[Зебра]

Among mycologists and other mushroom enthusiasts—myself included—reishi is considered the “queen of mushrooms.” It’s earned this moniker because of how it revitalizes the entire body (something all mushrooms do to an extent, but reishi’s particularly magical in this sense) and has been revered as a miracle elixir since the days when it was reserved for use only by emperors and other royalty in ancient China. In fact, reishi was so esteemed that in ancient scroll paintings, it was depicted as the “bridge between Earth and Heaven.”

In addition to its various macro- and micronutrients, reishi is made up of polysaccharides and triterpenes. The polysaccharides (particularly the beta-glucans) act as immunomodulators. Reishi’s adaptogenic properties help to stabilize your immune system so that it operates at its full potential. Reishi’s polysaccharides have also been credited with lowering blood pressure, stabilizing blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, and inhibiting tumor growth in some cancers.

Another major benefit of reishi, and what truly puts it in a class of its own, is how it works to achieve hormonal balance. The specific triterpene compounds in reishi fruiting bodies support and balance the endocrine system. When you have an optimally functioning hormonal system (and surprisingly few do—for a slew of reasons including the impact of environmental toxins and the overprescribing of prescription medications, among a host of other factors), your body can relax and recover during the night as it is meant to. Taking reishi will not only increase your quality and duration of deep, restful sleep but will also allow you to function at peak levels during waking hours.