Supplement

Reishi

Reishi is a mushroom used in traditional Asian medicine, rich in beta-glucans, compounds that interact with immune cells in the body. People mostly look at it for support during cancer care, and small trials found immune measures improved in patients, though the evidence is limited. Those studies were small, with only a few dozen participants in total, and trials on prostate symptoms and blood flow found no clear difference, so the picture is still early.

Sources: PMID 16428086; PMID 17597499

Updated 30 September 2026
How we grade
13 studies cited

Best evidence: Grade C
Conditions studied: 11
Outcomes: 53
Graded outcomes: 0055

Evidence by condition

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

11 conditions

General Cancer Care and Prevention

General Cancer Care and Prevention: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Immunity Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect	3 studies	34 people
Studies that measured immunity Monitoring of immune responses to a herbal immuno-modulator in patients with advanced colorectal cancerInt Immunopharmacol · PMID 16428086 Safety and tolerability of Ganoderma lucidum in healthy subjects: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trialAm J Chin Med · PMID 17597499 Effects of ganopoly (a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract) on the immune functions in advanced-stage cancer patientsImmunol Invest · PMID 12916709
	Natural Killer Cell Activity	Improves (the measure goes up)			34 people
	TNF-Alpha	Improves (the measure goes down)			34 people

Immune Health

Immune Health: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	CD3 Lymphocytes Small Increase	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect	1 study	40 people
Studies that measured cd3 lymphocytes Effect of Ganoderma lucidum capsules on T lymphocyte subsets in football players on "living high-training low"Br J Sports Med · PMID 18048435
	CD4 Lymphocytes Small Increase	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect		40 people
	Immunity	Improves (the measure goes up)		3 studies	97 people
Studies that measured immunity Monitoring of immune responses to a herbal immuno-modulator in patients with advanced colorectal cancerInt Immunopharmacol · PMID 16428086 Safety and tolerability of Ganoderma lucidum in healthy subjects: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trialAm J Chin Med · PMID 17597499 Effects of ganopoly (a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract) on the immune functions in advanced-stage cancer patientsImmunol Invest · PMID 12916709
	Proteinuria	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	14 people
Studies that measured proteinuria Ganoderma lucidum suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosisClin Hemorheol Microcirc · PMID 15567896
	Natural Killer Cell Activity	Improves (the measure goes up)			34 people
	TNF-Alpha	Improves (the measure goes down)			34 people

Breast Cancer

Anxiety Symptoms: improves
Depression Symptoms: improves
Fatigue Symptoms: improves

Breast Cancer: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Anxiety Symptoms Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect	1 study	48 people
Studies that measured anxiety symptoms Spore Powder of Ganoderma lucidum Improves Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy: A Pilot Clinical TrialEvid Based Complement Alternat Med · PMID 22203880
	Depression Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)			48 people
	Fatigue Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)			48 people
	Subjective Well-Being	Improves (the measure goes up)			48 people
	TNF-Alpha	Improves (the measure goes down)			48 people

Neurasthenia

Fatigue Symptoms: improves
Neurasthenia Symptoms: improves
Subjective Well-Being: improves

Neurasthenia: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Fatigue Symptoms Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		132 people
	Neurasthenia Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	132 people
Studies that measured neurasthenia symptoms A randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract in neurastheniaJ Med Food · PMID 15857210
	Subjective Well-Being	Improves (the measure goes up)			132 people

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Symptoms
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: improves
Prostate-Specific Antigen: improves

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Symptoms No effect		NoneNo effect	2 studies	138 people
Studies that measured benign prostatic hyperplasia symptoms Randomized clinical trial of an ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptomsAsian J Androl · PMID 18097505 Effect of an extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptoms: a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized and dose-ranging studyAsian J Androl · PMID 18097503
	Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)			138 people
	Prostate-Specific Antigen	Improves (the measure goes up)			138 people
	Subjective Well-Being	Improves (the measure goes up)			50 people
	Testosterone	Improves (the measure goes up)			88 people

General Cardiovascular Health

Blood Flow
Proteinuria: improves

General Cardiovascular Health: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Blood Flow No effect		NoneNo effect	1 study	40 people
Studies that measured blood flow A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the platelet and global hemostatic effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Ling-Zhi) in healthy volunteersAnesth Analg · PMID 16037156
	Proteinuria	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	14 people
Studies that measured proteinuria Ganoderma lucidum suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosisClin Hemorheol Microcirc · PMID 15567896

High Blood Pressure

Adrenaline
Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile: improves
Blood Pressure: improves

High Blood Pressure: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Adrenaline No effect		NoneNo effect	1 study	23 people
Studies that measured adrenaline Study of potential cardioprotective effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi): results of a controlled human intervention trialBr J Nutr · PMID 21801467
	Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile	Improves (the measure goes up)			23 people
	Blood Pressure	Improves (the measure goes down)			23 people
	Dopamine	Improves (the measure goes up)			23 people
	High-density lipoprotein (HDL)	Improves (the measure goes up)			23 people
	Oxidative Stress Biomarkers	Improves (the measure goes down)			23 people
	Triglycerides	Improves (the measure goes down)			23 people
	Weight	Improves (the measure goes down)			23 people

High Cholesterol

Adrenaline
Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile: improves
Blood Pressure: improves

High Cholesterol: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Adrenaline No effect		NoneNo effect	1 study	23 people
Studies that measured adrenaline Study of potential cardioprotective effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi): results of a controlled human intervention trialBr J Nutr · PMID 21801467
	Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile	Improves (the measure goes up)			23 people
	Blood Pressure	Improves (the measure goes down)			23 people
	Dopamine	Improves (the measure goes up)			23 people
	High-density lipoprotein (HDL)	Improves (the measure goes up)			23 people
	Oxidative Stress Biomarkers	Improves (the measure goes down)			23 people
	Triglycerides	Improves (the measure goes down)			23 people
	Weight	Improves (the measure goes down)			23 people

Metabolic Health

Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile
Immunity: improves
Total cholesterol: improves

Metabolic Health: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile No effect		NoneNo effect		18 people
	Immunity	Improves (the measure goes up)		3 studies	18 people
Studies that measured immunity Monitoring of immune responses to a herbal immuno-modulator in patients with advanced colorectal cancerInt Immunopharmacol · PMID 16428086 Safety and tolerability of Ganoderma lucidum in healthy subjects: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trialAm J Chin Med · PMID 17597499 Effects of ganopoly (a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract) on the immune functions in advanced-stage cancer patientsImmunol Invest · PMID 12916709
	Total cholesterol	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	18 people
Studies that measured total cholesterol Ganoderma lucidum ("Lingzhi"), a Chinese medicinal mushroom: biomarker responses in a controlled human supplementation studyBr J Nutr · PMID 14756912
	C-Reactive Protein (CRP)	Improves (the measure goes down)			18 people
	DNA Damage	Changes; see studies			18 people
	High-density lipoprotein (HDL)	Improves (the measure goes up)			18 people
	Liver Enzymes	Changes; see studies			18 people
	Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)	Improves (the measure goes down)			18 people
	Oxidative Stress Biomarkers	Improves (the measure goes down)			18 people
	Triglycerides	Improves (the measure goes down)			18 people
	Uric Acid	Improves (the measure goes down)			18 people

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal Cancer Risk: improves

Colorectal Cancer: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Colorectal Cancer Risk	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	198 people
Studies that measured colorectal cancer risk A water-soluble extract from culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia suppresses the development of colorectal adenomasHiroshima J Med Sci · PMID 20518254

Kidney Health

Proteinuria: improves

Kidney Health: outcomes studied for Reishi
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Proteinuria	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	14 people
Studies that measured proteinuria Ganoderma lucidum suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosisClin Hemorheol Microcirc · PMID 15567896

Key findings

ImmunityGeneral Cancer Care and PreventionImproves (the measure goes up)
CD3 LymphocytesImmune HealthImproves (the measure goes up)
Anxiety SymptomsBreast CancerImproves (the measure goes down)

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Grade C

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Studies cited

13 studies from PubMed

Randomized clinical trial of an ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptomsAsian J Androl · PMID 18097505
Effect of an extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptoms: a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized and dose-ranging studyAsian J Androl · PMID 18097503
A randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract in neurastheniaJ Med Food · PMID 15857210
Study of potential cardioprotective effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi): results of a controlled human intervention trialBr J Nutr · PMID 21801467
Ganoderma lucidum ("Lingzhi"), a Chinese medicinal mushroom: biomarker responses in a controlled human supplementation studyBr J Nutr · PMID 14756912
Monitoring of immune responses to a herbal immuno-modulator in patients with advanced colorectal cancerInt Immunopharmacol · PMID 16428086
Safety and tolerability of Ganoderma lucidum in healthy subjects: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trialAm J Chin Med · PMID 17597499
Effects of ganopoly (a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract) on the immune functions in advanced-stage cancer patientsImmunol Invest · PMID 12916709
Ganoderma lucidum suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosisClin Hemorheol Microcirc · PMID 15567896
Effect of Ganoderma lucidum capsules on T lymphocyte subsets in football players on "living high-training low"Br J Sports Med · PMID 18048435
A water-soluble extract from culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia suppresses the development of colorectal adenomasHiroshima J Med Sci · PMID 20518254
Spore Powder of Ganoderma lucidum Improves Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy: A Pilot Clinical TrialEvid Based Complement Alternat Med · PMID 22203880
A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the platelet and global hemostatic effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Ling-Zhi) in healthy volunteersAnesth Analg · PMID 16037156