Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) - A Traditional Chinese Herbal Remedy

By Markho Rafael

Reishi is frequently prescribed in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a panacea. It is widely used by both laymen and professionals in the Orient as a treatment for things as innocuous as stress or weight loss to more serious conditions such as arthritis and even cancer.

One of the strongest proponents for the use of reishi as a medicinal mushroom is Dr. Fukumi Morishige. He works with the Linus Pauling Institute of Science & Medicine on treating cancer with reishi.

Below follows seven cases described by Dr. Morishige during a speech, later reprinted in the publication, Chinese Traditional Medicine Part III.

Growing up in Japan as Dr. Morishige did, it was impossible not to have heard of reishi. But he dismissed it as a mild herbal remedy to be used with limited results for non-terminal illnesses, not as a viable option for treating terminal conditions such as cancer. His curiosity arose when two of his cancer patients showed signs of remission, which they themselves claimed were due to their use of reishi.

The first case he encountered was a woman in her late 30's with lung cancer. A number of hospitals had told her the cancer was too advanced to be treatable. There had also been secondary complications in the form of edema of the chest. However, when she came to see Dr. Morishige half a year later, all those symptoms had disappeared. The woman insisted her recovery had come as a result of 4 gm of reishi administered daily by her husband.

The second case was a young boy suffering from congenital liver cancer. At the age of 5, his attending physician determined that the condition was terminal and discontinued any further treatment. At 9 years of age, the boy's parents brought him to see Dr. Morishige who could then find no remaining traces of the cancer. The parents explained to Dr. Morishige that they had been feeding their son reishi via a naso-gastric tube. It was at this point Dr. Morishige determined that reishi's effect on cancer deserved further study.

Listed below are five of Dr. Morishige's cases. Reishi and Vitamin C (for side effects) was used:

Case 1: A 70-year-old male patient who had lost consciousness due to a 5 cm (2 in.) brain tumor was administered 6 gm of reishi per day starting in June of 1986. By September, he had regained consciousness. He continued to take reishi orally after regaining consciousness, now 3 gm/day. By December of that same year, brain scans showed the tumor had diminished in size. Once the size of the tumor had been reduced to 1 cm, the patient was released from the hospital and returned to live with his family.

Case 2: A 50-year-old woman who had lung cancer and was coughing up blood was put on 6 grams of reishi per day. After six months, the tumor had disappeared. At the onset of treatment, she was unable to climb stairs. At the end, she was able to climb stairs with little effort.

Case 3: Patient with breast cancer that had spread to the bones was in unbearable pain and immobilized below the head. An initial dose of 9 grams of reishi daily was increased to 20 grams per day. Two months later, the woman was pain free and released after demonstrating improvement in her ability to walk.

Case 4: A patient with rectal cancer, which had metastasized to the liver, was administered 6 gm/day of reishi. CT scans taken 6 months later showed tumor shrinkage and patient reported feeling better.

Case 5: A 60-year-old male diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer with a short remaining life expectancy began 9 gm/day of reishi orally, in combination with 30 gm/day of Vitamin C intravenously. One year later, he was completely symptom free and back to work. He continued using 5 gm/day of reishi after being released from the hospital.

Note: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The product mentioned herein has not been approved by the FDA for use in treating cancer. Never use this or any other herb to treat a life-threatening disease without consulting a licensed physician.

Reference: Morishige, Fukumi, 1987. Chinese Traditional Medicine Part III, Page 12 - 23, ISBN4-88580-053-6 C-0077 - 30285

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