special subjects
Reishi
What is reishi?
. Reishi is considered an Adaptogens , a compound that may help the body cope with stress and boost the immune system. Reishi mushroom is important in traditional medicine systems of several countries in Asia, including China, Japan, and Korea. Other names for this mushroom include red reishi, basidiomycetes mushroom, ling zhi, or ling chih (in China), and mannentake (in Japan). People can eat the whole mushroom, but powdered forms or extracts are mostly commonly used in traditional or alternative medicine. The whole mushroom weighs about 25 to 100 grams. Typical doses of dried mushroom extract range from about 1.5 to 9 grams a day. (However, unlike with prescription drugs, there is often little assurance about the purity and dose of supplements, including their active ingredients.) (See also Overview of Dietary Supplements .) 