Reishi History: From Ancient Texts to Modern Trials
Reishi has a long record in Chinese texts, and its modern trials measure very different things. A spore oil, a beta-glucan and a triterpenoid-enriched capsule are not the same product. Check the preparation on the label before you read a trial as a verdict on it.
The history of reishi starts in Chinese texts, long before the modern trials. According to PubMed, a 2019 chapter on Ganoderma (lingzhi) in Chinese medicine says the Shennong Materia Medica is one of the early books that began to study and report the mushroom's categorization, habitat and medicinal use ([Lin, 2019](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9867-4_1)). The surprise is how far the lore went. The same chapter describes lingzhi as a magic herb and an auspicious symbol, with myths and poems about it in Chinese literature since ancient times. The trials below tested different preparations, so a reishi label tells you very little on its own. ## Names, myths and the early texts Names carry part of the history. Yang and colleagues describe Ganoderma lucidum as commonly known as fairy grass, and note a lengthy history of use as a food ingredient and traditional medicine in China ([Yang et al., 2025](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140645)). Lin's chapter lists older names, including Ruizhi, Shenzhi and Xiancao, and says Taoism helped promote the mushroom for medical purposes or otherwise. Modern writers refer to the Shennong Materia Medica often, according to the same chapter. The chapter gives no date or author for that text, so this post gives neither. Traditional herbs that moved from old texts to isolated compounds follow a similar path, and the [turmeric history](/blog/history/history-of-turmeric-and-curcumin-from-ayurveda-to-isolation) tells that story for a different plant. ## Why the label is not enough Reishi products differ at two levels: the raw material and the extraction method. Yang and colleagues describe polysaccharides as the main active ingredients prepared from the mushroom. They list hot water, ultrasound, microwave and enzyme methods for extracting them, and they say it is unclear whether bioactivity depends on how the extract was made ([Yang et al., 2025](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140645)). A 2023 systematic review names three main groups of bioactive metabolites: polysaccharides, triterpenoids and polyphenols ([Swallah et al., 2023](https://doi.org/10.1039/d2fo01683d)). Polyphenols have their own reference page, the [resveratrol monograph](/ingredients/resveratrol). A trial of one extract does not tell you what another extract will do. ## What the three trials measured Chen and colleagues gave healthy adults aged 18 to 55 a beta-glucan derived from Reishi, against placebo, for 84 days. The trial measured T-lymphocyte populations, natural killer cell counts and cytotoxicity, and serum IgA. Those immune measures changed in the intervention group, and kidney and liver markers did not ([Chen et al., 2023](https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030659)). For the wider immune research, see the [immune health guide](/health/immune-health). Chiu and colleagues gave 42 healthy volunteers a 225 mg capsule of triterpenoid- and polysaccharide-enriched Ganoderma lucidum for six months, in a crossover design with a one-month washout. Antioxidant capacity rose, and liver enzyme markers fell ([Chiu et al., 2017](https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2017.1288750)). Wang and colleagues randomized 110 participants with dyslipidemia to a Ganoderma lucidum spore oil or placebo in a double-blind study. After 12 weeks, total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol were lower in the intervention group, HDL cholesterol was higher, and liver function parameters improved ([Wang et al., 2025](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050844)). The immune and liver results are preliminary, since each trial is small or measures a narrow marker. The lipid result comes from one randomized trial of 110 people over 12 weeks, which is a moderate grade for that outcome only. ## Bottom line Check the preparation before you compare a reishi product with a trial. A spore oil, a beta-glucan and a triterpenoid-enriched capsule are different inputs, and each trial tested only one of them. Treat the immune and liver findings as early signals, and the lipid finding as a single 12-week trial. ## Frequently asked questions **Why is reishi called fairy grass?** Yang and colleagues describe Ganoderma lucidum as commonly known as fairy grass ([Yang et al., 2025](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140645)). Lin's chapter adds older names, including Ruizhi, Shenzhi and Xiancao, and describes the mushroom as a magic herb and an auspicious symbol in Chinese literature ([Lin, 2019](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9867-4_1)). **Which Chinese texts describe ling zhi?** According to a 2019 chapter, the Shennong Materia Medica is among the early books that studied and reported lingzhi's categorization, habitat and medicinal use. The chapter gives no date or author for that text, so this post gives none. **What are triterpenes, and why do they matter in the research?** Triterpenoids are one of three main bioactive groups in reishi, alongside polysaccharides and polyphenols, according to a 2023 systematic review ([Swallah et al., 2023](https://doi.org/10.1039/d2fo01683d)). A 2025 review calls the polysaccharides the main active ingredients, so a trial of one extract does not settle questions about another. **What did the early immune and liver trials measure?** The Chen trial measured immune cell counts, natural killer cell activity and IgA over 84 days in healthy adults aged 18 to 55 ([Chen et al., 2023](https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030659)). The Chiu trial measured antioxidant capacity and liver enzyme markers over six months per arm in 42 healthy volunteers ([Chiu et al., 2017](https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2017.1288750)). Neither abstract reports an infection outcome. **How do the reishi products in these trials differ?** They are not the same material. Chen and colleagues tested a beta-glucan derived from Reishi. Chiu and colleagues tested a 225 mg capsule of triterpenoid- and polysaccharide-enriched Ganoderma lucidum. Wang and colleagues tested a spore oil. A label that says only reishi does not tell you which of these is in the bottle. **Does one reishi trial settle the question?** No. The three trials used different preparations, measured different markers, and ran for different lengths of time, so they do not add up to one answer. ## Next reads - [Immune health: the complete guide](/health/immune-health): the broader reference for the immune research this post touches. - [Turmeric and curcumin: from Eastern texts to the capsule](/blog/history/history-of-turmeric-and-curcumin-from-ayurveda-to-isolation): another traditional herb that moved from ancient texts to isolated compounds. ### Related reading - [The history of cordyceps, the next mushroom in this series](/blog/history/history-of-cordyceps-from-tibet-to-athletic-supplement) - [The history of echinacea, the next herb in this series](/blog/history/history-of-echinacea-from-plains-tribes-to-german-clinic)