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Author:
Samantha Dewitt
When it comes to trying out a great flavor of tea you will not want to miss Reishi tea. This unique tea gives you a beautiful flavor and it just might have some special powers. The mushroom has been called the ‘mushroom of immortality,’ after all. And it’s been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. So why not give the tea a try for yourself?
The Reishi mushroom is a unique mushroom from beginning to end. That’s because it looks beautiful and can be spotted easily. It’s brightly colored and it grows on dead and dying hardwood trees. It’s actually not too picky, because it grows just about anywhere in the world, but especially during the warm seasons and the fall.
This mushroom grows slowly, but it lasts quite a while on its tree hosts, sometimes even through the winter. But one other thing that’s unique about it is that it has pores rather than gills. They have a very bitter flavor, which actually makes them unsuitable for most food purposes, but excellent for brewing a strong and flavorful tea.
Reishi mushrooms are extremely bitter, even after they have been cooked they will generally taste quite bitter. Unlike many other types of mushrooms that are immediately edible and taste great once they have been cooked, Reishi mushrooms will take a bit more to get them to the flavor you want.
One of the best preparations for Reishi mushrooms is a tea, which can give you all of the health benefits that are associated with this mushroom. While it may not help you live forever, it will give you a truly unique beverage that you can brew at home, with mushrooms you find yourself.
If you’re looking to include Reishi in your diet as a way to get as many health benefits as possible you will need to know how to find it, grow it or ways to ingest it. And since it’s quite bitter, you’re definitely going to need the above tea recipe for that.
Finding wild Reishi can be a little difficult for some, but once you know what you’re looking for you may be surprised at just where this mushroom grows. It’s common on hardwood trees and stumps and it can grow just about anywhere. Once you know the distinctive conk shape and the reddish-brown color you should be able to spot it.
You’ll also notice the pores rather than gills and the fact that this mushroom grows at the base of trees. Just make sure that you are completely confident about the look of the mushrooms you are gathering before you choose to eat them.
One way to make sure that you always have as much Reishi mushrooms as you want is to grow your own. This is going to be a little expensive because you’ll need to purchase a kit (it’s the best way to get started) and then you’ll need to care for your Reishi. They are actually quite good at growing even on their own.
A kit is a pre-colonized fruit block made with mycelium over sawdust which you will need to cut open and leave in a moist environment. Growing from scratch means you’ll need to start with a culture of some type and then create fruiting blocks, but it will definitely take you more time to get started.
Once you have your Reishi growing you’re going to need to monitor it frequently. It’s going to grow quite slowly, but it will go pretty well no matter what you do.
Buying dehydrated, dried Reishi mushroom is a simple way to get as much as you want. Just make sure that you are buying it from a reputable supplier and that it is organically grown. This gives you the best health benefits while protecting you from pesticides and heavy metals. It also lets you get the benefits without having to go through all the work yourself.
Once you’ve got your Reishi mushrooms you’ll need to know how to prepare them. Luckily, that’s the easy part because you can prepare them in a tea that will be relatively easy to drink. Keep in mind that it’s going to be quite bitter, but it is going to be simple to brew and can be kept in the refrigerator for approximately a week so you only need to brew it once.
There is a belief in the medical community, and especially in the herbalist community, about the benefits of Reishi mushrooms for anticancer and immunostimulatory effects. While this is still undergoing study and research, it is important that you are getting the right amount for the benefits that you’re looking for but not too much.
In general, it is recommended to get between 6 and 12 grams of Reishi extract per day. This is something to discuss with your doctor however, as you want to get an amount that is safe and effective for you. While there have been no contraindications found as of yet, this does not mean it is safe for everyone to drink in any quantity.
Some research also indicates that doses should vary slightly based on your age, the condition that you are suffering from, the form that the mushroom takes and the overall health of the individual. For dried mushrooms an amount between 1.5 grams and 9 grams is generally considered safe. Reishi powder in quantities between 1 and 1.5 grams and Reishi solutions or tinctures in quantities of 1 milliliter are also used.
It is possible to take too much Reishi, and it is possible to suffer from a variety of different side effects associated with this mushroom. Some of the reported side effects have included:
Those who suffer from low blood pressure, take diabetes medication, suffer from immune system disorders or who are currently undergoing therapy to increase blood pressure may be at an increased risk from taking this mushroom and especially taking too much of it.
Those who are currently using any type of antiplatelet drug or anticoagulant must also be careful as Reishi mushrooms can make bleeding even more likely, especially in those with a low platelet count.
For those who use other types of herbs and supplements there is increased risk of interaction between those and the Reishi mushrooms. You will want to let your doctor know about any of these that you may be taking to ensure you do not have dangerous side effects or interactions.
There are a number of different health benefits that are associated with Reishi mushrooms, though there is only limited proof of their effectiveness. This is enough for some, however, and the potential benefits may well be worth trying it. It has been used to treat those with:
These mushrooms are actually the most commonly used mushroom in the world for medicinal purposes. They’ve been around for quite some time and have been used in a variety of different ways. And there’s even some research to suggest that it really does work, which is likely why it continues to be used after all this time.
The mushrooms help to improve the immune system by helping the body to fight off diseases and illnesses. But it’s not the mushrooms themselves that are doing the fighting. They actually help improve your immune system to make sure that your body is able to fight off these diseases. And that makes you healthier overall.
It’s likely because of this that the mushrooms first got their name as the ‘mushroom of immortality.’ After all, if you’re sick less often you’re most definitely likely to live a lot longer, and you’re going to experience other health benefits as well. They help increase vitality and balance out the natural rhythms within the body.
There are two important ingredients within these mushrooms that provide most of the benefits. Those are beta-glucans and triterpenes. And these two ingredients are actually powerhouses in their own rite, creating the perfect storm of benefits within your body.
Beta-glucans stimulates the immune system and strengthens it at the same time. This can help to reduce the proliferation and metastasis of tumors for those with cancer. Not only that but it can make you less likely to develop other types of illnesses at the same time, making you less susceptible to illness as a whole.
Triterpenes, also known as ganoderic acids, are another important component. These are what makes the mushroom taste so bitter, so you might wish they weren’t there at all, but that’s not actually as good as you might think. That’s because these acids help support overall organ health, reduce allergies and improve circulation of the blood. And all of that will help you be healthier and feel better as well.
When you take this mushroom in some form or another prophylactically, meaning before you even have a medical condition, you’re going to see the best results. And when you take it along with diet and exercise you’re definitely going to find that it’s a great benefit to your overall diet and wellness.
While it can be taken to treat illness after it occurs, it’s generally best to take this mushroom before you start to notice any signs or symptoms of a health condition. Taking a daily dose can make a big difference in your overall health and make sure that you are feeling your best for a whole lot longer.
When it comes down to it, this mushroom creates an extremely bitter tea that likely won’t be as much fun to drink as your other favorites. But that doesn’t mean that you should disregard it. Rather, you should consider this tea to be even more important than most of the others that you’ve tried because of the potential health benefits that you could get just from drinking a small amount each day.
This tea can give you health benefits with less than a cup a day (which is good because of how bitter it can be). And you can take it before you even have any health problems in order to prevent them from coming. It’s designed to work with your body, strengthening your immune system, and making sure that you feel your best every day.
Whether you choose to buy your Reishi mushrooms from a supplier, grow your own, or harvest them, you’re definitely going to appreciate the health benefits and the associated improvements that you’ll feel. And that’s going to outweigh the negative effects of actually drinking or ingesting these mushrooms on a daily basis. Just make sure that you talk with your doctor before you start adding these to your daily diet to ensure they’re safe and healthy for you to take in the quantity you choose.
A Friendly Guide to Reishi Mushroom
https://learn.freshcap.com/tips/reishi-mushroom-health/
Reishi Mushrooms: How to Find, ID & Use
https://www.tyrantfarms.com/reishi-mushrooms-how-to-find-id-use-with-recipe/#:~:text=Put%20one%20cup%20water%20%2B%20chopped,mushroom%20tea%20at%20the%20end.
Reishi Mushroom Drug.com
https://www.drugs.com/npp/reishi-mushroom.html
Reishi Mushroom WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/reishi-mushroom-uses-and-risks#1