Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) has long been one of the most revered medicinal mushrooms in herbal medicine for good reason. This woodsy mushroom serves as a powerful adaptogen and sleep promoter with stress-reducing and immune enhancing benefits, used extensively throughout Asian culture for more than 2,000 years to balance energy and improve mood – it now forms a core component of many natural supplements and tonics as well.

Reishi was recently found to relieve symptoms of neurasthenia, an illness characterized by chronic fatigue, headache, irritability and difficulty sleeping. After eight weeks on Reishi therapy, participants reported lower levels of fatigue as well as feeling well and experiencing decreased spontaneous activity like fidgeting and anxiety.

Reishi contains numerous bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and cellular repair benefits. Triterpenes promote cellular health while helping the body manage inflammation. They also support healthy blood sugar levels while improving cardiovascular health by increasing “good” HDL cholesterol and decreasing triglycerides.

Reishi has shown to help promote better sleep through its adaptogenic properties, helping ease transition from wakefulness to deep slumber. Reishi has even been shown to reduce time taken to fall asleep and increase total and non-rapid eye movement sleep duration* as well as reduce stress and depression while simultaneously improving mood and cognitive function. *