The Reishi Issue

Firstly, if you read that title aloud – bless you! Secondly, let’s get some clarity: Reishi is a Japanese word, effectively a localized pronunciation of a Chinese synonym, Lingzhi, a famous functional mushroom with a long history of usage in Traditional Chinese Medicine (“TCM”) to promote overall health, and quality and length of life. Scientific investigations have found it to be packed with novel nutraceutical compounds, ushering in an era of research into functional mushrooms with applications in modern medicine.

Roughly translated in both cases as ‘Sacred Mushroom of Spiritual Potency’, Lingzhi is quite specific about one mushroom in the Ganoderma (‘shining skin’) genus, while Reishi seems to have become a fairly broad term applied to a larger group of functional mushrooms, including a few different Ganoderma species and some from other genera (not closely-related), with individual members identified by a colour code. Worldwide, common naming conventions like this pre-date and exist alongside the modern scientific identification and binomial, i.e. ‘two name’, system scientists use to describe a distinct species (second name) within its broader genus (first name).

For more clarity, we need a little history: 7th century Japan borrowed heavily from Chinese culture, including elements of TCM. For centuries, internal conflict left Japan dependent on Buddhist priests travelling to China to study. The first significant TCM translations to Japanese were produced through the 10th century, drawing from some Chinese texts that later perished, so only the translations remain. Kanpō  (‘Chinese medicine’ as practiced in Japan) developed independently for a while, especially during the isolationist period, until its stigmatization from the 1870’s onward as Japan industrialized and aligned with Western scientific principles. Since the original Japanese name for Lingzhi is Mannentake (‘10,000 Year Mushroom’), the use of the word ‘Reishi’ as a Ganoderma catch-all is probably more modern than most people (or at least snake-oil salespeople) would like to admit – a 20th century development following Japan’s re-exposure to Chinese culture at a time when Kanpō had already been filtered and demystified. This led to Western scientists encountering Lingzhi as a promising nutraceutical candidate for the first time through post-war exchanges with Japan, accepting the term ‘Reishi’ as a common name. Finding their own local look-alikes and believing them to be the same species, they applied the same binomial to European, North American and Asian specimens. During this phase, research credited ‘Reishi’ with a wide range of medicinal benefits, and English colour words were added to different ‘types’ of Reishi as a common naming convention. Eventually, scientific advancements separated all of the various Ganoderma mushrooms from around the world, and they were assigned new names. This devalued the older research because it was not made clear which of the new species of mushroom had been tested previously, and it became increasingly clear that each species contained different compounds with different medicinal effects. Reluctant to dismiss supporting evidence on the grounds that it should no longer be considered true, Reishi advocates have embraced a philosophy of ‘All Reishi Is Equal’, continuing to cite outdated papers and use outdated terminology. Because of this, we need to be wary of products being shoehorned under the Reishi title to gain or maintain acceptance. For example, unsourced references to ‘ancient Chinese texts detailing the 6 colours of Reishi’ make no sense when Chinese texts would not have mentioned ‘Reishi’ at all, having their own well-established names and medicinal uses for different mushroom species. Also, claims that Ganoderma species found wild in Europe or North America are all Reishi can no longer be considered true. It might be true that some of these other related species have potential medicinal benefits, and these deserve to be studied, but the already studied benefits associated with TCM’s Lingzhi cannot be assigned to these other species without further research and verification.

Ganoderma  lucidum (sensu stricto) is still the correct name for a European species of mushroom. Sensu stricto is a scientific, latin term meaning ‘in a strict sense’. Much early scientific research was conducted on ‘Reishi’ under the then-accepted name G. lucidum. More often than not, scientists were actually using samples of G. sichuanense, thinking it was the same as their local mushroom, so we should be cautious in attributing their findings (i.e. medicinal benefits) to G. lucidum (sensu stricto). The Western use of the term swept back to Asia, where scientists started calling their own Lingzhi (Red Reishi) by the new-fangled Western name, too. For a while, several different Ganoderma species from all over the world were thought to be G. lucidum (sensu lato), i.e. ‘in a broad sense’, because scientists thought they were studying a single species. It then took decades (and molecular analysis) to clear up the misunderstandings, and we’re still dealing with the fallout today. (*Sigh*)

Ganoderma multipileum is the 2009-onwards accepted name for G. lucidum (sensu lato) Asian collections. It’s still a distinct species from G. sichuanense, and although it hails from tropical Asia and is sometimes presented as a sample of Lingzhi in TCM, it cannot reliably be credited with the same medicinal benefits. After all, it took molecular analysis for Western scientists to tell the difference between G. lucidum and G. sichuanense, so we have to understand TCM practitioners might misidentify some species by appearance alone, too. Although it might have similar medicinal benefits, it would benefit from proper, focussed study to determine exactly what they are, if any, or we’re left with a comparable situation to taking a placebo instead of medication, or perhaps ibuprofen instead of acetominophen – there are cases where you would need to know the difference.

Despite occasional claims to the contrary, the ‘stemless’ North American mushroom, Ganoderma sessile, has no history of usage for medicinal properties. Which isn’t to say it doesn’t have any, just that it needs to be tested. Previously, it was believed to be a North American specimen of G. lucidum (sensu lato).

Ganoderma curtisii is another North American victim of the ‘Reishification’ of all Ganoderma mushrooms. While it has earned its name as a distinct species, there is no historical documentation or research supporting medicinal use. Like G. sessile, scientists were prone to misidentify this mushroom as G. lucidum (sensu lato).

The so-called ‘West Coast Reishi’, Ganoderma oregonense, makes no claim for medicinal usage, but unlike its cousins may actually be soft enough to be edible. The safety of its consumption still needs to be evaluated.

In attempting to untangle The Reishi Issue, we have to attempt to both reconstruct the original meaning of ‘Reishi’ from remaining, reliable sources and redefine it within a modern context. If we accept that the concept of Reishi as a group of (more than 2) functional mushrooms is of modern origin, we can move on from pseudo-classical definitions to create a meaningful grouping of life prolonging, cancer fighting and immune system enhancing species that respects TCM and Kanpō origins, taking the modern approach of naming members by different colours.

The ‘Colours’ of Reishi:

Red Reishi is the most famous, widely-used and thoroughly studied, and is the same mushroom known as Lingzhi and used in TCM for over 2,000 years. Most people think only of this one when they hear the word ‘Reishi’. The current binomial for this mushroom is Ganoderma sichuanense (since 2023). Accept no substitutes. Some people still use its older name, Ganoderma lingzhi. Others identify Reishi as Ganoderma multipileum, lucidum, curtisii or sessile. Research suggests those species, though in the same genus, were never actually Reishi/Lingzhi, but just similar-looking mushrooms misidentified due to the limits of science at that time. Even today, most available products labelled Ganoderma lucidum or lingzhi are actually G. sichuanense, but if the producer’s label is wrong, what else might be wrong about their product before it reaches you? Maybe nothing. Are you going to eat that...?

Lingzhi/Red Reishi

Purple Reishi (Ganoderma sinense) is often used interchangeably in TCM with Red Reishi , so little distinction is made, although in TCM it is referred to distinctly as Zizhi (‘Purple Sacred Mushroom’). From a scientific perspective, these two mushrooms are closely related, both belonging to the genus Ganoderma, but have been shown to contain different sets and concentrations of compounds which seem to have a similar ‘entourage effect’. As a result, Purple Reishi is also often referred to simply as ‘Reishi’, adding to the confusion. If that wasn’t confusion enough, Purple Reishi would certainly have been called ‘Black Reishi’ (it can be a very dark purple/brown) in Japan’s Kanpō  system, since 7th century Japan only had four words for colours – white, black, red and blue. However, as you’ll see below, more modern usage has brought a ‘blacker’ Reishi into the fold, and with the current Chinese use of ‘Purple’ in the name, this was probably simply lost in translation. For now, we have to accept that some people will still call this Black Reishi, and the confusion will continue.

Zizhi/Purple Reishi

This is probably where any use of the term Reishi and its colour variety will have ended in traditional Kanpō. The idea of different ‘types’ of Reishi is probably drawn from the 4th century writings of Chinese scholar, Baopuzi, transcribing from no longer extant texts and diagrams, regarding the Wuzhi of TCM (‘5 Zhi’), each of which included over 100 minerals, fungi, vegetation and animals.

The following mushrooms are well known in TCM, but have distinctive Chinese and Japanese names:

Blue Reishi, as a modern appelation, corresponds with Yunzhi (‘Cloud Sacred Mushroom’) in TCM, traditionally called Kawaratake (‘Roof Tile Mushroom’) in Japan, widely agreed to be none other than our common, familiar Turkey Tail Mushroom, Trametes versicolor. Although typically a banded hues-of-brown mushroom, Turkey Tail can present a wide range of colour pigments, including blues and greens, for which a single 7th century Japanese word sufficed. This mushroom is crossing over from traditional to modern medicine as ongoing research uncovers more evidence of oncological and anti-viral benefits. An increasing number of vets are recommending it for pet health, too!

Yunzhi/Blue Reishi

White Reishi’s best modern candidate would be Laricifomes officinalis (like G. sichuanense, recently renamed when moved from genus Fomitopsis), AKA Agarikon (Ancient Greek), Eburiko (Japanese, perhaps a localized pronunciation of ‘Agarikon’) and Alihong in TCM (also phonetically very close to ‘arikon), with documented use to prolong life and as an antiviral agent, treatment for poisoning and respiratory illness, with particular emphasis on smoking-related cancers. It’s rare for a medicinal mushroom to be so well known outside Asia, which speaks to the potency and usefulness of this mushroom.

Yellow Reishi: without a word for ‘Yellow’ in 7th century Japan, there would never have been a ‘Yellow Reishi’ in Kanpō. This leaves a convenient hole for people to stick whatever they want to call ‘Yellow Reishi’ in. It’s most common to see Ganoderma curtisii  upheld as Yellow (or ‘Golden’) Reishi, followed by vague claims of other Ganoderma species being used in TCM, ‘so why not this one?’ However, G. curtisii grows wild only in North America, so cannot, logically, be part of any millenia-old traditional Asian medicine system. Others propose Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus and relatives), simply because it can appear yellow, and forms porous brackets, like Reishi. It does have a wider geographical distribution, but discounting these candidates brings us to Sang Huang Ling Zhi (‘Mulberry Yellow Sacred Mushroom’), AKA Meshimakobu (‘Mé Island Bump’), Sanghuangporus sanghuang, with a legitimate history of highly-valued usage in TCM, and scientific support for some unique cancer-fighting compounds, including anti-angiogenetics which block cancer cells from creating new blood vessels to grow and spread. This goes beyond the realm of preventative medicine into mitigation, with promising potential as an adjunctive therapy for cancer patients.

Black Reishi (the not-purple-kind), Ganoderma neo-japonicum, closely resembles Zizhi, but grows wild on bamboo clumps in Malaysia. Aside from its range of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting compounds, it’s used to treat Type 2 Diabetes and associated metabolic conditions, with supporting scientific evidence of insulin-simulation and obesity reduction. This would not have been part of the original Japanese meaning of ‘Reishi’, but it’s a useful modern distinction and addition.

Shu She Lingzhi (‘Book Tongue Sacred Mushroom’) is known in Japan as kofuki-saru-no-koshikake (‘powder-covered monkey’s bench’), but it has a long history of, and scientific research to support, usage as an effective analgesic and anti-depressant, with potent anti-tumor, antibacterial and anti-fibrotic (scar tissue reducing) properties. Even Mountain Gorillas have been observed self-medicating with this potent mushroom! Widely distributed around the world, in the West this mushroom is recognized as Artist’s Conk, and done little service as a free medium for etchings. Its leathery, brown, dusty appearance doesn’t lend itself well to a Coloured Reishi moniker – perhaps Book Tongue Reishi? Or Gorilla Reishi!

Shu She Lingzhi on Douglas Fir

Hemlock Reishi is of course named for its common host tree, not a colour, and is another mushroom species (Ganoderma tsugae) with strictly North American distribution. This was certainly not known in TCM or Kanpō. However, it deserves inclusion in a modern Reishi system because recent scientific research has revealed novel compounds which might make it even more potent than Red Reishi as an adaptogen and quality-of-life enhancer, with wound-healing and cognitive protection benefits. That doesn’t make it ‘better’ for all purposes, though, as Red Reishi still contains other compounds in concentrations shown to promote liver function, combat cancer, prolong life, stimulate the immune system, and so on.

CONCLUSION:

When taking prescribed medicine, you want to be sure it’s correctly labelled. In the case of functional mushrooms described as one or another kind of Reishi, this can only be achieved when the species has been correctly identified. Different species contain different compounds in different quantities. If you want the desired effects, you have to use the correct mushroom. After all, dogs and wolves belong to the same genus, but you should probably only allow one of those in your house, as the effects could be quite different!