In our modern world stress is an adverse force that we all experience to different degrees. It’s a common misconception that stress is just a mental state. It’s a response that traverses mind, body and spirit.
The signs of stress can manifest in different ways for each of us. For some stress may present as:
- Emotional states of anger, frustration, depression, or anxiety.
- Mental challenges like loss of focus, impaired memory, cognitive fatigue or low mood.
- Physical symptoms like increased inflammation, acne, hair loss, fatigue, low libido, digestive imbalance, low immunity and insomnia.
- Spiritual disconnection like loss of purpose, feelings of discontentment, a sense of instability and lack of connection with self and others.
In some instances, short bouts of stress are beneficial dialling our body and mind in to complete a task or remove ourselves from an unsafe situation. However, ongoing stress in response to day-to-day life can range from subtle to serious with respect to its impact. But one thing stress at any level has in common is that it holds us back from feeling and living our highest potential. For more on the mechanics of the stress response visit our article Medicinal Mushrooms for Stress and Anxiety.
Reishi Mushroom for Stress Relief
The number one mushroom we turn to as an ally for managing stress is Reishi. Reishi mushroom has been revered for centuries as the mushroom of immortality and nourisher of the spirit and today research continues to validate the path that traditional wisdom has laid forth. As a prized adaptogen Reishi is renowned for supporting the body’s innate capacity to handle stress, guiding us back to a peaceful state of balance. Read on to discover how Reishi mushroom can work to soothe the stress response within our body, mind and spirit.
1. Reishi ~ Nurturing the Nervous System
The prime secret behind Reishi mushroom's stress-relieving potential lies in its remarkable ability to balance the nervous system. The bioactive compounds found in Reishi, such as triterpenoids and beta-d-glucans, have been shown to interact with receptors in the brain that regulate stress responses[1]. This is how Reishi can bring about a peaceful state of calm, yet unique to other nervines Reishi is not a sedative and will not knock you out so to speak. While we love Reishi in the evening it’s perfectly fine to enjoy morning or night.
An additional note on the active compounds, beta-d-glucans; we test each and every batch of our medicinal mushrooms for the presence of beta-d-glucans and have what we believe are the most potent and pure mushrooms available in Australia with beta-d-glucan levels of greater than 30%. Our current batch of Reishi has 37.6% beta-d-glucans and if you're ever wondering about the beta-d-glucan level of your Inner Atlas mushroom extract drop us a note at hello@inneratlas.com.au . Ok back to Reishi, our stress-relieving queen!
2. Reishi ~ Elevating Mood Naturally
Reishi is thought to have the capacity to naturally boost the molecule 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) otherwise known as serotonin[2]. Serotonin, often referred to as the "feel-good neurotransmitter," plays a pivotal role in regulating mood and emotions. A balanced level of serotonin helps us to move through challenging situations with greater ease and a calmer approach.
3. Reishi ~ Supporting Good Quality Sleep
Sweet, sound slumber can be elusive to many of us and often stress and anxiety is the number one culprit.
Research has suggested that the active compounds in Reishi mushroom such as its triterpenes and beta-d-glucans are as calming when it comes to achieving restorative sleep as they are in our waking hours. The accumulative effect of taking Reishi mushroom consistently has been shown to increase states of deep sleep[3].
A 2021 study further examined how Reishi supports sleep uncovering that Reishi increases sleep-promoting neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus, which regulate our sleep and wake cycles, in short Reishi can help us to not only stay asleep but fall asleep. Researchers also concluded that Reishi can help induce sleep by influencing the gut-brain pathway via its positive effect on gut bacteria[4].
4. Reishi ~ Soothing Inflammation
Stress whether it be chronic or in the moment can trigger a cascade of inflammation throughout the body. Regulating inflammation is foundational to a healthy body and mind. Reishi mushroom’s potent anti-inflammatory properties can target and modulate inflammatory cytokines based on your body’s needs[5]. This is Reishi’s prowess as a prized adaptogen at work!
5. Reishi ~ The Mushroom of Spiritual Potency
Reishi's botanical name Ganoderma Lucidum has Greek and Latin roots, gano meaning shinning, derma translating to skin, and lucidum meaning luminous. In the wild Reishi grows in the shade yet has a strong connection to light and shining, and in the Daoist tradition is thought to allow the spirit to shine forth. While Reishi’s traditional use as a tonic to nourish the spirit cannot be translated to science directly, as we have mentioned it is known to relax the nervous system and bring about a calm state of focus. It’s this benefit that is coveted by meditators, spiritual seekers and those looking to ease the burden of the stressors of everyday life.
Our Inner Atlas Reishi Mushroom Extract
Sourcing
We’re honoured to source our Reishi mushroom from Jinzhai County, a Di Tao location that was recorded in The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica. Di Tao is the traditional Daoist practice of sourcing tonic herbs from their spiritual homeland or authentic place of origin. Our medicinal mushroom extracts are all sourced from pristine and remote Di Tao growing regions, where the individual mushrooms have been traditionally grown and are considered to produce the most potent mushrooms of that particular type.
Wood-Grown
At Inner Atlas we’re passionate about medicinal mushrooms that are grown on wood. What separates medicinal mushrooms from other mushrooms like culinary or psychedelic shrooms is that in the wild they’re most commonly found growing on trees or fallen logs. This is what they feed on and what allows them to produce the active compounds they’re known for in abundance.
Many medicinal mushrooms you might come across are grown on grain or rice, whereas we work with wood-grown mushrooms only that are cultivated in semi-wild conditions exposed to the sun, wind, and rain; a growing environment that's as close to wild as possible.
Fruiting Body
We use the fruiting body of the Reishi mushroom only. Research has indicated that the fruiting body of the mushroom contains the highest concentration of active compounds compared to the mycelium which can be thought of as the root system of the mushroom. Other mushroom supplements you come across may contain both the fruiting body and the mycelium. These products are often grown on grain or rice and the mycelium is impossible to separate from the substrate which unfortunately means a whole lot of rice and grain ends up in the final product further diluting the potency.
20:1 Dual Extraction
Our Inner Atlas Reishi has a 20:1 extraction meaning 20 kg of mushrooms creates 1kg of Reishi powder which is highly concentrated. It’s also highly bioavailable compared to non-extracted medicinal mushrooms which unfortunately are non-bioavailable. For more on this head to our journal entry Medicinal Mushroom Extracts vs Whole Powders.
Lab-Tested for Active Compounds
We are one of the few companies that test our mushrooms for the presence of beta-d-glucans using the Megazyme testing method. It’s a pretty expensive process to undertake on each and every batch but we believe it’s worth it in order to validate our high levels of beta-d-glucans.
If you’re working with Reishi we’d love to hear about your experience. Drop us a note in the comments below or feel free to write to us at hello@inneratlas.com.au we love chatting mushies and are here to help!
References:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1160565/
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92913-6
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3255119/
[4] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92913-6
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24948193/
