Users can buy linhzhi supplements in many different forms, including capsules, powders, extracts and teas. Lingzhi is also commonly referred to as reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum).
Lingzhi mushroom extract is used for a number of purposes, particularly supporting the immune system and preventing fatigue. It is also used for hypertension (high blood pressure), high blood lipid levels, diseases related to inflammation, liver disorders, influenza, cancer and supporting chemotherapy. [1]
Lingzhi has a short history of use in the West, but has been relied upon for millennia in traditional medicine practice. Researchers estimate that reishi may have been used for as long as 2,000 years in traditional medicine systems throughout Asia, particularly in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
In TCM, reishi has been traditionally used as an anti-aging herb and is sometimes referred to as the “elixir of immortality.” Contemporary research reveals that reishi may have some affect on the immune system, but more research is needed to verify these observations and establish the therapeutic effects of linghzhi capsules on the human body.



- Traditional Chinese immune modulator
- Promotes healthy blood pressure & cholesterol
- Anti-oxidant used for anti-aging benefits
Constituents of Lingzhi Capsules
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Lingzhi mushrooms contain a number of bioactive constituents. Constituents of the mushroom include triterpenoids, polysaccharides, nucleosides, sterols and alkaloids.
These constituents have been observed to exhibit a number of properties in scientific experiments. For instance, sterols can act as precursors to human hormones, and triterpenes may help lower blood pressure and have anti-allergy (antihistamine) properties. [2]
In particular, reishi and other so-called medicinal mushrooms contain beta-glucans, naturally produced polysaccharides that have been observed to increase immune function in laboratory and animal tests.
Beta-Glucans and the Immune System
One of the main reasons why consumers purchase Lingzhi supplements is to boost the function of the immune system and improve resistance to stress or infection.
Beta-glucans are produced by mushrooms and may trigger the complement immune system. The complement system acts as a bridge between the innate or humoral immune system and the adaptive or cell-mediated immune system.
The key difference between these arms of the immune system is that one – adaptive immunity – changes over the course of one’s lifetime, whereas the innate immune system is stable and fixed.
The complement system complements both branches of immunity. The ability of beta-glucans to apparently trigger this system may partly explain why reishi and other medicinal mushrooms are often used to improve immune function.
According to the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, beta-glucans like those in Lingzhi capsules increased the activity of some cells of the immune system in animals. In addition, limited data from human trials indicate reishi mushroom improved the immune response in humans. [2]
Lingzhi Mushroom and Cancer Research
Beta-glucans in Lingzhi mushroom extract may also work to stop the growth and spread of cancer cells, [2] but more research is needed to determine what effect reishi will have on the human body or human cancers.
The immune-stimulating effects of beta-glucans have also been observed to prevent carcinogenesis and inhibit tumor growth in laboratory experiments. [3]
Some cancer patients buy Lingzhi pills in the hopes of supporting the immune system during cancer treatment. While preliminary lab experiments and small clinical indicate the constituents of reishi can trigger the activity of some immune cells, more research needs to be done to establish what affect this has on the human body.
Reishi has been observed to have toxic effects on leukocytes (white blood cells). As a result, more research is needed to establish the safety of reishi supplementation before it is considered as a supplementary or adjunctive cancer therapy. [2]
Lingzhi and High Blood Pressure
Some buy lingzhi capsules and supplements to promote the lowering of high blood pressure; however, the results of human trials have been contradictory.
In one study, 1,440 mg of lingzhi taken for 12 weeks was not observed to reduce blood pressure in participants with high blood lipid levels or high blood pressure. In a separate study supplementation was observed to help reduce blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. [1]
Are Lingzhi Capsules Safe?
The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates lingzhi as “Possibly Safe” when used orally and appropriately (in extract form) for up to a year.
However, it rates the powdered form of lingzhi mushroas “Possibly Unsafe” when used for more than one month. The “Possibly Unsafe” rating is largely due to a report of fulminant hepatitis developed during the course of supplementation. This particular case of hepatitis was fatal.
The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that lingzhi capsules or supplements should not be taken by individuals who suffer from an autoimmune disease. [4]
Pregnant and/or nursing women should not take reishi mushroom because there is not enough evidence to establish its safety.
Lingzhi Extract Interactions
Reishi may cause the blood to thin and should not be combined with warfarin or other blood thinners.
In addition, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center notes that lingzhi supplements should not be taken by individuals undergoing chemotherapy or by those taking immunosuppressants.
Individuals taking medications that are metabolized by the P450 2EI, 1A2 or 3A substrates should not take lingzhi.
In all cases, be sure to speak with your doctor before buying lingzhi capsules to make sure the supplement is right for you.
- Reishi Mushroom: Professional Monograph. Natural Medicines Therapeutic Research. Reviewed 2013 Feb 2. Updated 2015 Feb 16.
- Integrative Medicine: Reishi Mushroom. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 2015 December 30.
- Akramiene D, Kondrotas A, Didziapetriene J, Kevelaitis E. Effects of beta-glucans on the immune system. Medicina (Kaunas). 2007;43(8):597-606.
- University of Maryland Medical Center. Viral Hepatitis. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide. 2013 August 8
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment
1 Comment
Kan ik lingzhi extract capsule’s altijd blijven innemen?