By SUBHUTl DHARMANANDA, Ph.D.

Medicinal Mushrooms

Tree mushrooms are found growing in virtually all forests and tend to be large or brightly colored. Woody or otherwise very tough, they are not usually considered edible. Virtually aｌｌ are non-toxic, and many are medical treasures.

   THESE TREE MUSHROOMS have become prominent subjects of numerous research efforts during the past decade, but their use in medicine is hardly new. A Chinese legend from more than 2,500 years ago holds that some islands to the East (probably modern day Japan) held rich reserves of the "mushroom of immortality." One of China's emperors sent a ship of explorers to find and bring back this rich treasure, but the ship never returned (it is thought that the explorers decided to stay there with the treasure of mushrooms). For centuries afterward, the Chinese made do with the occasional finding of those and other choice mushrooms in their own forests.

   That mushroom legend was "Ling Zhi," now known as Ganoderma lucidum. It is, in fact, one of the main health food items of Japan, where it is called Reishi. The demand for the mushroom is so high that it is cultivated intensively in China, Japan, and the U.S. Since more is known about ganoderma than any of the other tree mushrooms, it will be discussed here, however,there are many other valuable tree mushrooms such as a large and prolific botanical relative of ganoderma called hoelen, which became one of the most frequently used of all Oriental herbs after sup-plies of ganoderma ran short.

   Ganoderma is now consumed as a health tonic, much like ginseng, eleuthero ginseng, and astragalus, wherever it can be obtained. People take it to provide enhanced energy, to improve digestion, and to get better sleep. Furthermore, it is used both as preventive and treatment for a number of serious health problems that require help from a fortified, balanced immune system and a healthy cardiovascular system.

   Ganoderma's broad health benefits and lack of toxicity make it a virtual panacea. Researchers have pinned down a number of specific actions and active ingredients that help us understand how this one mushroom can have so manｙ beneficial effects.