma come from?
The first trace of the medicinal use of Ganoderma comes from thousands of years ago in traditional Asian medicine. Its Chinese name “Lingzhi” means “spiritual potency” while its Japanese name, Reishi, is translated as the “King of Herbs“.
Native to the tropical regions of Asia, Ganoderma mushrooms grow wild on wood and within large trees, and thrive in heavily forested areas, making them extremely difficult to see and find. The generic name Ganoderma derives from the Greek word ganos which translates as “bright” and derma, which means, “skin”, the epithet lucidum is Latin for “shining.”
Dr. Shi-Jean Lee —the most renowned doctor of the Ming Dynasty — endorsed the effectiveness of Ganoderma in his renowned book Great Pharmacopoeia (Ban Chao Gang Moo). In it, he wrote that “long-term taking of Ganoderma will build a strong, healthy body and assure a long life.”
What are the benefits of consuming Ganoderma?
Now, jumping to the scientific and proven benefits of Ganoderma, this can be said:
Ganoderma is rich in beta-glucans, a polysaccharide that lowers cholesterol, boosts the immune system and aids in blood sugar management.
Several studies have demonstrated that there is a correlation between the polysaccharides in the Ganoderma mushroom and immune function, promoting humoral and cellular immunity.
Other studies have found that its constant consumption also improves vitality and prevents inflammation in the cells in patients exposed to stressful situations.
Its antioxidant properties also enhance aid in healing processes, as well as reduce inflammation.
Check out our Ganoderma Inforgraphic here
How to incorporate Ganoderma into your diet
Ganoderma isn’t to be consumed directly as a mushroom. However, it is synthesized in different forms such as powder, mycelium, and spores to create supplements and enhance other products, providing the benefits of the mushroom in a more convenient way.
ORGANO’s Ganoderma-based products
ORGANO specializes in nutraceutical products and beverages with Ganoderma as their core, providing you the wellness and nutrients you need every day with your favorite beverages and foods. One amazing feature of the Ganoderma we use in our products is that it has no flavor or aroma and, whether you take it with a hot or cold beverage, it doesn’t lose any of its health-boosting properties.
You can try our Ganoderma enriched beverages: Gourmet Coffee, King of Coffee, Café Supreme, Café Latte, Café Mocha, Hot Cocoa, Green Tea and Red Tea. Each one of them with a unique flavor and healthy properties that the king of herbs can give.
The OGX line supports a fit lifestyle and helps you with your weight management goals. The FENIX Shakes provide all the benefits of a high-protein beverage and the antioxidative advantages of Ganoderma.
There’s also supplements with the spores and powder in its pure form to be consumed directly as a capsule or to use in diverse preparations:
A premium product that leverages the benefits of Ganoderma Spores at the pinnacle of their potency. These have higher concentrations of polysaccharides, triterpenes and selenium than regular Ganoderma lucidum.
This product is harvested from 18-day-old Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms, and has higher concentrations of germanium, known for its antioxidant properties, as well as beta-glucans.
The Ganoderma Lucidum supplement captures the benefits of the mature version of the mushroom. Its benefits include vitality and higher immune response.
ORGANO making the Ganoderma Difference
How ORGANO harvests Ganoderma
The biggest difference between us and other Ganoderma producers is that we prefer to grow our Reishi in the most natural way possible. That’s why we use maple logs, instead of plastic bags –the most common way for other companies–, and it makes a huge difference in the end product.
When Ganoderma is grown in plastic bags, it is isolated from the rest of the environment; the Mycelium is packed and sealed with a substrate that will provide the necessary ingredients for it to bloom. The air will enter the bag through a filter, but for two to three months, the mushroom is practically wrapped around its plastic container, getting just the essential heat and light from artificial sources. It’s a very unnatural and controlled process.
Meanwhile, we source Ganoderma at the Wuyi Mountains in China, its native land, where we find the perfect environmental conditions for the mushrooms to sprout out from maple logs, undisturbed. Our facilities provide an exterior and more aired environment allowing Ganoderma to grow in the wild, with natural light. This method ensures that the powder, mycelium and other extracts we take from the mushroom are packed with natural nutrients that they’d previously acquired from the soil.
As it grows, the Ganoderma absorbs these potent nutrients, gathering all the antioxidants that will provide all the great benefits you enjoy with our products.
Now, we follow two different processes. Ganoderma can be harvested when it reaches maturity, that’s how we use it for our hot beverages and mixes. But sometimes we interrupt the process and collect the Mycelium when it is only 18-days old, to take advantage of the antioxidant properties of the minerals on its roots.
Nothing is wasted in this process and we use the spores as well –rich in polysaccharides, triterpenes, and selenium– and also extract the beneficial compounds of Ganoderma, which contain antioxidants, known to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Committed to grow an exceptional mushroom
Our state-of-the-art facilities use cultivation methods awarded with 100% organic certifications from ECOCERT, COFCC, and USDA Organic, meaning that our Ganoderma is grown only through natural methods.
We also have certifications for Good Manufacturing Practices, as well as a Halal and Kosher product seals.
Ganoderma is and will keep on being regarded as one of the most powerful components to support a healthy and balanced life. Check out other resources in our blog to find recipes, lifestyle tips and other information to enrich your life with the power of this amazing mushroom.
About ORGANO™
Founded in 2008 as Organo Gold, ORGANO™ is dedicated to bringing the benefits of the earth’s nutritional riches to people throughout the world via its premium products that can be used daily to help to achieve a more energetic and healthier lifestyle.
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