DID YOU HEAR WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE REISHI MUSHROOM (2000 YEARS AGO IN CHINA)?
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Everyone is talking about adaptogens—and for good reason. Over the past few years, they’ve become big players in holistic stress relief, nervous system balance, immunity, and athletic recovery—just to name a few.
If you’re currently whispering to your neighbor, “Wait…what’s an adaptogen??”—here’s the short of it. Adaptogens aren’t one thing. Rather, they’re a category of plants and fungi that help your body cope with stress. True to their name, adaptogens don’t just raise or lower certain functions or hormone levels; they actually help your body adapt when your stress response is skewed or working against you.
If you’re interested in a deeper look at the biological workings or curious health benefits of adaptogens, Rheal Superfoods has put together a quick guide that breaks down the science in a way that’s easy to read. But, for now, we’re putting biology and medicine behind us to take a look at the lore and legends surrounding one little fungi—the Reishi mushroom,
EVERYONE SAY HELLO TO REISHI
The Reishi is a dark red, woody shroom, growing at the base of deciduous trees and rotting stumps in Eastern Asia. Today, “Reishi” (Ganoderma lucidum) is known around the world by the Japanese derivative of the Chinese word, “lingzhi,” meaning “the immortal” or “numinous” mushroom. There is some scholarly debate whether lingzhi refers exclusively to the Reishi, as some ancient Daoist texts refer to numinous mushrooms as a label for up to 300 species. However, the numinous mushroom is traditionally associated with the Reishi mushroom.
Today, the species is widely cultivated and has become one of the most-used medicinal mushrooms in the world, but that wasn’t always the case, especially in ancient China.
Reishi are a little picky. Their ideal climate is a mild, but muggy summer day in Eastern Asia—in technical terms, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit at 85% humidity. Yet, even in the best conditions, you’d only find 2-3 Reishi mushrooms for every 10,000 eligible deciduous trees (likely, maple or oak), making their wild form quite rare.
For thousands of years, this mighty little adaptogen was off-limits to the masses, reserved for Chinese nobility alone. You wouldn’t dream of a poolside Reishi cola unless you were royalty (and also happened to have a pool in Ancient China by which to sip it, but that’s beside the point). Because of its exclusivity, it eventually grew into a symbol of longevity and good fortune—even divinity.
WHO NEEDS A FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH WHEN YOU HAVE A NUMINOUS MUSHROOM?
The lingzhi mushroom eventually became deeply intertwined with the Chinese philosophy of Daoism (also called Taoism). The ideology revolves around aligning oneself with the “Dao” (translation: “the Way”), a sense of cosmic flow of the universe. In this tradition, lingzhi nourished the soul. It was seen as a bridge to the supernatural and its lucky, elite consumers were believed to ward off their own deaths and even communicate with the divine.
With this kind of reverence, it’s no wonder Ancient Chinese art and culture are littered with Reishi depictions. Take the ruyi scepter, for example. It was held by nobles during important political conversations, like a primordial talking stick. Its head was shaped like a lingzhi mushroom, invoking the symbolic overlap between nobility and divinity.
Artistic depictions aside, even Reishi itself became a symbolic icon. Spotting it in the wild was seen as a good omen and sign of divine favor. So much so, that when hopeful rulers wanted to establish their legitimacy, they’d send out thousands of men to scour the forests for any sight of Reishi.
WHAT IS REISHI UP TO THESE DAYS?
In 2025, thanks to modern cultivation practices, you don’t need a private army to get your hands on your very own Reishi mushrooms. More widespread clinical studies are uncovering the value of the ancient adaptogen (such as its immune support or anti-cancer properties). Reishi is no longer consigned to the grocery aisle reserved for uber health nuts; you can find it in all kinds of products from coffees to gummies to body lotion.
2000 years later, it seems that people are still captivated by the immortal mushroom. Now that its access isn’t reserved for an elite few, we can finally ask the question that matters—will it really make us live forever?
My guess is probably not, but I’ll try the body lotion just in case.
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