Description
Ganoderma fungi can be either annuals or perennials and are fairly large, with a generally tough bracketlike cap that can reach more than 60 cm in diameter. They grow from the base of tree trunks or on exposed roots, and, while many species have a rudimentary stalk to support the pileus, some species are sessile and have a pileus attached directly to the tree. The pileus can be white, yellow, brown, red, or deep purple, often with a light-coloured border, though coloration patterns within species can vary depending on age and environmental conditions. Some species have a shiny, varnished appearance.
History
Ganoderma is known among practitioners of Chinese medicine as the “king of herbs.” For over 2000 years, the Chinese have given Ganoderma, or what they call Lingzhi, the highest ranking in Traditional Medical Theory. The name Ling Zhi means “Divine Herb that Energizes the Chi or Life force”. The first Chinese Emperor Chin Shi Huang Ti even called it the “Herb of Deathlessness”. The Emperors of the ancient period respected the mushroom so much that they have given it names like “The Elixir of Immortality”, “Herb of Spiritual Potency” and “Soup of the Emperor with a Thousand Mistresses”. The Japanese name for the red mushroom, Reishi, was taken from Reishi Senshi, “An Ancient Goddess of Health, Life and Eternal Youth”.
Properties
Ganoderma is a special ingredient that contains itself ingredients, like a matryoshka doll. The Ling Zhi 8-protein and Ganodermic acid are rich anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic agents. Both these ingredients work in harmony, empowering the immune system and promoting blood circulation. A stronger immune system eases free radical activities, which means your wrinkles, fine lines, and inflammations reduce. An improved blood circulation improves the elasticity and tone of your skin, slowing down the aging process, leaving you with a clear and younger-looking skin. More than that, various studies conducted on these mushrooms indicate that they possess the ability to cure various external skin issues, such as wounds, sunburns, rashes, and insect bites.
