Reishi Mushroom Supplements Review

Find the Best Reishi Mushroom Supplement. See How Reishi Supplements Differ.

Medically reviewed and edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D.

Last Updated : 10/12/2021 | Initially Posted: 08/10/2019Latest Update: Mushrooms and Blood Sugar

Reishi Mushrooms tested by ConsumerLab.com

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Table of Contents

Summary

· What is reishi? Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is an edible mushroom. Reishi supplements, commonly sold as capsules or powders, contain material from the dried fruiting body (the top or "mushroom") with or without material from mycelia (the branch-like network that gives rise to the fruiting body). Compounds in reishi thought to be biologically active are 1,3-beta-D-glucan, which is found in both the fruiting body and mycelia, and ganoderic acids, different sets of which are found in the fruiting body as compared to the mycelia. Extracts are also available in which these compounds are more concentrated than in dried reishi (see What It Is).

· Health benefits of reishi: Reishi supplements made from fruiting body are commonly promoted for "strengthening" the immune system, as well as for lowering blood sugar, improving cardiovascular function, protecting from liver damage and reducing cancerous tumors. However, the evidence supporting these effects is based on small, short-term studies. More research is needed to confirm these effects (see What It Does).

· What did CL's tests of reishi mushroom supplements show? Our tests found that although all of the products were confirmed to contain reishi, amounts of 1,3-beta-D-glucan per serving ranged widely from just a few milligrams to over 250 mg, and the cost to obtain 100 mg of 1,3-beta-D-glucan ranged from just 7 cents to $19! Amounts of ganoderic acids also ranged widely. One product could not be approved because its labeling could confuse a consumer as to the part of reishi it contains (see What CL Found).

· Which brand of reishi is best? ConsumerLab found that several products provided significant amounts of 1,3-beta-D-glucan as well as ganoderic acids. One that was particularly rich in these beta-glucans was chosen as our Top Pick. There were other good options for getting fruiting body alone or fruiting body with mycelium.

· How to choose a reishi product? When choosing a reishi product, be aware that products that list large amounts of polysaccharides do not necessarily provide large amounts of 1,3-beta-D-glucan (a polysaccharide). Instead they may simply contain large amounts of alpha-glucan, a common polysaccharide in grains, because reishi is grown on grains. This is most common with products listing mycelial biomass (see What to Consider When Buying).

· How to use reishi? It's not clear if reishi supplements are best taken with or without food, although limited evidence indicated that food may inhibit the absorption of certain ganoderic acids (see What to Consider When Using).

· Reishi safety and side effects: Mild side effects may occur. High doses may have a blood thinning effect (see Concerns and Cautions).

Update

Update: Host Defense Mushrooms REISHI — Longevity Support (8/16/19)
We were contacted this past week by Paul Stamets of Fungi Perfecti, LLC, the grower and distributor of this product which CL was "Unable to Approve" in this Review because, as noted below, its labeling could mislead a consumer believe that the product contains reishi fruiting body (i.e., the mushroom) when it contains only mycelium. A CL member also contacted us who had received information from Fungi Perfecti after requesting a response to our findings.

The information from Fungi Perfecti claims that we used "flawed science" and relied on "misinformation supplied by competitors who import Chinese mushrooms." In an attempt to undermine our credibility, it also referred to a letter from a smear campaign against CL fourteen years ago by a supplement industry trade group that subsequently retracted the letter.

We do not doubt that the product is made from reishi mycelium or that it may contain compounds not found in products made exclusively from fruiting body. However, nothing in the information received changes our view that the labeling on the Host Defense product could mislead a consumer and, therefore, we remain unable to approve it. Below are specific accusations made by Mr. Stamets and our responses to them:

· ConsumerLabs.com (sic) attempts to redefine the word "mushroom" in a misleading way. No, we do not. Mushroom is widely held to be synonymous with the fruiting body of a fungus. The mycelium alone, which is what is in Host Defense, is not fruiting body and cannot be described as mushroom. Mr. Stamets appears to believe that the term mushroom and image of a fruiting body on the front label of his product truthfully represent what is in the product. We do not.

· The ConsumerLabs.com (sic) analysis addresses only 2 compounds in Reishi, when dozens of unique active compounds have been identified in supporting health. Our tests measured the compounds commonly used to identify reishi and which may also have beneficial effects: 1,3-beta-D-glucan and several different ganoderic and ganoderenic acids (see How Products Were Evaluated). We also measured alpha-glucan. However, as we note in the Review, our tests for ganoderic/ganoderenic compounds focused only on those found in fruiting body, not mycelium.

· The ConsumerLabs.com report used the incorrect method used for beta glucan analysis of mushrooms. The method they referenced is designed for cereal grain products and is not an approved method for mushrooms. First, although disputing the method we used, Mr. Stamets did not provide any data suggesting that the amount we found was incorrect. Second, the method we used was specifically modified to quantify 1,3-beta-D-glucan and alpha glucan in mushroom and mycelial products, although, as he notes, the original method was developed for testing these compounds in cereal grain products and the modified method is not an official method.

· Have you received funding or advice from Jeff Chilton of NAMMEX/Real Mushrooms? When researching methods for testing, we read many materials. For testing reishi, among these was information published by NAMMEX and we contacted them with questions. We did not receive any funding from them or work with them. Interestingly, among others whom we contacted in our research was an analytical chemist who informed us that "We see many products that are mostly the alpha-glucan matrix from the cereal grain blocks they are grown on. People are often paying top dollar for what ends up being mostly the block..." "In many cases, the fruiting bodies are removed and sold to higher end markets and the mycelia mass and remaining block leftover after harvesting the mushrooms is milled up and sold as 'mycelial mass.'"

· "Instead of focusing on beta glucans or isolated "marker" compounds such as ganoderic acid, Host Defense Mushrooms tests for immune response helps us determine our products' true impacts on the human immune system." While this sounds intriguing, Mr. Stamets provides no clinical evidence of an effect of Host Defense in people. Instead he claims (with graphs that have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal) that his product "activates immune cells and cytokines in living, human cells." However, effects on cells in a laboratory don't necessarily translate to beneficial effects in people and, in our opinion, this does not constitute evidence of "true impacts on the human immune system."

What It Is:

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is an edible mushroom traditionally used in Chinese medicine for a wide range of purported health benefits. Reishi consists of a top portion, the fruiting body (or fruitbody), also known as the mushroom, which is the most visible part of reishi and contains, on its underside, spores. Once released, the spores land and, under proper conditions, form hyphae which become a branch-like network called the mycelium. The mycelium, it turns, gives rise to a new fruit body, and the cycle repeats.

Most reishi supplements are made from fruit body, with or without mycelium. Some may just include mycelium. (See What to Look for When Buying).

Reishi mushrooms contain approximately 400 biologically active compounds. Most of these are polysaccharides (carbohydrates made up of sugar molecules), of which 1,3-beta-D-glucan, a specific type of beta-glucan, predominates, as well as compounds called triterpenes (Loyd, Front Microbiol 2018), particularly the ganoderic acids. Both the fruiting body and mycelia contain beta-glucan. Both also contain ganoderic acids but not the same set of ganoderic acids.

1,3-beta-D-glucan is thought to be responsible for some of reishi's potential health benefits. Triterpenes, particularly ganoderic acids, may also have benefits.

What It Does:

Reishi has traditionally been used in Chinese medicine for health benefits including increasing vitality and strengthening the heart. In the U.S., supplements containing reishi are most commonly promoted for "strengthening" the immune system, as well as for lowering blood sugar, improving cardiovascular function, protecting from liver damage and reducing cancerous tumors. Beta-glucans from reishi mushroom have been found in laboratory and animal studies to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and immune-stimulating effects (Bao, Carbohydr Res 2001; Chang, In Vivo 2009), as well as antibacterial, anti-viral and blood-sugar-lowering effects (Oh, J Ethnopharmacol 2000; Hikino, Planta Med 1985). Laboratory and animal studies suggest that ganoderic acids from reishi have anticancer, antiviral, antioxidant, and antiplatelet aggregation effects, and may inhibit histamine release and cholesterol synthesis (Hsu, Enzymes 2014).

Cancer
A review of five clinical trials concluded reishi mushroom might help to stimulate immune function when taken in addition to conventional anti-cancer treatment, but noted that long-term studies are needed (Jin, Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012).

Findings from some specific clinical trials include the following:

A small study found that 1,800 mg of a reishi mushroom extract standardized to 25% polysaccharides (Ganopoly, Encore International Co.) taken three times daily with meals (a total daily dose of 5,400 mg) for three months significantly increased some measures of immune function (natural killer cell activity, interleukin (IL-2), IL-6, and interferon (IFN)) and significantly decreased tumor necrosis factor in people with various advanced-stage cancers (lung, breast, liver, colon, prostate, bladder and brain) who were not receiving other treatments; however, this study did not include a control group, nor did it determine if the treatment had any effect on reducing or eliminating tumors (Gao, Immunol Invest 2003).

People with lung cancer who received 1,800 mg of the same extract, Ganopoly, daily for three months had a significant increase in natural killer cell activity while this remained unchanged in those who took a placebo (Gao, Int J Med Mushrooms 2003). Again, measures of tumor change were not reported, although 65% of those receiving the extract reported improvement in their quality of life compared to 14% of those who took a placebo. Both studies were funded by the maker of the extract.

A study in 198 men and women with colorectal adenomas (non-cancerous lesions that can become cancerous) who took 1,500 mg per day of a water-soluble reishi mushroom extract for one year showed a slight average decrease (1.4 mm) in the size and number (0.42) of adenomas compared to those who received no treatment, who had slight average increases in size (1.73 mm) and number (0.66) (Oka, Hiroshima J Med Sci 2010).

Laboratory and animal studies suggest that certain ganoderic acids in reishi may inhibit 5-alpha-reductase and the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), and inhibit the growth of certain types of prostate cancer cells (Johnson, Open Prost Cancer J 2010). However, there is very little research on the effects of reishi supplementation in men with prostate cancer. One small, preliminary study that was not blinded or placebo-controlled in Japan among men with non-metastasized prostate cancer who had experienced a biochemical recurrence after treatment (surgery, radiation, etc.) found that reishi supplementation for 6 months did not affect levels of PSA or testosterone. Reported side effects were considered to be mild and included skin rash, upset stomach and heartburn, and changes in hemoglobin levels (Yoshimura, Int J Urol 2010).

Disconcertingly, five people with gastrointestinal cancer were reported to have levels of a tumor marker (CA72-4) increase when taking a reishi mushroom spore supplement. Levels of the marker rapidly returned to normal when the patients discontinued the supplement and, fortunately, no change in clinical symptoms accompanied the CA72-4 surge (Yan, Integ Cancer Ther 2014).

Drugs developed from the polysaccharides of other mushrooms have sometimes been used in countries such as China and Japan to help enhance the effects of chemotherapy drugs (Ooi, Curr Med Chem 2000). For example, a product called Lentinan, which contains 1,3-beta-D-glucan derived from shitake mushroom, when given intravenously in addition to chemotherapy, has been shown to help improve survival rates in people with certain types of liver and gastric cancers (Yang, Adv Ther 2008); (Oba, Anticancer Res 2009). However, it's not clear if 1,3-beta- glucan taken as a supplement would have the same effects.

Diabetes
A study in 71 people with type 2 diabetes found that reishi mushroom extract (Ganopoly) taken three times daily with meals (total daily dose 5,400 mg) for three months reduced hemoglobin HbA1C, but not fasting glucose levels, compared to placebo (Gao, Int J Med Mushrooms 2004). A later review of five clinical trials, including the 2004 trial, determined that reishi's effects on blood glucose was unclear and the evidence did not support its use in treating cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. (Klupp, Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015). Further supporting this conclusion, a 16-week study among 75 men and women in Australia with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, found that neither reishi taken alone (3,000 grams daily of a formula containing 2,240 mg of a 10:1 mushroom extract plus 740 mg reishi spores), nor taken in combination with Cordyceps sinensis mushroom extract, reduced HbA1C, fasting glucose levels, improved measures of cardiovascular health such as total and "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, or reduced waist circumference or body mass index (BMI) compared to placebo (Klupp, Sci Rep 2016).

Similarly, a study in Germany among 22 men and women with pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) who were not taking blood-sugar lowering medication found that 20 grams of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) powder containing 8.1 grams of total beta-glucans added to a single, carbohydrate-rich meal (52.5 grams total carbohydrates) did not minimize the increase in blood sugar or triglycerides, improve insulin response, or affect blood levels of ghrelin (the "hunger hormone") over a four-hour period after eating compared to the same meal without mushroom powder -- although it did modestly increase blood levels (by 17%) of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a substance produced in the gut that stimulates insulin secretion in response to glucose. Although self-reported hunger in the four hours after the meal was reduced by 22% with mushroom powder consumption, there were no changes in "satiety," "fullness," or "desire to eat." Few adverse effects, including nausea, headache, and flatulence, were reported, and these were mild and similar in frequency with or without mushroom powder (Dicks, Eur J Nutr 2021). Oyster mushroom powder is not an ingredient in any of the products tested in this review, but is sold alone and in some mushroom "blend" or "complex" supplements.

Fibromyalgia
A study in Brazil among 48 women with fibromyalgia (average age 55) found that supplementation with 3,000 mg of reishi powder (% beta-glucans not provided) dissolved in warm water and taken twice daily with a meal (a total of 6,000 mg daily) for six weeks modestly improved some measures of physical fitness (aerobic endurance, lower body flexibility and walking speed) compared to supplementation with Ceratonia siliqua (carob — considered to be a "low cost" source of antioxidants). However, effects on muscle pain, stiffness and tenderness were not measured (Mateo, Nutr Hosp 2015).

Liver Injury
Some animal studies suggest reishi may help protect the liver from alcohol and chemically-induced liver damage, or cirrhosis due to biliary dysfunction (Lakshmi, J Ethnopharmacol 2006; Shieh, Am J Chin Med 2001; Park, Biol Pharm Bull 1997). It has also been reported to speed the healing time of gastric ulcers in rats (Gao, J Med Food 2004). A study among 39 men and women in China ages 40 to 54 with mildly fatty livers who were otherwise healthy found that supplementation with a triterpenoids and polysaccharide-enriched reishi formula taken for six months reduced measures of oxidative stress, and decreased levels liver enzymes associated with liver damage (glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), by 42% and 27%, respectively) compared to before supplementation. Supplementation also appeared to reduce fatty liver conditions when examined by ultrasound. One capsule containing 225 mg of reishi and providing 7% triterpenoid-ganoderic acids and 6% polysaccharide peptides was taken once daily after a meal (Chiu, Pharm Biol 2017). It's important to note that there have been two cases of liver damage in people taking reishi powder (see Concerns and Cautions).

Gut microbiota and butyrate
Beta-glucans (found in mushrooms) are known to promote butyrate-producing bacteria in the colon (Friedman, Foods 2016; Han, Front Immunol 2020). Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid produced primarily by the fermentation of undigested or indigestible carbohydrates in the gut. It has anti-inflammatory effects that may help to strengthen gut barrier function, and may play a role in modulating the immune system and metabolism. A freeze-dried mushroom powder blend of reishi, maitake and oyster mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum, Grifola frondosa and Pleurotus ostreatus) was found in a laboratory study to increase the number of butyrate-producing bacteria, and, correspondingly, increase butyrate production over three days when applied daily (500 mg, 1,000 mg or 1,500 mg per day) to cultures of human gut bacteria in a dose-dependent manner, compared to a control medium that was not exposed to the mushroom blend (Verhoeven, Benef Microbes 2021). However, trials in people are needed to determine if this occurs after ingestion of mushroom beta-glucans, and, what, if any, clinical benefit is associated with these increases.

Quality Concerns and Tests Performed:

Reishi is the only mushroom for which compendial methods of analysis, such as from the USP or AOAC, appear to exist. Such methods do not currently exist for chaga, shiitake, maitake, or turkey tail mushroom and, consequently, tests of products containing these ingredients alone have not been planned by ConsumerLab.com. A published report regarding 19 reishi supplements (not identified by name) purchased online in the U.S. in early 2015 from websites such as Amazon.com and eBay.com found that only five (26%) could be verified as containing genuine Ganoderma lucidum. The products included six fruiting body powders, one fruiting body powder with added polysaccharides, one reishi mycelia product and eleven extracts (Wu, Scientific Reports 2017).

Like other supplements, neither the FDA nor any other federal or state agency routinely tests reishi supplements for quality prior to sale.

ConsumerLab.com, as part of its mission to independently evaluate products that affect health, wellness, and nutrition, purchased commonly available reishi supplements and tested them to determine whether they 1) contained actual reishi of the form labeled (based on its chemical fingerprint), 2) contained expected amounts of 1,3-beta-D-glucan and ganoderic acids (limited to those found in the fruiting body), and 3) did not exceed strict limits for contamination with heavy metals (see Testing Methods and Passing Score).

What CL Found:

Chemical analyses confirmed that all of the supplements contained the form of reishi listed in their Supplement Facts panels and none exceeded contamination limits for heavy metals. However, ConsumerLab was unable to approve one product, Host Defense Mushrooms Reishi, due to concern that its label could mislead a consumer as to the contents. Unlike the other products, Host Defense claimed to be made from reishi "mycelium" only, i.e., it does not contain the fruiting body (the "mushroom"), which is the part of reishi with the highest concentrations of beta-glucan. Its chemical fingerprint matched that of mycelium, but the inclusion of "mushroom" in the product's name and the image of fruiting body, rather than mycelium, on the front label could lead a person to believe that the product contains reishi fruiting body and to expect concentrations of compounds normally found in the fruiting body. In fact, Host Defense contained hardly any beta-glucan; instead it contained the highest concentration of alpha-glucan, which is simply a polysaccharide from the grain (brown rice) on which the mycelia were grown.

1,3-Beta-D-Glucan
As shown in the Results table and the graph below, the amount of 1,3-beta-D-glucan in a labeled serving of each product (typically one or two capsules or ½ to 1 teaspoon of powder) ranged from just 5.6 mg (Host Defense) to 264.5 mg (Real Mushrooms Reishi Extract 415).

1,3-Beta-Glucan in Reishi Supplements

If you calculate the cost to get 100 mg of beta-glucan from the reishi supplements in this Review (see the fourth column of the Results table) this ranged from 7 cents (Swanson) to 71 cents (New Chapter lifeshield Reishi), although it was a bit higher for the mixed-mushroom GNC Mushroom Complex (84 cents) and many times higher for Host Defense ($19.01).

Interestingly, we found that extracts that promised specific amounts of beta-glucan or, more broadly, polysaccharides, far exceeded these amounts: Nature's Way Reishi claimed to be standardized to 10% polysaccharides but beta-glucan alone was 46% of the extract; Real Mushrooms Reishi Extract 415 claimed >15% beta-D-glucans, but this was 26.5%. Host Defense claimed 550 mg of polysaccharides per 2-capsule serving, which it contained, although beta-glucan was only a tiny amount of this (5.6 mg), as noted earlier.

Ganoderic Acids
We also tested for the ganoderic acids specific for fruiting body (results are in the 3^rd column of the Results table). The highest amount per serving was 70.2 mg in Swanson Reishi Mushroom. As expected, there was none detected in Host Defense as it did not claim to contain fruiting body and there was little (2.6 mg) in New Chapter lifeshield Reishi, which listed mycelium before fruiting body in describing it reishi content. Om Organic Mushroom Nutrition Reishi had the second highest amount of ganoderic acids (27. 5 mg per serving), which might seem surprising since it lists mycelia biomass as its predominant form of reishi, but this is partly explained by the relatively large serving size of Om — 2 grams.

Top Pick:

Several of the Approved products provided high amounts of beta-glucan as well as ganoderic acids. ConsumerLab's original overall Top Pick for reishi mushroom, Swanson Reishi Mushroom, provided among the highest amounts of these compounds at, by far, the lowest cost. Unfortunately, we learned in 2021 that it has been reformulated and now includes mycelium in addition to fruiting body. In light of this, our current overall Top Pick for reishi mushroom is now Real Mushrooms Reishi Extract 415.

Although significantly more expensive than Swanson, Real Mushrooms Reishi Extract 415 (78 cents per half teaspoon) provided the highest amount of 1,3-beta-D-glucan (264.5 mg) per serving while also minimizing alpha-glucan (the polysaccharide from grain). As it is a concentrated extract, be aware that it is a bit bitter. Om Organic Mushroom Nutrition Reishi, the other powder tested, has a nicer taste -- brothy and mildly sweet -- but a much lower amount of 1,3-beta-D-glucan per serving (84 mg); in fact, nearly one-third of the powder in Om is alpha-glucan from grain, which may explain its more pleasant flavor. If prefer to take reishi fruiting body in capsule form, a good option is Nature's Way Reishi. Although not quite as high in beta-glucan as Real Mushrooms, it is slightly higher in ganoderic acids and is costs a lot less — 37 cents per two capsules.

Test Results by Product:

Listed below are the test results for seven reishi supplements grouped by the part (or stage) of reishi from which it was made. ConsumerLab.com selected six of these products. One product (indicated with CL flask icon) was tested at the request of its manufacturers/distributor through ConsumerLab.com's voluntary Quality Certification Program and is included for having passed testing.

Shown for each product is the claimed amount and form of reishi and the serving size noted on its label. Products listed as "Approved" met their label claims and ConsumerLab.com's quality criteria (see Passing Score). Test results are shown in the third column. Price and cost comparisons are shown in the fourth column. Additional product features and ingredients are shown in the fifth column. The full list of ingredients is shown in the last column.

Results of ConsumerLab.com Testing of Reishi Mushroom Supplements

(Click arrows or swipe left or right to see all columns)

Approval Status

Product Name
(Suggested Serving on Label)

Claimed Reishi Per Suggested Serving

Directions for Use

Form/Sizeⓘ

TEST RESULTSⓘ:
Reishi Identification

Beta-Glucan & Ganoderic Acidsⓘ

Heavy Metals

Cost for Suggested Serving

[Price per 100 mg Beta-Glucan Found]

Price

Notable Features

Full List of Ingredients (Per Serving)

Reishi-Fruiting Body/Mushroom:

APPROVED

GNC Herbal Plus® Mushroom Complex

Dist. by General Nutrition Corporation

1 capsule:
180 mg reishi powderⓘ

Take one capsule daily.

Large capsule

Reishi ID'd: ✔

Beta-glucan:
19 mg (3.2%ⓘ)

Alpha-glucan:
223.5 mg (37.3%ⓘ)

Ganoderic acidsⓘ: 8.2 mg

Heavy Metals: Pass

$0.16

[$0.84]

$15.99/100 capsules

240 mg maitake powder

180 mg shiitake powder

Vegetarian. No Sugar, No Starch, No Artificial Colors, No Artificial Flavors, Sodium Free, No Soy, No Dairy, Yeast Free.

1 capsule:
Maitake Mushroom Powder (Grifola frondosa) 240 mg, Reishi Mushroom Powder (Ganoderma lucidum) 180 mg, Shiitake Mushroom Powder (Lentinula edodes) 180 mg.

Other Ingredients: Vegetable Cellulose Capsule, Cellulose. Contains: Wheat.

APPROVED

Nature's Way® Reishi

Dist. by Nature's Way Brands, LLC

$ Price Check

2 capsules:
376 mg reishi extract

37 mg polysaccharides

Take 2 capsules twice daily, preferably with food.

Large vegetarian capsule

Reishi ID'd: ✔

Beta-glucan:
172.8 mg (46%ⓘ)

Alpha-glucan:
188.1 mg (50%ⓘ)

Ganoderic acidsⓘ: 20.8 mg

Heavy Metals: Pass

$0.37

[$0.21]

$18.37/100 vegetarian capsules

Vegan. Non GMO Project Verified seal. Gluten Free. No sugar, salt, yeast, wheat, corn, soy, dairy products, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

2 capsules:
Total Carbohydrate <1 g, Reishi Mushroom Extract [standardized to 10% polysaccharides 37 mg) 376 mg.

Other Ingredients: Cellulose, plant-derived capsule (hypromellose).

APPROVED

Top Pick

Real Mushrooms® Reishi Extract 415®

Dist. by Real Mushroom

1/2 teaspoon [1 g]:
1,000 mg reishi extract

>15% [>150 mg] beta-D-glucans

>4% [>40 mg] triterpenoids

Adults take 1/2-1 teaspoon or up to 2 grams per day.

Powder in bag

Reishi ID'd: ✔

Beta-glucan:
264.5 mg (26.5%ⓘ)

Alpha-glucan:
36.9 mg (3.7%ⓘ)

Ganoderic acidsⓘ: 16.1 mg

Heavy Metals: Pass

$0.78

[$0.29]

$34.95/1.59 oz [45 g] bag (approx. 45 servings)

USDA Organic seal. Gluten Free. Non GMO. Vegan. Kosher.

1/2 teaspoon:
Reishi Extract 415 [Ganoderma lucidum] (Hot water/Alcohol Extract) 1,000 mg, Beta-D-Glucans >15%, Triterpenoids >4%, Starch <5%.

Other Ingredients: None listed.

APPROVED

Swanson® Reishi Mushroom

Dist. by Swanson Health Products

(2/8/21): This formulation is no longer sold. The newer formulation, sold under the same name, includes mycelium, as well as fruiting body.

2 capsules:
1,200 mg reishi powder

Take two capsules per day with water.

Large capsule

Reishi ID'd: ✔

Beta-glucan:
197.7 mg (16.5%ⓘ)

Alpha-glucan:
389 mg (32.4%ⓘ)

Ganoderic acidsⓘ: 70.2 mg

Heavy Metals: Pass

$0.13

[$0.07]

$3.99/60 capsules

None.

2 capsules:
Total Carbohydrate <1 g, Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) (fruiting bodies) 1,200 mg.

Other Ingredients: Gelatin, magnesium stearate, silica, microcrystalline cellulose (plant fiber).

Reishi-Fruiting Body/Mushroom and Mycelium:

APPROVED

New Chapter® lifeshield™ Reishi

Dist. by New Chapter, Inc.

$ Price Check

2 capsules:
1,000 mg organic reishi powder

Two capsules daily with food.

Large capsule

Reishi ID'd: ✔

Beta-glucan:
106.9 mg (10.7%ⓘ)

Alpha-glucan:
432 mg (43.2%ⓘ)

Ganoderic acidsⓘ: 2.6 mg

Heavy Metals: Pass

$0.76

[$0.71]

$22.75/60 capsules

Naturally gluten free; 100% vegan; no artificial flavors or colors. Kosher. ICD Certified Organic seal. Non GMO Project Verified seal.

2 capsules:
Organic Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum, Ling zhi) (mycelium and fruiting body) 1,000 mg.

Other Ingredients: Capsule (pullulan [Aureobasidium pullulans], carrageenan, water and potassium chloride) and organic brown rice.

APPROVED

Om Organic Mushroom Nutrition Reishi

Dist. by Om, Organic Mushroom Nutrition

$ Price Check

1 teaspoon [2 g]:
2,000 mg reishi powder cultured on organic oats

Add one teaspoon (2 grams) to a drink daily.

Powder in bag

Reishi ID'd: ✔

Beta-glucan:
84 mg (4.2%ⓘ)

Alpha-glucan:
650 mg (32.5%ⓘ)

Ganoderic acidsⓘ : 27.5 mg

Heavy Metals: Pass

$0.35

[$0.42]

$17.47/3.5 oz [100 g] bag (approx. 50 servings)

USDA Organic seal. Kosher. Vegan. Non GMO Project Verified seal. No Synthetic Or Artificial Ingredients.

1 teaspoon:
Calories 5, Certified 100% Organic Mushroom: [Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mycelial biomass and fruit body powder cultured on organic oats] 2 g.

Other Ingredients: None listed.

Reishi-Mycelium-Only:

UNABLE TO APPROVE

Host Defense® Mushrooms™ Reishi

Dist. by Fungi Perfecti, LLC

$ Price Check

2 capsules:
1,000 mg reishi powder

550 mg polysaccharides

As a dietary supplement, take 2 capsules once per day.

Large vegetarian capsule

Product contains mycelium, as labeled, but CL is Unable to Approve because fruiting body image and term mushroom on label may mislead consumer to expect fruiting body and related compounds.

Reishi ID'd: ✔

Beta-glucan:
5.6 mg (0.6%ⓘ)

Alpha-glucan:
713.1 mg (71.3%ⓘ)

Ganoderic acidsⓘ: None detected, but no applicable as test focused on only those specific to fruiting body.

Heavy Metals: Pass

$1.07

[$19.01]

$31.95/60 vegetarian capsules

Washington State Department of Agriculture Certified Organic. Non GMO Project Verified seal.

2 capsules:
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum s.l.) mycelium [275 mg polysaccharides] 500 mg.

Other Ingredients: Dried myceliated brown rice, Pullulan (an extra-cellular polysaccharide).

Unless otherwise noted, information about the products listed above is based on the samples purchased by ConsumerLab.com (CL) for this Product Review. Manufacturers may change ingredients and label information at any time, so be sure to check labels carefully when evaluating the products you use or buy. If a product's ingredients differ from what is listed above, it may not necessarily be of the same quality as what was tested.

The information contained in this report is based on the compilation and review of information from product labeling and analytic testing. CL applies what it believes to be the most appropriate testing methods and standards. The information in this report does not reflect the opinion or recommendation of CL, its officers or employees. CL cannot assure the accuracy of information.

ConsumerTips™:

What to Consider When Buying:
Reishi dietary supplements are required to specify the parts (or stages) of reishi they include, although the term "mushroom" is acceptable to indicate the fruiting body and reishi alone may indicate both fruiting body and mycelium.

Products are typically made from dried mushroom powder or powdered extracts. Extracts typically have higher concentrations of compounds such as beta-glucan.

When you see mycelia listed before fruiting body in the description of reishi in the Supplement Facts panel, this means there is more mycelia than fruiting body.

Be aware the reishi is grown on cultures made from grains, such as rice or oats, and components of these grains will be present in products that include mycelia, particularly if the term "mycelial biomass" or "mycelium biomass" is included in labeling.

Be aware that if a label lists only "polysaccharides" instead of specific polysaccharide like 1,3-beta-D-glucan, you may be getting mostly alpha-glucan or cellulose from grains.

What to Consider When Using:
How to take
It's not clear if reishi supplements are best taken with or without food. Some reishi supplement labels advise taking with food, other labels state that it can be taken with or without food, or do not specify. However, evidence from a small, preliminary study in people suggests that consuming reishi extracts with food may inhibit the absorption of certain ganoderic acids (Teekachunhatean, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012).

Concerns and Cautions:

In clinical studies, mild side-effects such as skin rash, itchiness, nausea, heartburn, and insomnia have been reported. Some clinical evidence suggests high doses (3,000 mg per day) have a blood thinning effect, while lower doses (1,500 mg per day) may not (Tao, J Tongi Med Univ 1990; Kwok, Anesth Analg 2005).

Two cases of liver damage, one fatal, have been reported with the use of powdered reishi mushroom, one in China and the other in Thailand (Yuen, J Hepatol 2004; Wanmuang, J Med Assoc Thai 2007).

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only. It is not an endorsement of any product nor is it meant to substitute for the advice provided by physicians or other healthcare professionals. The information contained herein should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Consumers should inform their healthcare providers of the dietary supplements they take.

Latest Clinical Research Updates for Reishi Mushroom Supplements

Mushrooms and Blood Sugar

10/12/2021

Find out if supplementing with reishi or oyster mushrooms helps with blood sugar control. See what the latest research showed in our Reishi Mushroom Supplements Review.

Mushrooms and Gut Bacteria

10/12/2021

Do mushroom powders have beneficial effects on gut bacteria? See what a preliminary study found in the What It Does section our Reishi Mushroom Supplements Review.