Our best selling product so far, Instant Reishi, has received a lot of attention lately amongst people all over the world. I have received a myriad of Reishi related comments from many different countries, and the gist of them is pretty much the same - Your Instant Reishi is the most effective reishi product I have ever tried. How do you do that?

Since there are quite a lot of people wondering why our products are so effective, we decided to let the cat out of the bag, and tell openly “our secret” to everyone;

We focus on quality

It truly is that simple. By using the best possible cultivation method, choosing the highest quality ingredients, developing recipes that have synergistic properties, keeping an eye on the whole manufacturing process, and selecting potent extracts we have managed to create products that really work.

In case of Reishi, for instance, it means that we have decided to use only the red Reishi, which is arguably the best strain of all the different (red, black, blue, white, yellow, purple) Reishi mushrooms. It has a great number of scientific research, the highest content of polysaccharides, which are the key elements of health effects of Reishi, and even historical writings are most often talking specifically about red Reishi.

We have intensively studied different cultivation methods and chosen the best option for us. And yes, we use cultivated Reishi, not wildcrafted as research has shown that the health-enhancing properties of Reishi are strongest when the plant is fully mature. In the wild Reishi hardly never gets fully mature due to the unstable conditions of environment that exist in the natural surroundings of Reishi plants.

Four methods of cultivation

Rice mass, Wood pulp, wooden box, and natural wood log cultivation are four common methods of cultivating the Reishi plant.

Rice based cultivation is getting more and more common especially in the West as it is the easiest and the cheapest way to cultivate Reishi. Reishi fungi and some fertilizers are added into the nutrient-poor white rice mass. This is what I like to call “factory farming of Reishi” – trying to get as much quantity as possible with the least possible effort no matter what.

In wood pulp cultivation, wood pulp along with Reishi fungi are placed in a glass bottle. Even though this growing method is lightyears ahead of rice mass cultivation, it still yields small mushrooms of relatively poor quality. In wood box cultivation, which is again a bit better in terms of quality, involves grafting the fungi into a wooden log that is then placed in a wooden box. Medium size and moderate quality Reishi are generally produced through this method after six months.

Large Reishi of superior quality are usually grown using the natural wood log method, which is the most complex form of cultivation. The process begins with the culturing of a high quality Reishi fungus strain in test tubes for about 85 days. A high quality germinated Reishi fungus strains are inserted into holes drilled into high grade logs between 26 to 30 years old. These logs are then placed in a greenhouse and buried under natural soil for 5 months. The Reishi fungi absorb almost all of the nutrients from the soil during this time, which means that after five years of use, the soil must lay unused for at least 2 years before it can be used again. This allows replenishment of nutrients back into the soil.

Growing conditions require continued monitoring to ensure a high quality Reishi harvest. Temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, light intensity and nutrients are all closely monitored to maintain optimum growth conditions. The greenhouse is sprayed with moisture daily to stimulate growth and maintain an optimum humidity.

The mushrooms are grown for approximately another 3 months until they mature and reach their full size. After some time, the mushrooms produce a thick coating of spores. The spraying is stopped when the mushrooms release their spores into the air. After that the Reishi grow additional two weeks before harvesting.

Large size, thick cap and overall weight are the signs of healthy and mature Reishi plants. It is true that Reishi mushrooms grow larger with age, but they are at their best when they are fresh and moist inside. Older plants may be larger in size, but they are also usually too dry to be effective enough.

To prepare Reishi for use in health products, the mushrooms are cut into small pieces and boiled for three hours. This boiling process is repeated three times to extract all the medicinal properties of the mushroom. After the boiling the mushroom extract is air-sprayed drier to transform the concentrated liquid to a instant powder form. In a nutshell this is how high quality Reishi is produced.

With a few rare exceptions, China and Japan are the only countries cultivating truly high quality Reishi in the world, and we are committed to producing our Reishi products in Asia until standards for Reishi cultivation in the West rises. A lot.

A recent Food Marketing Institute (FMI) report indicated 71% of shoppers are “very/extremely” concerned about products from China. “Yes, there is especially a healthy skepticism about herbs from India and China. This is unfortunate as both countries produce the lowest and highest quality botanicals in the world. The real problem is not with India and China as countries of origin for botanicals but the ignorance of U.S. manufacturers shopping for the cheapest materials or not knowing how to discern Ayurvedic and Chinese herb quality,” said AHPs’ Mr. Upton. (Source: International Botanical Trends 2012)

In 2002, influenced by the Finnish travel documentary series Madventures, I made the following pledge; someday I’ll take one year off to travel the world. It took 10 long years to get to the situation when I can call the vague “someday” on “today”. On May 2012 I left my job in Paris to become a full-time employee of FSF. This transition enabled both teleworking and flexible hours. Broadly speaking, the hardest part was deciding to go. The rest was just details.

19th of May, I stepped outside the Hong Kong International Airport. In a split second I felt the warm and humid breeze in my breath – I was definitely in Asia. I was overwhelmed with the most mind-boggling feeling of gratitude and pride. I was proud of myself for being here, and I knew that there will be much more out there.

On a plane I drafted three key fundamentals of my journey:

A balanced mix between work and travel – Maintain an active work life while changing locations monthly.
Travel without expectations – Accept reality as it is and people as they are. Live a life where one doesn’t need to be disappointed or frustrated.
Be a journalist – Create interviews, reportages and travel videos. Have a mindset that will encourage me to dig deeper in local cultures.

The People’s Republic of China

A fuzzy stray along the streets of Hong Kong led me to Mikko’s deluxe flat (frankly, smaller than the bathroom at my previous apartment). Even though, we’d spent numerous hours on Skype, nothing tops meeting someone in person.

We hit the local juice bar, mapped out a vague plan and booked the first flight. We had three and half weeks, yet China has immense diversity of terrain, climate and especially people. It was time to compromise.

My must-to-see list consisted of following:

- See a glimpse of Shanghai’s futuristic skyscrapers
- Walk through the ancient hutong neighborhoods of Beijing
- Hike a remote part of the Great Wall
- Run up the Heavenly Capital Peak in Yellow Mountains, Huangshan
- Learn more about the Chinese traditional herbal medicine
- Grasp the inherent cultivation processes of reishi fungi
- Workout with groups of elderly people in each city

Six-month-old reishi fungi. Reishi cultivation is cultured by grafting reishi fungi onto dried wood log, then grown in greenhouses under controlled conditions (right temperature, humidity, sunlight etc), no chemicals needed. This cultivation method takes about one year.

There’s no way to squeeze 25 days in less than five minutes, and actually there even shouldn’t be one. Like Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia Outdoor Clothing, stated “I met a lot of young people who asked what books to read or films to watch. I think it’s a good way to start, but there’s no substitute for just going there.” Hopefully our video will work as an entrée.

- Markus

Ps. A special thanks to Miika, who persistently took care of my FSF Gizmo in Beijing, while we were figuring out how to ship it to us in Vietnam. Sadly, we couldn’t change the Chinese laws on this matter overnight and had to go with plan B. Thanks Miika!

I have some experiences with superfood before FSF Instant Reishi. I eat lots of wild blueberries, which are one kind of superfood to me. Tea made of chaga mushroom is also part of my diet, although irregularly and casually. Reishi mushroom, the active ingredient of FSF Instant Reishi, was a new companionship for me.

At first the taste was a little bit weird so I used natural honey to sweeten as recommended on package. The taste reminded me about chaga mushroom which has own specific taste too. After the very first day with FSF Instant Reishi the bitter taste came through and I started to wonder how I would get through the whole month. After few days of grimace caused by the taste, I decided to try something else as a sweetener. Vanilla sugar made of real vanilla proved to be an excellent choice for me. The taste of vanilla covered the bitterness and I started to enjoy the taste. At first I used a little bit of sugar, but soon I realized it wasn’t necessary. I also felt strange to mix FSF Instant Reishi into cold drinks or other beverages because of it´s specific and strong taste so I enjoyed my FSF Instant Reishi with hot water. In arctic conditions (-20 to -30 degrees of Celsius) of Finland’s winter it proved to be a good choice.

Photo credit: Heikki Korkalainen
 

In the end of the month I had enough courage to try on something else with FSF Instant Reishi than just plain hot water. I tried to mix it with different kind of teas, and green tea was absolutely my favorite. I tried to mix FSF Instant Reishi with glogg (molted wine, Scandinavian Christmas drink) too, and the result was a little bit cranky taste, which kind of reminded me about rum.

I was very busy during the whole month and my life was extremely irregular. I am a visual artist and I also do performing arts. During the FSF Challenge month I had a new exhibition coming, I had to document the earlier exhibition, a new performance coming, and like those weren’t enough already I was moving to another city. Because of all these things I had no time to sleep enough, and I ate when I remembered, if I remembered. In other words my body was dealing with hard stress.

Kirsi Pitkänen, The Bubble, performance 2012 – The Bubble is a performance based on interaction and improvisation. The Bubble debut was shown in Shanghai expo in 2010 where Pitkänen represented Finland and was performing for two months in Finland pavilion.

Maybe the stress was one of the reasons I didn’t notice any changes in my body at first. The very first effect I noticed after less than two weeks of use was how long I had energy to work without feeling tired. Even after sleeping only a few hours per night I felt fully rested, and I was able to keep on working, although, I cannot recommend this kind of lifestyle to anyone. Working under pressure and stress is very common for me and maybe that is why I didn’t notice any other concrete changes in my body.

Unfortunately lifestyle of irregular eating habits and continuously pulling all nighters has its consequences. Then your body is into overdrive and your digestion system is not working properly. I have been annoyed of the fluids that accumulated in my body because of the lack of sleep. And because I had no time to exercise, that naturally made things even worse. After two weeks of using FSF Instant Reishi I started to realize the changes in my digestion system, fluids stopped to accumulate that much, and I felt fresher and lighter than before. I was absolutely amazed! I can say with confident and smile that regular use of FSF Instant Reishi can truly affect your body positively, even under tough pressure. I started to recommend FSF Instant Reishi to everyone in similar conditions like me. I believe that effects of FSF Instant Reishi are individual.

Photo credit: Heikki Korkalainen

With a history of promoting health and longevity going back more than 4,000 years, reishi is definitely one of the mankind’s oldest and most precious herbs. In China it is known as Lingzhi, which means “herb of spiritual potency.” In Japan, the very same super-herb is known as “10,000-year-old mushroom.”

In different places and times, reishi has been known by many names. Adding to the list above, some of the better-known ones are:
- Auspicious plant
– Auspicious mushroom
– Divine mushroom
– Immortality plant
– The elixir of immortality

Reishi’s most important role is as a normalizing and balancing agent helping the body adapt to varying conditions and stresses

Why to Use Reishi

In recent decades, a respectable number of academic works in Japan, China and the U.K. have documented reishi’s value in treating a wide variety of diseases, common ailments and conditions. The mushroom’s curative properties seem to act on many of the body’s organs and systems.

Perhaps reishi’s most important role is as a normalizing and balancing agent, helping the body adapt to varying conditions and stresses. For the reishi user, this can mean a healthier lifestyle, fewer visits to the doctor and greatly reduced expenses for medication.

Read more about Reishi : Reishi—Grandfather of Superfoods //  Reishi—Big Pharma’s Worst Nightmare 

How to Use Reishi

Traditionally, reishi has been used as tea, or as an ingredient in various dishes. Today, especially in the West, people often take reishi in capsules or as an alcohol tincture.

Where to Buy Reishi

You can purchase reishi products in most health and natural food stores in America and Western Europe. Reishi is even more popular in Asia, where it is readily available in many different forms. Of course, we believe FSF Instant Reishi to be the most convenient, tastiest and healthiest reishi product available anywhere! Don’t take our word for it, though – try it out and experience it for yourself. (When you do, we would love to hear from you – your comments and feedback would be invaluable.) Here are some other reishi products we have tried and can recommend:

Fungi Perfecti Host Defense Capsules (product of Paul Stamets, America’s #1 mushroom expert)

Amazon US (Affiliate*): Fungi Perfecti Host Defense Reishi Capsules

Amazon US: Fungi Perfecti Host Defense Reishi Capsules

SurThrival Immortality Quest ReishiCapsules (nother quality product from Daniel Vitalis itself)

Amazon US (Affiliate*): SurThrival Immortality Quest Reishi Mushroom Capsules

Amazon US:  SurThrival Immortality Quest Reishi Mushroom Capsules

*Affiliate program link: Product costs the same to you but FSF gets a percentage of the sales to bring more healthy products to you

In the midst of filing all the registration documents to various government officials to sell our products in stores near you, we’re now introducing a new simpler way to get them. We want to give our first friends and followers a chance to get a bundle of 6 boxes delivered straight to your door almost anywhere in the world. And we’re offering this all with mere 95€ including worldwide shipping, which means about 40% discount depending on your location. Exact Terms and Conditions* in the end.

So now you can get 3 boxes of each of our products, Zest and Spark, that should last you about 3-4 months depending on your amount of usage. The best before date is 8/2013, so they won’t stale any time soon. You will enjoy the benefits of our great superfood ingredients brought to you in via simple instant beverages. Just add hot water and you’re good to go. Here’s the highlights of the products once again.

SPARK – Cordyceps

Every one of us is naturally different but according to research and our own experiences Spark’s active ingredient, Cordyceps sinensis -fungus, has among others the following benefits to the human body:

- After the continuous usage of 6 weeks VO2 max level can increase up to 15 percent
- Steady increase in energy levels without energy drops (unlike coffee, tea and other stimulants)
- Increasing athletic performance and faster recovery time
- Improving the quality of sleep
- Increasing sexual desire and improving performance
- Protecting liver and lungs

You may also read simplified information about Cordyceps in Four Sigma Foods blog here or load research information about the fungus here or here.

Read HERE what, Andy, the first Four Sigma Foods Challenge participant thinks about Spark.

ZEST – Reishi

And again based on academic research and our own experiences Zest’s active ingredient, Ganoderma lucidum (reishi) -fungus, might have among other things the following benefits to the human body:

- Boosting the immune system
- Improving blood circulation
- Improving the quality of sleep
- Reducing stress
- Reducing the amount of “bad” LDL cholesterol
- Functioning against several cancer types

You may also read simplified information about Reishi in Four Sigma Foods blog here or load research information about the fungus here or here.

This will not be a permanent distribution solution, but as we have received huge interest towards the products we want to offer our first tribe members a chance to try them with low price and share feedback back to us.

Please note. If your delivery address is in Australia, you will receive 6 boxes of Spark instead of fifty-fifty of Spark and Zest. This is due to AQIS (The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service) which is required to irradiate all Reishi products that are imported to Australia. LUONTOlife is 110% against irradiation, and we will never sell irradiated products. As long as Australian Government holds this absurd policy, our Reishi products won’t be seen on Australian markets for the sake of people’s health. LUONTOlife is truly sorry about this unfortunate situation.

*Terms and Conditions.
1. Available anywhere in the world except the US, where we can’t yet supply these due to local legislation.

2. Shipping is included through DHL. Customer is responsible to organize the home-delivery time & date with the shipping company.

3. Street price for the products is 135€ + worldwide shipping is approx 20€.

4. Payments only through PayPal, which supports most credit cards on top of their own account system. Please contact mikko[at]luontolife.com if you have issues with the payment method.

5. The offer is limited to a limited supply of first 150 orders. We apply first come, first served basis.

6. With the current products we wanted to test a new kind of “tear line” of sachet, which is at the center of the pack. Unfortunately it wasn’t as successful as we thought. It works and is usable, but not as good as we wanted it to be. The next batch will have more conventional style, but please see four photos illustrating the most efficient way to open them without loosing the valuable instant drink mix (or the nerves).

7. We would appreciate if you, after using Zest and Spark for a while, could provide us valuable information on how to improve them. Around 45 days after your order you will see instructions how to give us valuable feedback. Answering is not mandatory.

Credi: fightlaunch

This glorious mushroom has been studied and used for at least 2,000 years, and there are millions and millions of satisfied (and healthy) users all over the world. It may be called the spiritual mushroom, the immortality plant, Reishi, Lingzhi, or Ganoderma Lucidum, but whatever you want to call it, this superfood is coming now, and it will have a significant impact on Big Pharma as we know it today—perhaps not tomorrow, but it will happen eventually.

I’m not going to deep-dive into Big Pharma, as this subject is a whole nother story and needs a few long posts of its own, but here is a short version of my argument.

– Big Pharma develops new medicines, which it then patents
– Reishi is a wild plant and, therefore, can’t be patented

– Big Pharma sells overpriced medicines to sick people
– Reishi is easy and cheap to grow and prepare

– Big Pharma medicines have severe side effects
– Reishi has no side effects

– Big Pharma medicines are . . . well, medicines
– Reishi can be part of your healthy diet, just like orange juice or coffee

People in Asia mainly use natural products, and almost without any exceptions live longer than other people in the world despite generally poor living conditions. That’s why you can’t find any Asian companies on a list of the top 10 biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world, even though 60% of the world’s population live in Asia. People there don’t need medicines from Big Pharma.

Reishi cures many ailments. It is one of the world’s most comprehensive treatments for the human body. Whether you are young or old, boy or girl, athlete or couch potato, dreamer or achiever, Reishi is perfect for you.

Health benefits of Reishi in a nutshell

Reishi is an adaptogen, so it helps the body adapt to various kinds of stress:
- temperature
- trauma
- sleep deprivation
- exposure to toxins
- radiation
- infection
- psychological

Reishi causes no side effects with regular or even intense consumption, and it is quite effective in dealing with an extensive variety of ailments, as well as having a balancing effect on the body and its organs. Reishi boosts the body’s immune system to respond better against pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi that may cause disease. It also has many cardiovascular benefits, including lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, and improving blood circulation.

Credit: Missy_Schmidt

Modern medicine has adopted Reishi as an adjunct to such conventional cancer treatments as chemotherapy and radiation, and it has also been said that it eases the unpleasant side effects of these treatments.

More interesting still are its anti-cancer properties. We still don’t quite know what causes cancer (although scientists have some fascinating theories ), but what we do know is that Reishi has scientifically proven anti-cancer properties.

When you look at these benefits and consider that Reishi has no side effects, it is easy to see how beneficial it is to add Reishi to your daily diet. Oh, and how much Big Pharma should be afraid of it.

What is LUONTOlife?

LUONTOlife Ltd is a Hong Kong-based company specializing in superfoods and healthier lifestyles. We study, share, innovate, produce, and hustle the world’s most nutrient-dense foods. We have a blog focused on these topics, called the Four Sigma Foods and our first super-simple instant beverages are available on selected markets.

How and when did you get started?

All our nine founding members have a link with Finland, and that’s how we know each other. Our health industry experience goes back to the 80s; the core team started to look for different product options in 2006, we started the actual business planning process in 2010, and finally in 2011 it all become official.

All our initial product and service ideas were linked with health and nutrition. The customer problem we wanted to solve was: how to gain maximum positive effects on our well-being, with the easiest possible choices. In particular, the current supplement business is full of cumbersome products that leave you with minimal (or non-existent) results. That’s why superfoods seemed obvious to us – by adding small things, you can create big effects. We also quickly realized that we need to innovate and find new ways to use superfoods, since big powder sacks and drug-like pills are far from convenient to use.

Why are you based in Hong Kong if you all come from Finland?

High-quality products are absolutely key for us! We wanted to be near to the source of our products, to minimize potential flaws in our manufacturing process. China just happens to be literally thousands of years ahead of the Western world in the area of superfoods, and they have the best-in-class environment to harvest them.

Straightforward and transparent legislation in Hong Kong allows us to focus our time and money to develop our business, instead of fighting against formalities. It is also one of the most important and busiest traffic hubs in the world, giving us effective access to everywhere on Earth.

In the future we will have many facilities on several continents, but even though we currently live in four different countries, Hong Kong is clearly the best choice for our headquarters.

Why are superfoods so special? Isn’t it enough that you eat normal food?

It all comes down to what you want. If you want to live an average life with average energy levels, feel tired often, and get sick once in a while, then yes – “normal food” is enough. And by normal food we mean mostly plant-based, fresh, natural, and home-cooked food. Not pre-heated, pre-cooked, additive-filled­­­, wheat, sugar and hydrogenated fat based food. If you want to be healthier, prevent ailments, boost your energy levels, get more things done, improve your sport performance without doping, and choose more sustainable options, then superfoods are just what you need.

Why would a normal person use reishi or cordyceps?

Simply to enhance the quality of life. Reishi can decrease fatigue, prevent ailments, and promote longevity. Western scientific research from last 30 years indicates that it can prevent various cancers, and it is used as an adjunct to modern cancer treatments (chemotherapy and radiation treatments). Cordyceps is an adaptogen (that is, it helps your body to adapt to stress) and the ultimate energy booster, without being a stimulant like caffeine. You can see the difference even after just one or two days of use, but greater benefits come after a longer period of continuous use. It is scientifically proven that the use of cordyceps can improve VO2 max (maximal oxygen consumption) by 9-15%. Cordyceps can increase your time-to-exhaustion, meaning you can work more, exercise more and enjoy yourself more without becoming exhausted.

Are there any research results that show reishi or cordyceps would be truly beneficial?

Yes. Loads. Both in the Western and in the Eastern cultures. Even though we don’t think scientific research tells it all, this is one of the main reasons we chose these specific ingredients as the base of our first products. Just to name a few, researchers from the University of British Columbia, Shanghai Normal University, Stanford University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and UC Davis have studied the health benefits of these products. We will be sharing the latest and greatest info on all our current and upcoming products on our Four Sigma Foods blog at www.luontolife.com

What’s the best way to use your products?

Different people like to use them differently. The most common way is to mix one serving of instant drink mix with a cup of hot beverage. This can be used as a substitute or supplement for a regular tea or coffee. You can also mix 1-2 servings of instant drink in a bottle of water in the morning, and then sip it throughout the day. An interesting way to use them is to mix FSF Instants in porridge or yogurt, along with raw honey or raw agave, and eat it. Athletes should try to use them a few hours before and after their daily exercise(s).

Is it very sustainable that you ship your products half way around the world?

To look at sustainability, you need to study the whole end-to-end ecosystem. Even though the air freight from Asia to North America might sound big to you, the actual production process of natural, plant-based (and especially wild) foods is significantly simpler than that of most standard western foods. Still, we constantly try to streamline our supply chains, to be more effective and sustainable.

And for that matter, most foods in our grocery stores are not locally produced, and they weigh much more than small bags of superfood mix. Superfoods are light, and many of them have a good shelf-life that will lead to the removal of unnecessary waste.

Do your products suit people with common allergies, such as lactose, gluten, whey, and soy?

Our products are 100% free of common allergens: eggs, legumes (such as peanuts and soybean), milk, seafood, tree nuts (such as pecan and almond) and wheat. However, it is worth mentioning that some people might be sensitive or allergic to Ganoderma genus mushrooms. Ganoderma lucidum (reishi) is the main ingredient of Instant Longevity.

Are your products vegan friendly?

Yes. All our products are vegan.

Konnichiwaeveryone, and welcome to the Four Sigma Food blog (if you are a first timer), and thanks very much for coming back (if you have read the FSF blog before). We hope you enjoy this first part of a two-part article about the Reishi mushroom.Before discussing the history of Reishi, let’s clarify its various names.－ Scientific name (i.e., Latin name) is Ganoderma Lucidum
－ In China it is called Lingzhi and written 灵芝 (simplified is used in China) and also 靈芝 (traditional is used in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan)
－ The Japanese call it Reishi and write it 靈芝 (which is the same as traditional Chinese)

The Internet shows many different translations of Reishi/Lingzi, and all suggest a different meaning. The truth is (feel free to disagree with me) that Asian languages, especially Chinese and Japanese, are so different from Western languages that usually you can’t translate them word for word. This means that all of them or perhaps none of them might be correct.

Credit: marlith (flickr)

The most common Chinese translations found on the Internet are shown below:

– Auspicious plant
– Auspicious mushroom
– Divine mushroom
– Immortality plant
– The Elixir of ImmortalityAnd finally as exact translation of the Chinese characters as possible:
– 靈 = quick / alert / efficacious / effective / spirit / soul; spiritual world / departed soul / coffin
– 芝 = sesame; a purplish or brown mushroom thought to have miraculous powers; “a divine and felicitous plant”.Now you can understand why there are so many different translations. I also like to give my two cents in it and translate it to “Spiritual mushroom”.

I will still call it Reishi, though, as this is the most common, the shortest, and I also like it more than the others.

History

Some sources state that Asian cultures have used Reishi for more than 4,000 years, but I haven’t been able to verify this anywhere. The first known written records of Reishi are from the Han Dynasty (200-25 CE), meaning that it has been used for at least 2,000 years. Reishi is definitely one of the oldest and most precious herbs used by humankind anywhere on earth, and several Chinese emperors have valued it as a source of longevity and vitality. In the Western world, Petter Karsten, a fellow Finn, was the first person to officially name Reishi when he identified it as being from the genus Ganoderma in 1881. Historically, Reishi is one of the most scientifically researched medicinal plants and has a well-proven track record of its medicinal benefits.

Popularity

Reishi is extremely popular in Asia, especially in Japan, where it is more common to use it than not. People in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and South Korea know it well, and many use it as a normal part of their diet. This is not an overstatement. I have lived in Shanghai and Hong Kong, traveled to more than 20 different locations in China and Taiwan, and the same pattern is repeated everywhere:
1) I can go to a traditional Chinese pharmacy and buy a whole Reishi mushroom or pieces of one, or even Reishi powder. I can take these items home and boil a bitter-tasting concoction.
2) I can also buy fairly inexpensive, poorly branded Reishi capsules from local dietary supplement shops, but I never do because I don’t trust their quality.
3) I can go to a large health/wellness chain store and buy easy-to-use Reishi capsules that come in fancy (by Chinese standards) packages, with a quality guarantee and exorbitant price tag.

In North America and Europe, Reishi is still quite unknown. You can buy it from some places, such as the webstores iHerb.com and vitacost.com, but otherwise it is almost nonexistent.

Credit: Randy Pertiet

Future

With all the empirical data of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as new scientific data of modern medicine, I hope and believe that Reishi will make a global breakthrough and become part of the daily diet of men and women everywhere. Because Reishi has so many health benefits and no side effects, I’m confident this will happen. When it does, Big Pharma will have to start searching for new sources for revenue, because people will be healthier.

Credit: Clear Wal-Mart

This opinion may appear to be quite bold and exaggerated, but in Part 2, I will explain why I think this will occur.

- Mikko