What is the nutritional value of Lingzhi? Learn about its active ingredients and nutritional value in this article

The efficacy and performance of Lingzhi

“Shennong’s Natural Traditional” data that “one of the best drugs nourishes life, the center drugs nourishes nature, and the decrease drugs cures ailments.” In easy phrases, Chinese language medicinal supplies are divided into three grades: one of the best, the center, and the bottom. Amongst them, one of the best Chinese language medicinal supplies are non-toxic and tonic, appropriate for each day well being care. Ganoderma lucidum is among the greatest Chinese language medicinal supplies.

Ganoderma lucidum is a treasure of conventional Chinese language medicinal supplies in my nation. Since historical instances, it has been a totem of the royal household, the embodiment of fine luck, and a logo of longevity and well being. It is called China’s “4 Nice Immortal Grasses” along with ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum and Cordyceps sinensis.

5 lively substances of Ganoderma lucidum
Ganoderma lucidum is the fruiting physique of the fungus Ganoderma lucidum of the Polyporaceae household. It may be harvested all year long and used as drugs or meals after being dried within the shade or within the solar. Presently, a lot of the crimson Ganoderma lucidum in the marketplace is reddish-brown on the floor.

Trendy analysis has discovered that Ganoderma lucidum is wealthy within the following lively substances, primarily together with Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides, Ganoderma lucidum triterpenes, sterol compounds, proteins and amino acids.

01 Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are an especially essential class of lively substances in Ganoderma lucidum, accounting for about 10% of the dry mass of Ganoderma lucidum, and are primarily distributed within the fruiting our bodies, spores and mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum. There are numerous strategies for extracting polysaccharides, together with sizzling water extraction, dilute acid-base extraction, microwave extraction, ultrasonic extraction and microwave-assisted ultrasonic extraction. The organic exercise of polysaccharides is carefully associated to their construction and relative molecular mass. Most of them are composed of monosaccharides resembling arabinosyl, galactosyl, glucosyl, xylosyl and mannosyl, forming completely different constructions of homopolysaccharides and heteropolysaccharides.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides have proven important results in regulating the immune system, anti-tumor, inhibiting angiogenesis, decreasing blood sugar, defending the liver, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation and scavenging free radicals, and anti-aging.

02 Ganoderma lucidum triterpenes

Ganoderma lucidum triterpenes are one other essential nutrient in Ganoderma lucidum. They’re extremely oxidized lanostane derivatives. To date, scientists have remoted greater than 130 triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum, that are primarily divided into tetracyclic lanolinane triterpenes and pentacyclic triterpenes, and might be divided into three sorts in accordance with the carbon quantity: C30, C27 and C24.

Ganoderma lucidum triterpenes have a variety of pharmacological results, together with anti-tumor, anti-virus, liver safety, anti-aging, decreasing blood strain and blood lipids, and anti-Parkinson’s illness.

03 Sterol compounds

Many of the sterol compounds in Ganoderma lucidum are ergosterols, and some are ldl cholesterol. Ergosterol is a vital part of fungal cell membranes and one of many attribute compounds of fungal organisms. Its content material can attain 0.3%-2.5%. Ergosterol and peroxyergosterol present results in inhibiting tumor cell progress, however their motion pathways are completely different.

Ganoderma lucidum sterol extracts have important results in bettering human immunity, decreasing blood levels of cholesterol, stopping prostate ailments, and assuaging hypoxia of cerebral cortical neurons. By adopting applied sciences resembling supercritical CO2 extraction, the experimental situations might be optimized and the extraction fee of ergosterol might be improved.

04 Proteins and amino acids

Ganoderma lucidum is wealthy in proteins, which have good health-care results. The proteins in Ganoderma lucidum primarily embrace fungal immunomodulatory proteins, glycoproteins, lectins and enzymes.

Research have proven that Ganoderma lucidum protein extracts have antioxidant and antibacterial results. For instance, crude protein from Ganoderma lucidum mycelium and fruiting our bodies confirmed important exercise in antioxidant, antibacterial and DNA safety actions, amongst which mycelium protein extracts can defend DNA from injury by hydroxyl radicals.

05 Different compounds

Along with the above-mentioned foremost lively substances, Ganoderma lucidum additionally comprises quite a lot of compounds resembling flavonoids, nucleosides, nutritional vitamins, hint parts, organic volatiles, organic acids and fatty acids.

These compounds play an indispensable position within the well being and medicinal worth of Ganoderma lucidum, and collectively they represent a fancy and efficient lively system of Ganoderma lucidum, a pure drugs.

Six main well being results of Lingzhi

Lingzhi is gentle in nature, candy in style, and enters the center, lung, liver, and kidney meridians. It has many capabilities resembling nourishing the center and calming the thoughts, replenishing qi and calming bronchial asthma, and nourishing and strengthening.

01 Nourishing the center and calming the thoughts, defending the center and mind

Within the fast-paced trendy life, insomnia and nervousness have develop into an issue for many individuals. Lingzhi enters the center meridian, which may successfully replenish the center qi, nourish the center blood, and calm the thoughts. It has a big enchancment impact on signs resembling restlessness, insomnia, and reminiscence loss attributable to inadequate qi and blood.

Trendy analysis reveals that Lingzhi is useful to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular well being. Researchers have discovered that Lingzhi has an anti-lipid peroxidation impact on rat vascular easy muscle cells. Its anti-atherosclerotic mechanism could also be associated to its anti-lipid peroxidation response attributable to reactive oxygen and enhancing the exercise of antioxidant enzymes within the physique. For sufferers with hyperlipidemia, Lingzhi can considerably cut back blood ldl cholesterol, lipoproteins, and triglyceride ranges, and might play a sure preventive position in atherosclerosis. Lingzhi may also enhance hemodynamics, cut back entire blood and plasma viscosity, enhance native microcirculation, and inhibit platelet aggregation.

02 Replenishing Qi and relieving bronchial asthma, relieving cough and eradicating phlegm

Lingzhi enters the lung meridian and has the results of replenishing lung qi, relieving cough and relieving bronchial asthma. It’s typically utilized in circumstances of long-term cough and bronchial asthma, which belong to the state of affairs of lung qi deficiency. Trendy analysis has discovered that the therapeutic mechanism of Lingzhi for persistent bronchitis is principally achieved via “nourishing and strengthening, strengthening the physique and consolidating the muse”. Related researchers used mice as experimental animals to conduct experiments on the prevention and remedy of respiratory irritation with Lingzhi extract. The outcomes confirmed that Lingzhi extract can considerably improve the delayed pores and skin hypersensitivity response attributable to dinitrochlorobenzene, and its OD worth is 40.14% greater than the management. It may be seen that Lingzhi extract has the impact of relieving cough and eradicating phlegm, and has a very good impact on persistent bronchitis.

03 Replenishing and strengthening, combating growing older

Lingzhi is called the “immortal grass”, and its capacity to replenish the 5 inside organs and consolidate the muse is extremely praised by docs. The “remedy of asthenia” recorded within the Compendium of Materia Medica is a high-level abstract of its results in strengthening bodily health and prolonging life. Whether or not it’s lack of urge for food and weight reduction attributable to bodily weak point, or folks with weak bodily health and fatigue, Lingzhi can present mild and lasting nourishment, and it isn’t simple to trigger inside warmth, which actually achieves “nourishing however not greasy”.

Trendy analysis reveals that one of many traits of human growing older is the decline within the biosynthesis and restore capacity of nucleic acids and proteins. Related experiments have proven that the water extract of Ganoderma lucidum can considerably restore the immune operate of the growing older physique, and restore the physique’s humoral immunity and mobile immunity to grownup ranges. This is among the essential mechanisms of Lingzhi’s anti-aging. There are additionally experiments which have discovered that Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides can promote the synthesis of serum albumin and liver protein by hepatocytes, improve the extent of liver homogenate cytochrome P-450, promote the synthesis of bone marrow cell protein, and promote the division and proliferation of bone marrow cells. This will even be one of many essential mechanisms of Lingzhi to stop growing older.

04 Cut back blood sugar and defend kidneys

Trendy analysis has discovered that Ganoderma lucidum has a big regulatory impact on the sugar and lipid metabolism issues of diabetic rats, and considerably reduces the urinary microalbumin excretion of early diabetic nephropathy rats, inflicting the physique weight of diabetic rats to extend considerably, the renal index to lower, and the serum complete protein and albumin to extend. Some students have identified that Ganoderma lucidum can inhibit the aggregation of extracellular matrix sort IV collagen by upregulating the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and metalloproteinase 9, thereby assuaging the early kidney injury attributable to diabetes.

05 Shield liver and detoxify, promote metabolism

Ganoderma lucidum peptides, polysaccharides, triterpenoids and their synergistic liver safety results. Research have proven that within the D-GalN liver harm mannequin experiment, GLP (150mg/kg·bw), GLPS (800mg/kg·bw), Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids (GLT) (100mg/kg·bw) and the mix of the three can considerably cut back the ALT and AST actions in mouse serum, and may also considerably inhibit the SOD/GSH-PX exercise, the lower in GSH content material and the rise in MDA content material in liver homogenate (p < 0.01); the liver cell lesions of mice within the mixture group of the three had been considerably improved or recovered, and the impact was higher than that of the only group. Selling liver protein and nucleic acid metabolism could also be one of many mechanisms of Ganoderma lucidum’s liver safety and cleansing results.

06Immunomodulation, combating tumors

Trendy scientific analysis offers scientific proof for the normal efficacy of Ganoderma lucidum. Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides, triterpenoids and different lively substances have been discovered to have important immunomodulatory results, which may improve the physique’s nonspecific immune operate, battle an infection and cut back inflammatory response. Extra importantly, Ganoderma lucidum has proven distinctive worth within the adjuvant remedy of tumors. It could possibly cut back the unwanted side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, enhance the standard of lifetime of tumor sufferers, and develop into one of many essential auxiliary means in lots of applications.

References:

1. Lv Jingxue, Lang Yan, Wu Qinghong, et al. Analysis progress on the primary lively substances and organic actions of Ganoderma lucidum [J]. Shandong Chemical Trade, 2024, 53(05):54-56.

2. Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Conventional Chinese language Drugs – June 21, 2024 – “Abdomen Well being｜Why do you continue to eat Ganoderma lucidum in summer season? There are these advantages! “

3. Qi Aihua, Solar Yanxia, Li Wei, et al. Medicinal worth of Ganoderma lucidum [J]. Rural Financial system and Science and Know-how, 2018, 29(10):141-142.