Lingzhi tea (灵芝茶, Líng Zhī Chá) is made from Ganoderma lucidum, which is also called Lingzhi mushroom or Reishi mushroom. Lingzhi is the Chinese name of Ganoderma lucidum and it has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years.
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What Is Lingzhi
Lingzhi is the fruiting body of the fungus Ganoderma lucidum and its shape is umbrella-shaped. It generally grows in the mountain forests with high humidity and dim light and on rotten trees or the roots of trees.
There are more than 200 varieties of Lingzhi in the world and more than 100 varieties in China. According to the color, Lingzhi can be classified into red, green, white, black, yellow, and purple Lingzhi. The most common and effective one is red Lingzhi.
Since ancient China, Lingzhi plays an important role in the history of Chinese culture. It is often called immortal grass or elixir. According to <Records of the Grand Historian>, the first emperor of Qin sent people to find Lingzhi three times in order to live forever.
In many ancient Chinese legends and Taoist books, Lingzhi is regarded as an elixir that can bring death back to life. Among many cultural relics unearthed in China, there are many statues of immortals holding Lingzhi.
There is a saying that Lingzhi can detoxify hundreds of poisons. With the continuous improvement of living standards, many families like to reserve some Lingzhi to make Lingzhi tea.
How to Make Lingzhi Tea
There are many products of Lingzhi tea on the market, usually Lingzhi tea bags. This kind of tea bag can be directly brewed with boiling water, just like the common tea bag.
But Lingzhi tea bag is usually added with other additives. Therefore, if you want to drink high-quality Lingzhi tea, it is best to buy dried Lingzhi.
Cut the dried Lingzhi into pieces, put it in a teacup, add 100℃ boiling water, and brew it for about 10 minutes to drink. It can be brewed many times. Lingzhi tea tastes a little bitter. You can add some sugar or honey. After several times of brewing, the brewed Lingzhi can be eaten directly.
If possible, it is recommended to boil Lingzhi in water for a few minutes, so that the effective ingredients can be better dissolved into the tea.
Benefits of Lingzhi Tea
The main ingredients of Lingzhi are Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides, ganodenic acid, adenosine, more than 10 kinds of alkali, oleic acid, cellulose, amino acids, trace elements, etc.
Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide is one of the most effective ingredients in Lingzhi. It is widely used in the medicine, food, and cosmetics industries.
The content of amino acids in Lingzhi is rich, which is 2-3 times that of ordinary edible fungi. Among all kinds of Lingzhi, the amino acid content of the red Lingzhi is more abundant, and its glutamate content is twice that of other kinds of Lingzhi.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Lingzhi tea has a wide range of the treatment. It has pharmacological effects on the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, etc.
Benefits of Lingzhi tea:
- Detox
- Help sleep
- Anti-aging
- Anti-cancer
- Protect liver
- Antibacterial
- Protect lungs
- Reduce fatigue
- Strengthen heart
- Anti-inflammatory
- Lower blood sugar
- Lower blood pressure
- Boost immune system
- Improve kidney function
Anti-Aging
Lingzhi and its polysaccharide components can promote the anabolic metabolism of nucleic acid proteins, have the ability to resist oxidation, and prolong the number of generations of metabolic cells.
Anti-Cancer
Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide contained in Lingzhi has the effect of inhibiting the growth of the tumor, and it is a good assistant drug for clinical treatment of the tumor.
Protect Liver
Lingzhi can reduce liver index, liver steatosis, resist liver injury caused by carbon tetrachloride. And it can repair damaged liver cells, accelerate the detoxification of liver toxins, and prevent toxins from accumulating in the liver.
Protect Lungs
Lingzhi can nourish the lungs, eliminate phlegm, relieve cough, and has a certain effect on the prevention and treatment of chronic bronchitis and asthma.
Strengthen Heart
Lingzhi has a relatively comprehensive protective effect on the heart. It can improve the blood oxygen supply of the heart, enhance the contractility of the heart muscle, expand the coronary artery and assist in the treatment of coronary heart disease.
Lower Blood Sugar
Lingzhi has a certain regulating effect on the insulin concentration in the blood, so as to control the blood sugar. Regular drinking of Lingzhi tea can prevent and alleviate high blood sugar.
Boost Immune System
Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide has the function of activating macrophages, enhancing the phagocytosis and bactericidal function of macrophages, and increasing the volume and number of macrophages.
Lingzhi tea is suitable for most people, such as weak people, cancer patients, hypertension patients, diabetic patients, patients recovering from a serious illness, insomnia patients, cardiovascular disease patients, geriatric patients, young and middle-aged women who keep beauty, etc.
Side Effects of Lingzhi Tea
Lingzhi tea has almost no side effects, but some people will have slight dizziness, headache, anorexia, dry mouth, facial flushing, stomach discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, and other uncomfortable symptoms after drink it. By stopping drinking it or reducing the amount of it, most of these symptoms can disappear.
Because the nutrition of Lingzhi tea is too rich and its effect is too strong, some people are not suitable to drink it.
Pregnant women can drink Lingzhi tea, but be sure to drink it in moderation, not too much.
It is not suitable for infants and very young children to drink Lingzhi tea. As they grow older, they can drink it in moderation.
Patients preparing for surgery or those with massive bleeding should not drink Lingzhi tea. Lingzhi can inhibit platelet aggregation and prolong blood clotting time, which is not conducive to controlling the disease.