Herb library · Mushroom · Ganoderma lucidum, G. lingzhi, G. sinense
Reishi (lingzhi)
A glossy, reddish-brown shelf mushroom prized in Chinese and Japanese tradition and sold today for energy, immunity and alongside cancer care. Small trials in people exist; none has shown a clear benefit, and it has been linked to rare cases of liver injury.
Serious warning
LiverTox rates reishi a possible rare cause of liver injury: a small number of cases have been reported from China, Japan, Thailand and India, including one death from liver failure after switching to a reishi powder.
Traditional use
Ganoderma appears in the Chinese materia medica Shen Nung Ben Cao Jing (written between 206 BC and 8 AD), where it was considered a superior tonic for a long life and vitality. It is known as Ling Zhi in China and Reishi in Japan. Contemporary Chinese physicians use it alongside chemotherapy or radiation, and it is sold worldwide as an extract, often in blends promoted for energy and concentration.
What studies show
- Limited
As an add-on to cancer care: a 2016 Cochrane review found five randomized trials of generally poor quality. People given reishi alongside chemotherapy or radiation were somewhat more likely to respond, and some immune markers rose, but there was not enough evidence to use it in place of standard cancer care, and whether it helps people live longer is unknown.
- Limited· shows no benefit
Heart and metabolic risk: in small placebo-controlled trials summarized by LiverTox (26 and 84 adults), reishi did not change weight, blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol.
- Insufficient
Fatigue, urinary symptoms, memory and other uses: LiverTox says none of reishi's purported benefits has been shown in adequately sized, properly controlled trials in people.
Be careful of
Cautions
- ConditionIn reported cases, liver problems showed up 1 to 2 months after starting (sometimes days, sometimes 6 months), with tiredness, nausea, stomach pain, dark urine or yellowing of the skin or eyes. Stop and see a clinician if these appear.
- NoteShort trials describe few side effects; one reported mild nausea and trouble sleeping.
- NoteMany Ganoderma species look alike and are hard to tell apart, and the FDA does not review how mushroom supplements are made, so products may differ from batch to batch.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“It is said to absorb the earthy vapors and to leave a heavenly atmosphere.”
“It is large and of a branched form, and probably represents Clavaria or Sparassis. Its form is likened to that of coral.”
Sources
- Lingzhi, Reishi (LiverTox) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Medicinal Mushrooms (PDQ®)–Patient Version (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane review, 2016) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.