Reishi

Ganoderma lucidum · Lingzhi · Reishi Mushroom

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Immune function support^{1, 2} Cancer-related fatigue^{3, 4} Adjunct to cancer therapy⁵ Borderline high triglycerides⁶ Lower urinary tract symptoms⁷	Immunosuppressant therapy⁷ Pregnancy or nursing⁸

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum, also called Lingzhi) is a medicinal mushroom whose beta-glucan polysaccharides and triterpenes act through immune modulation⁷. Supplementation is used for immune support, for cancer-related fatigue and quality of life alongside conventional care, for lipid management, and for lower urinary tract symptoms in men⁷.

In healthy adults, a beta-glucan trial found higher T-lymphocyte and natural killer cell measures. A Cochrane review did not find enough evidence to justify use as first-line cancer treatment, though trials reported better immune parameters and quality of life as an adjunct^{5, 9}. Cardiovascular and glycemic results are negative: a Cochrane review in type 2 diabetes did not support use for cardiovascular risk factors¹⁰. A 2023 systematic review of Ganoderma spore extracts reported immune, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, and noted that high-dose extracts raised the tumor marker cancer antigen 72-4¹¹. Products listing reishi are mostly powders and capsules; see Form comparison.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

71 sources, 50 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources