Dangers of storing and using reishi mushrooms incorrectly

If not dried quickly and properly after harvesting, reishi mushrooms are susceptible to mold and insect growth.

Most Ganoderma mushrooms contain about 90% water by weight. If not dried quickly and properly after harvesting, they are susceptible to mold and insect growth. Aflatoxin is a carcinogenic toxin produced by certain molds found in some foods.

Ganoderma is also known as the "mushroom of immortality", said Dr. Nguyen Thi Vinh Hoa. They have been used in traditional medicine to improve health and longevity for thousands of years, as well as in the treatment of nervous breakdown, high blood pressure, liver disease and cancer.

Modern pharmacological testing has also demonstrated several important properties of this mushroom such as immunomodulatory, anti-allergic, anti-radiation, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. Some benefits for the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and metabolic systems have also been found.

Wild reishi mushrooms or wild reishi mushrooms are very rare to find. Photo: happyfit

Wild Ganoderma or wild Ganoderma is very rare to find. It thrives mainly on dead and decaying hardwood trees. Out of 10,000 old trees on the entire hill, perhaps only 2 or 3 will have Ganoderma growing on them so it is very rare.

In 1972, researchers in Japan successfully cultivated Ganoderma lucidum in the laboratory. Therefore, Ganoderma lucidum is now widely cultivated for health care and beauty purposes, although the natural or wild type is still more popular.

According to Dr. Vinh Hoa, lingzhi mushrooms need to be dried well after picking and stored properly to avoid mold and health effects. How to dry lingzhi naturally for good preservation:

Day 1: Immediately after harvesting, dry the Ganoderma in sunlight for 6-7 hours with the cream or cream-colored underside facing the sun.

Day 2: Dry the reishi in the sun for another 3-4 hours with the red side facing the sun. Then move them to a well-ventilated shaded area to dry with a fan.

Day 3: Dry in the sun for another 4-6 hours with the cream-yellow underside facing the sun. Then move them to a shady, well-ventilated area to dry with a fan.

Day 4 onwards: Keep the reishi in a well-ventilated area in the shade to dry with a fan 24 hours a day until completely dry. The reishi needs to be protected from rain or water.

Method 2: If it is raining, you can skip the sun drying and place the Ganoderma lucidum with the cream or cream-colored underside facing up, directly in a well-ventilated room. Fan it 24 hours a day until the Ganoderma lucidum is completely dry.

It takes about 4kg of fresh ganoderma to get 1kg of dried ganoderma.

Note that after harvesting, do not store the Ganoderma in unventilated containers or plastic bags overnight. Dry as soon as possible after picking. If Ganoderma cannot be dried outside due to rain, dry it with a fan indoors to avoid mold. Dry in direct sunlight when possible.

Use reishi mushrooms properly for high efficiency

Triterpenes and polysaccharides are the main medicinal components of Ganoderma. Triterpenes in Ganoderma are insoluble in cold water but easily extracted in alcohol and hot water. These substances create the bitter taste of Ganoderma.

In addition, the water-soluble polysaccharides have a large molecular weight, Ganoderma is covered with chitin polysaccharide. Most of the chitin is difficult for the human body to digest and makes the mushroom hard. Therefore, Ganoderma must be boiled with water to extract the active ingredients.

For powder or pill products, the mushroom must be ground into a fine powder or made into an extract to ensure bioavailability. Traditionally, reishi mushrooms should be simmered for about 20-60 minutes before adding other herbal ingredients. If you only boil reishi for 5 minutes like making tea, the amount of active ingredients in reishi mushrooms will not dissolve completely in the water, which is inadvertently a waste.

The recommended amount of dried reishi is 3-15 g per day.

Reishi decoction: Boil 3-15g of chopped or powdered reishi in about 2 liters of water. Boil slowly until 2/3 of the water remains. The reishi residue can be repeated 2-3 times until all the components in the reishi mushroom are extracted.

Alcohol extraction (traditional method): Soak 90g of chopped or powdered Ganoderma in 500ml of rice wine for at least 10 days.

According to VnExpress