Reishi — Mechanism, Benefits, Dosing

Overview

Adaptogenic mushroom used for immune balance, sleep, and stress.

Natural sources

Ganoderma lucidum

Common forms

Dual-extracted (water + alcohol)
Beta-glucan standardized

Mechanism of action

Beta-glucans modulate innate immunity; triterpenes provide adaptogenic effects.

Pathways

· Beta-glucan immune modulation

Effects on the body

Supports

Immune modulation

Supports

Sleep quality

Organ system effects

Immune System

Adjunct in cancer chemo for QoL.

Evidence-based benefits

Improves QoL during cancer therapy

Moderate evidence

Mild improvement in sleep & fatigue

Limited evidence

Potential side effects

Common

· GI upset

Rare

· Skin reactions

Serious

· Hepatotoxicity (case reports, powder form)

Drug interactions

Anticoagulants

Antiplatelet effects.

moderate

Antihypertensives

Additive BP lowering.

minor

Safety & non-supplemental interactions

Educational summary — always confirm with your clinician or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or combining with prescription therapy.

Avoid if you are

·Pregnant or breastfeeding (insufficient safety data)
·Children under 18 (unless directed by a clinician)

Avoid with these conditions

·Autoimmune disease (theoretical immune activation)

Avoid / monitor with these medications

·Alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, sedating antihistamines (additive CNS depression)
·Immunosuppressants

Supplement interactions

Pairs well with

None listed.

Avoid combining with

No specific avoidances listed.

Dosing & bioavailability

Typical dose

1.5–3 g dual extract

Where to buy

Affiliate-style search links to reputable retailers. We don't endorse specific brands — verify third-party testing (USP, NSF, Informed Sport) before purchase.

Mushroom

Reishi

Amazon

Wide selection · fast shipping

Mushroom

Reishi

iHerb

Global delivery · curated brands

Mushroom

Reishi

Thorne

Practitioner-grade · NSF tested

Scientific evidence (9)

Meta-analysisCochrane Database · 2016

Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) for cancer treatment

Jin X, et al.

Cochrane review of Reishi as adjunct cancer therapy.

Key findings

Improved immune response and quality of life; insufficient evidence to recommend as monotherapy.

Open study

Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Reishi — Improves QoL during cancer therapy

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Reishi Improves QoL during cancer therapy" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Reishi and "Improves QoL during cancer therapy". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study

Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Reishi — Mild improvement in sleep & fatigue

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Reishi Mild improvement in sleep & fatigue" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Reishi and "Mild improvement in sleep & fatigue". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study

Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Reishi — randomized controlled trial

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Reishi randomized controlled trial" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Reishi and "randomized controlled trial". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study

Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Reishi — meta-analysis

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Reishi meta-analysis" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Reishi and "meta-analysis". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study

Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Reishi — pharmacokinetics

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Reishi pharmacokinetics" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Reishi and "pharmacokinetics". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study

Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Reishi — safety adverse events

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Reishi safety adverse events" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Reishi and "safety adverse events". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study

Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

PubMed: Reishi — dose response

Live PubMed search

Live results for "Reishi dose response" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

Key findings

Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Reishi and "dose response". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

Open study

Systematic reviewGoogle Scholar · 1970

Google Scholar: Reishi — clinical evidence

Live Scholar search

Cross-database citation index for Reishi as it relates to "clinical evidence".

Key findings

Includes preprints, theses, and journal articles. Useful for tracking citation counts and follow-on work.

Open study

Educational use only. This profile is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic condition.