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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Wet Weather Brings Loads of Goodies to Local Forest

 



Ganoderma Tsugae

Commonly called the Hemlock varnish shelf, as it tends to grow on conifers, especially hemlocks. Closely related to Ganoderma lucidum, an ancient medicine used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years!

Reishi possesses anti-tumor, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory and immunotherapeutic activities, supported by studies on polysaccharides, terpenes, and other bioactive compounds isolated from fruiting bodies and mycelia of this fungus. Additional studies indicate that ganoderic acid has some protective effects against liver injury by viruses and other toxic agents in mice, suggesting a potential benefit of this compound in the treatment of liver diseases in humans.

They’re a SUPER MEDICINE!!

Preparation varies across sources:



Hot Water Extract: Thinly sliced or pulverized Reishi (either fresh or dried) is added to a pot of boiling water, the water is then brought to a simmer, and the pot is covered; the reishi is then
simmered for two hours. The resulting liquid is fairly bitter in taste and dark, with the more active red reishi more bitter than the black. The process is sometimes repeated for additional concentration. While it might be difficult to find two hours in a day for this preparation, I have read from other sources that they can be simmered for 20 min and you will still come away with a potent drink

Tincture: While hot water extraction seems to be effective to target the polysaccharides, alcohol extraction is another method used to extract the triterpenes element of the Reishi.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_mushroom)