In this painting, which depicts Chinese Heaven, Reishi grows on a stone pedistal in the very center. Reishi is known traditionally as the “Herb of Immortality.” 

Reishi is arguably the most important and most revered herb used by Asian people throughout history to promote radiant health, longevity and a more centered state of mind. Continuous consumption of Reishi helps to improve functioning of our whole body system. Reishi provides immunological, neurological, metabolic, hepatic and vascular support functions. Traditionally, it is valued as a tonic herb that can help pave the path to and help maintain radiant health on all levels. 

Reishi Mushroom 

“Reishi” is the mature fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum, the most studied and widely used variety of Reishi mushroom in Asia. The ultra-important, widely-known herb most commonly known in America as “Reishi” is a woody mushroom that has been used in Asia since prehistoric times. The Chinese name for this kind of woody fungus is Ling Zhi. Though the herb was discovered in ancient China or Korea, it is most widely known in America by its Japanese name “Reishi.” The name “Reishi” generally refers to a few very closely related species of woody mushroom, of which Ganoderma lucidum is the most important from a tonic herbal perspective. The names “Reishi” and “Lingzhi” literally mean “Supernatural Fungus.” 

Reishi is arguably the most important and most revered herb used by Asian people throughout history to promote radiant health, longevity and a more centered state of mind. Continuous consumption of Reishi helps to improve functioning of our whole body system. Reishi provides immunological, neurological, metabolic, hepatic and vascular support functions. Traditionally, it is valued as a tonic herb that can help pave the path to and help maintain radiant health on all levels. It was prized by the Taoists, Buddhists, royalty and herbalists of all levels. 

Research conducted in the last two decades has clarified and substantiated a vast number of Reishi’s actions. Reishi contains over 800 biologically active constituents that benefit virtually every cell of the human body in some way. An online search of the scientific research on Reishi can be an endless, joyful and enlightening exercise, revealing a multitude of potential benefits and uses. It is best used as a primary tonic, an herbal dietary supplement, on a daily basis. Reishi is very safe and may be used throughout one’s lifetime.

Like all herbs, especially the tonic and major remedial herbs, Reishi grows wild in a variety of natural environments, and is also widely cultivated. Both wild and cultivated varieties are available from Dragon Herbs. 

Di Tao™

Di Tao means “authentic source.” In Asia, the concept of Di Tao™ is of great importance. All herbs grow best in certain areas. These traditional and scientifically confirmed growing areas are called “Di Tao.” Dragon Herbs sources its Reishi from the Di Tao™ growing region for Reishi known as the Wuyi Mountains, at high altitude and far away from civilization. The Reishi plantation lies between a mountain hardwood forest and a mountain stream that is, along with rain water and mountain mist, the only source of water. The air is pure, the soil is unadjusted forest loam, and there is no pollution.

Wild and Cultivated 

Ganoderma lucidum can be collected from the wild. It is not endangered and it grows on various kinds of hardwood trees in mountainous forests throughout Asia. Ganoderma lucidum is often referred to as “Red Reishi” because it is usually a brick red color. 

Because wild Ganoderma lucidum is relatively rare and difficult to standardize, Reishi is widely cultivated in Asia, accounting for their widespread usage in herbalism and dietary supplement commerce. The specific species of tree varies according to location, and can have a huge impact on the look and chemistry of the Reishi.

Duanwood™ Reishi 

Duanwood™ Reishi (cultivated) is the world-standard for excellent Reishi. It is consistent, natural, clean and potent. Because of the excellent wood (logs) upon which it is grown, it may have profound immunological, cardiovascular, neurological and hepatic effects. It is extremely reliable. Dragon Herbs uses only Duanwood™ Reishi that has been mountain grown in the magnificent Wuyi Mountains in a remote forest, nurtured only on mountain water. This Duanwood™ Reishi is highly standardized and consistent. Dragon Herbs extracts these mushrooms at the peak of their potency. The highly concentrated water extract is produced in a world class factory using state of the art technology to ensure optimal constituent profile. Duanwood Reishi is a world class Qi tonic that supports immunological functions, and supports the liver, lungs, brain and other organ systems. 

Duanwood™ Reishi is a kind of Reishi that is grown on wood logs. Forest trees are sustainably harvested and cut into logs. Dragon Herbs Duanwood Reishi is grown on a tree known as Cyclobalanopsis glauca. The wood of this tree is very hard. It is commonly used to make handles for tools. It is the natural, preferred food for Reishi in the Wu Yi Mountains. All logs must be at least 6” in diameter. Only this “Duanwood” (“wood logs”) is inoculated with Reishi spores. The Reishi consumes the log and, at the appropriate time, shoots up the fruiting body (mushroom) which matures into a fully grown Reishi mushroom. It is harvested at the peak of its life cycle, ensuring maximum biological potency. The best time to harvest Duanwood™ Reishi is right after it has spread spores. Every two years, the Reishi field moves to a different area in the mountain so the soil has a chance to rejuvenate.   

The reputation of Reishi over the past three thousand years is based on the fruiting body only. Dragon Herbs Duanwood Reishi is grown in the pristine Wu Yi Mountain range in a semi-wild environment to simulate wild Reishi’s growing conditions as much as possible. This is to ensure the chemical profile resemblance. 

Most Reishi sold on the market is grown on sawdust or rice hulls, not on the natural forest wood. In fact, most Reishi on the market is not even the fruiting body – it is just the mycelium which has been developed from the sawdust. That is an inferior product.  Reishi mycelium does not contain triterpenes, one of the most important active constituents in Reishi. Triterpenes are only produced when Reishi grows into a fruiting body. Hothouse Reishi and Reishi mycelium are grown in a completely man-made artificial environment. It endures no hardship during development; therefore, it is hard to say it possesses the qualities for which Reishi is famous. Products made of mycelium invariably contain some “culture medium” that mycelium grows in. This is not ideal as the medium is not intended for human consumption. Mycelium can’t be truly organic since it is “cultured.” Once it is fermented, it requires lots of nutrition to grow. Therefore, while eating the mycelium, people actually consume all those “nutrients” that have been added to the mycelium culture medium as well, including corn, starch, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, sugar, etc.

When deciding what kind of Reishi to buy, keep this simple fact in mind: Reishi mycelium takes 2-3 days to grow in a fermentation tank, while real Duanwood Reishi TM mushroom fruiting body takes almost a year to mature naturally in the mountain. 2-3 days vs. 365 days.

Duanwood™ Reishi extract contains no “culture medium” by-products, because there is no culture medium. Only the fruiting body is used for extraction, and there is no artificially grown mycelial mass – just an inoculated natural Duanwood log planted in forest soil. 

Dragon Herbs does not use hothouse Reishi mycelium in any of its products. All Dragon Herbs products that include cultivated Reishi, utilize Duanwood™ – forest harvested logs – as the Reishi’s food.

Duanwood™ Reishi Capsules

Code: 514. Price: $36

100 caps, 500 mg each

Duanwood™ Reishi Drops

Code: 005. Price: $36

Dragon Herbs sources its Reishi from the Di Tao™ growing region for Reishi known as the Wuyi Mountains, at high altitude and far away from civilization. 

It’s the “Mushroom Fruiting Body” that Matters Most

It is of critical importance to the consumer to know that it is the fruiting body, the above-the-ground “mushroom,” that is the official herbal part of this botanical. The mycelium, that part of the fungus that grows within the rotting wood, is not used in Asia as a tonic material. The fruiting body is the “mushroom,” the sexual organ of the fungus that emerges from the mycelium during the growing season. In Asia, only the fruiting body is accepted as a tonic herb. The fruiting body is called the “mushroom of immortality,” not the mycelium. The mycelium is however widely sold in America to less sophisticated users. The mycelium is usually simply ground into a powder and sold as “Reishi.” Real Reishi is always extracted. It cannot be digested by humans if it is not extracted and made bioavailable. Dragon Herbs only uses the fruiting body to make its Reishi products – never mycelial mass – and it is always extracted and thus concentrated. 

Reishi prefers a humid and hot environment. The Reishi field has rows upon rows of tents to keep the heat and moisture in.

Wild Reishi Drops

Wild Reishi has been revered for millennia. Dragon Herbs Wild Reishi is 100% Red Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) collected in the remote, pristine forests of Changbai Mountain in Manchuria. It is one of the world’s greatest herbal treasures. Because it is wild-collected, its chemistry will be very broad. It is superb for building Jing and Shen, especially Shen. It is among the great Shen tonic herbs in the world. Taoists revered this Reishi as the “Herb of Spiritual Potency.” Consistent consumption of wild Reishi is believed in Asia to have a noticeable, positive impact on ones Shen, including peace of mind, joy, emotional stability, optimism, sleep, clarity of thought, and so on. Wild Reishi has excellent effects on all the systems of the body, including the liver and immune system. 

Code: 004. Price: $45

2fl. oz, hydro-ethanolic extract

Purple Reishi Drops

Purple Reishi is a variety of Ganoderma lucidum that grows in Western China. It is the most rare variety of true Reishi. It is a potent Jing tonic and has been highly sought after by longevity enthusiasts (Taoists) throughout the centuries. It is equally revered as a Shen tonic, which is another reason that it is so highly favored by herbal connoisseurs. Like all high quality Reishi, it is a superb Qi tonic that supports immune functions throughout the body. This wild Purple Reishi is a Dragon Herbs exclusive in America. It is produced by state of the art extraction technology utilizing cutting edge oil traps to capture all aromatic and essential oils and fatty acids. 

Code: 039. Price: $45

2fl. oz, hydro-ethanolic extract

Protector 2000

Featuring Cracked-Shell Reishi Spores

When the Duanwood™ Reishi fruiting body reaches maturity, it suddenly releases spores. This amazing process is a natural wonder. The spores are released from the underside of the head of the fruiting body (mushroom cap), and the spores cover the entire mushroom within minutes. The spores are of very significant tonic value. They are very rich in triterpenes, one of the main active constituent groups in Reishi. In fact, the spores are far more potent than even the fruiting body. 

Reishi spores are, however, impossible for humans to digest raw, due to their hard coating. They must be “cracked” by a modern technique to expose the inside of the spore to our digestive system. Cracked-shell Reishi spores are very highly prized; and since it takes 100 pounds of Duanwood Reishi fruiting bodies to produce just 1 pound of Reishi spores, cracked-shell Reishi spores are more expensive than Reishi. Cracked-shell Reishi spores are widely used by people on longevity programs in Asia. 

The essential nutrients of Reishi are contained in its spores. Cracked-shell Reishi spores have been shown to support the immune system and are a superb tonic for those who wish to promote their health, age slowly, promote healthy aging, and preserve their youthfulness. Cracked-shell Reishi spores are rich in triterpenes and nucleosides that support the immune system.  Because the Reishi spores are enzymatically “cracked,” the material inside the spores is easily absorbed by our body. Cracked-shell Reishi spores are much more potent than the whole original Reishi of the same weight. 

Cracked-shell Reishi spores are the primary ingredient in Protector 2000 (50%). Protector 2000 also contains two other strong immune supporting herbs: Whole Goji extract standardized to 40% Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides (LBP), and Agaricus mushroom extract. Dragon Herbs Reishi spores are collected from Duanwood™ Reishi, organically grown at the Wu Yi Mountain Reishi Plantation.

Code: 193. Price: $65

100 caps, 500 mg each

Uncracked Reishi Spores 

Cracked Reishi Spore

Reishi spores have extremely hard shells. Only after the shells are cracked can the active components inside be released and become bio-available.

Ron with a radiantly healthy Reishi farmer. Summer 1994