Eating mushrooms comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors, and they can significantly benefit your health. In this article, you will discover the specific reishi mushroom benefits for women and overall wellbeing. We will also cover basic facts about the mushroom, and provide you with some simple ways you can include it in your daily supplement regimen. Then, you can reap the benefits of this incredible mushroom every day. Let us begin by looking at what it is and where it grows.
An Intro to Reishi Mushrooms
Reishi mushrooms come in a few different names. Scientifically, it is known as Ganoderma lucidum, but you may also hear it called the reishi, or even the “immortal mushroom”. That is quite the claim for a tiny mushroom.
But, really, Reishi mushrooms have been venerated in China for thousands of years, and have been used for health and longevity historically throughout Asia. This fungus is native to Europe, Asia, and North America, preferring tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates with abundant hardwoods like oaks and maples. However, it is not exceedingly common in the wild and has been farmed because of high demand for this mushroom.
Only about two to three of every 10,000 mature hardwood trees will grow reishi, oaks and maples being the most common. The mushroom fruiting body is the part that is above ground, typically tapped. The reishi mushrooms that we are talking about today are “large, dark mushrooms that have glossy external surfaces and woody textures”.
Reishi mushrooms are edible, but have a bitter flavor and tough texture. The good news is you do not need to prepare raw mushrooms in order to reap the benefits of reishi mushrooms. If you prefer a simpler approach, you can find these mushrooms as a supplement, as capsules or as a powder. We mentioned the Reishi mushrooms are known as the “immortal mushrooms” and were used to promote longevity, but now we are going to discuss modern uses, and specific benefits to women, for this brown mushroom.
Reishi Mushroom Benefits for Women
1. Reishi Mushroom Helps With Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause is a normal state every woman experiences when they get older. The term menopause refers to a period of time in a womans life in which they cease to menstruate, making their period an end. While some women breeze through menopause with a smile and no problems, many experience debilitating symptoms that significantly impact their quality of life. The list includes, but is not limited to, sleep disruptions, hair loss, vaginal dryness, mood swings, weight gain, decreased sexual desire, and hot flashes.
In the east, reishi mushrooms extract is widely respected for its ability to boost energy levels, balance hormonal effects of menopause, and decrease those uncomfortable hot flashes. When consumed in small doses, studies have shown reishi mushrooms can also help to decrease insomnia and support the natural cycle of sleep. Reishi mushrooms may also aid with weight gain through hormones. A study of obese mice conducted by a team of international scientists showed significant decreases in body fat after reishi mushrooms were given to them.
A bitter mushroom found mainly in warm, wet places of Asia, there are several different ways you can consume this potent fungus. It comes in a tea, a pill, or as a powder you can add to smoothies or hot drinks. Or, you can just eat it raw, or chop and dice it up, and throw it into stews, soups, and stock.
You can find our favorite capsules, powders, and tincture’s on the following pages of our website and learn more about each individually:
Best Reishi Mushroom Supplement
Best Reishi Mushroom Mushroom Gummies
2. Does Reishi Mushroom Increase Estrogen?
The short answer is yes, reishi mushroom can increase estrogen. One study in particular has shown that reishi “positively regulated the estrogen receptor hormones level to near normal”. So this is great news if you’re struggling with low estrogen levels. Now this study was done on rats, and more human studies are needed to verify the results. But since reishi is incrediby safe, affordable, and available, it’s worth a shot. Plus the other benefits of reishi will make it well worth adding to your daily regimen. As always, consult a doctor if you are taking medications or are concerned about any side effects.
Reishi mushrooms estrogen-balance benefits are profound. Reishi also provides great support for the liver, helps remove those nasty toxins out of our bodies, and is particularly nurturing to our adrenal glands. Overall, Reishi mushrooms hormonal balancing effects make it one of the best mushrooms to have on your hormones.
3. Reishi Mushroom Helps With PMS Symptoms
PMS is one of those terms that gets thrown around far too frequently to describe any and every emotional response women have, no matter which month of the year it is really. PMS includes symptoms like irritability, mood swings, fatigue, and anxiety. There are a lot of healing mushrooms that are beneficial to women, and the ones that are great for PMS are cordyceps, lions mane extract, and reishi mushrooms.
4. Does Reishi Mushrooms Help With PCOS & Endometriosis?
PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) occurs when the number of androgens (male hormones) is higher among females than among us. This causes a disruption of our hormonal balance, and PCOS shows up as irregular or non-existent periods, heavy periods, pelvic pain, facial hair, jawline acne, difficulties in conception, and is linked to a number of metabolic conditions, insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, and obesity.
Are Reishi Mushrooms good for PCOS symptoms? Yes, reishi mushrooms can be really useful for PCOS. Studies show that it may help lower inflammation in the pelvis, which is useful for women who have endometriosis, uterine fibroids, dysmenorrhea, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This enzyme is a mediator in a reaction that turns an inactive form of testosterone into an active form (dihydrotestosterone). High levels of active testosterone (or androgenic hormone) may cause irregular periods, increased body hair, and pimples. The anti-androgen effects of reishi mushrooms may help to control the symptoms of PCOS. Reishi mushrooms may promote ovulation, which may also aid regularizing the menstrual cycle.
One of the mushrooms that is best for PCOS is the maitake mushroom. This is because of its beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, and has been shown in recent studies to trigger ovulation and regulate the menstrual cycle. Maitake mushrooms help restore normal insulin levels, thereby decreasing inflammation, which may aid in the reduction of PCOS.
Endometriosis is caused when tissue begins growing in abnormal places inside of our uterus, like on our Fallopian tubes and ovaries. This causes tremendous pain, abnormal, painful periods, and infertility. The causes of endometriosis are unknown.
5. Does Reishi Mushroom Help With Fertility?
The adverse effects of stress on fertility is a known connection and phenomenon in our world, therefore, utilizing a reishi mushrooms fertility-enhancing, ultimate stress-relieving herbs before pre-conception and during treatments, may reduce the release of cortisol in the body, mitigating inflammatory cascades and adverse effects while trying to get pregnant. Reishi may aid to reinforce adrenal glands and decrease stress for women trying to get pregnant, and decrease the negative effects that stress has on fertility. In addition to that, women experiencing fertility anxiety can find Reishi mushrooms fertility effects helpful to decrease stress levels and associated symptoms, such as insomnia, irregular sleep cycles, shortness of breath, irritability, nervousness, and anxiety.
6. Reishi Mushrooms Support Breast Health
Breast cancer tends to rise in frequency as you get older, so once again, prevention is always better than cure.
Reishi is thought to specifically protect against breast cancer because of the fact that its triterpenes are cytotoxic for tumor cells. Studies have shown that the reishi triterpenes are also capable of inhibiting NF-kB, which is thought to play a role in hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast and ovarian. One study conducted also reported reduced fatigue, anxiety, and depression among women who took Reishi during their entire treatment for breast cancer.
Additional resources:
Updated 10/20/2022
