Ganoderma Lucidum, Ganoderma Sinense, and Ganoderma Tsugae by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
 

Ganoderma is a basidiomycete white rot fungus which has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries particularly in China, Japan and Korea. The common names for preparations include Lingzhi, Munnertake, Sachitake, Reishi and Youngzhi. The metabolites consist of mainly polysaccharides and terpenoids. See a list of Chinese herbs.

Reishi Mushroom ( ganoderma lucidum ) - Planetary Formulas

Full Spectrum Ganoderma Lucidum Mushroom - A Treasure for 2,000 years!
Reishi contains more than 100 substances many of which are known for their ability to support our immune defenses.  Planetary Formulas Full Spectrum Reishi Mushroom combines a highly concentrated extract of the fruiting body with the mycelia biomass, to ensure that every bit of ganoderma lucidum activity is present and easily assimilable.

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Ganoderma Supplement Facts:
Proprietary Blend:  920 mg
    Ganoderma lucidum Mycelia Biomass, Mature Ganoderma lucidum extract.

Ganoderma and Cancer
Ganoderma lucidum inhibits proliferation of human breast cancer cells by down-regulation of estrogen receptor and NF-kappaB signaling.
Int J Oncol. 2006 Sep;29(3):695-703. Cancer Research Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
We have previously demonstrated that Ganderma lucidum inhibits growth and induces cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase through the inhibition of Akt/NF-kappaB signaling in estrogen-independent human breast cancer cells. Collectively, these results suggest that Ganderma lucidum inhibits proliferation of human breast cancer cells and contain biologically active compounds with specificity against estrogen receptor and NF-kappaB signaling, and implicate Ganoderma lucidum as a suitable herb for chemoprevention and chemotherapy of breast cancer.

Ganoderma lucidum extract inhibits proliferation of SW 480 human colorectal cancer cells.
Exp Oncol. 2006 Mar;28(1):25-9. Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, the Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, USA.
Ganoderma lucidum is a commonly used Chinese herb and an important ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine herbal formulations for immune dysfunction related illnesses. The effects of this medicinal mushroom on human colorectal cancer cells have not yet been evaluated. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ganoderma lucidum extract using SW 480 human colorectal cancer cell line. CONCLUSION: Ganoderma lucidum extract inhibits proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells and possesses antioxidant properties.

Comparative studies of various ganoderma species and their different parts with regard to their antitumor and immunomodulating activities in vitro.
J Altern Complement Med. 2006 Oct;12(8):777-89 Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi) has been commonly suggested in East Asia as a potential candidate for prevention and treatment of different diseases, including cancer. Ganoderma extracts, in particular Ganoderma lucidum (extracts or isolated components), have previously been shown to possess antitumor activities. The present study aimed at comparing three different species of Ganoderma, wildly grown versus cultivated, as well as the different parts of the fruiting body (whole fruiting body, pileus, and stipe), with regard to their antitumor effects in human breast cancer cells and immunomodulatory activities in mouse splenic lymphocytes in vitro. METHODS: The aqueous extracts (12.5-400 microg/mL) of ganoderma lucidum, ganoderma sinense, and ganoderma tsugae were examined for their antiproliferative activities in human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, as well as in normal human mammary epithelial cells (primary culture). The immunomodulatory effects of the extracts were evaluated in mouse splenic lymphocytes. The proliferative responses of the mentioned cell types were determined by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide] assay. RESULTS: The present results demonstrated that the extracts of all tested Ganoderma samples could significantly inhibit cell proliferation in human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, with ganoderma tsugae being the most potent. The extracts, however, did not exert any significant cytotoxic effect on human normal mammary epithelial cells. Within the species ganoderma sinense, the inhibitory effects of wildly grown samples were not significantly different from those of the cultivated samples, except at 400 microg/mL. Most of the tested extracts of Ganoderma stimulated mouse splenic lymphocytes proliferation. The extracts from the stipes of the ganoderma tsugae and wildly grown ganoderma sinense showed much stronger inhibitory effects than the other parts of the fruiting body in both cancer cell lines, whereas the extracts from the stipes of ganoderma lucidum and wildly grown ganoderma sinense showed stronger immunopotentiating activities in mouse splenic lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the aqueous extracts of these commonly available Ganoderma fruiting bodies, ganoderma lucidum, ganoderma sinense, and ganoderma tsugae have antitumor activities in human breast cancer cells and immunomodulatory activities in murine lymphocytes. In addition, the present findings also suggest that the stipes of fruiting bodies of Ganoderma species should be included in the preparation of extract of these fungi in order to obtain the most comprehensive active ingredients. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first detailed comparison among the different parts of the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma.

Ganoderma emails
Q. I have been looking for information on Ganoderma. I understand that it is great for the immune system. Have you had any experience with it and do you know where one might get it in a form that you might use to supercharge the immune system.
   A. Ganoderma supplements may enhance the immune system in the short term, but long term human studies are not available to determine how effective this mushroom extract is in terms of its influence on the immune system when used for months or years.