The biggest difference between Lingzhi (also called Ganoderma lucidum or Reishi mushroom) or Lingzhi medicines and many other health foods is that since Lingzhi is effective for the ancestors and the general public who have eaten it from ancient times to the present, scientists use animal and cell experiments to understand why Lingzhi is effective instead of inviting the public to buy a piece of mind after discovering the medicinal potential of Lingzhi in cell and animal experiments.
The same is true of Lingzhi in anti-tumor applications. Therefore, scientists’ research on the anti-tumor effect of Lingzhi can continue to innovate in countries all over the world for more than 50 years since 1986 when the first research report that proved the anti-tumor effect of Lingzhi was historically published by the National Cancer Center Research Institute of Japan.
Everyone must have read a lot of research on how Lingzhi can fight lung cancer, liver cancer, intestinal cancer and breast cancer in the body, but did you know that Lingzhi can also fight gastric cancer?!
A report published in Molecules by Associate Professor Hyo Jeung Kang, Kyungpook National University’s College of Pharmacy in October 2019, confirmed that the triterpenoid-rich Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body ethanol extract (referred to as GLE in this study) can Inhibit the growth of gastric tumors in the body.
Effect of Ganoderma lucidum dosage
The researchers first implanted human gastric cancer cell lines into the backs of immune-deficient mice (nude mice). After two weeks of tumor growth, the mice were orally administered with Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extract GLE at a daily dose of 30 mg/kg.
When the experiment progressed to the 23rd day, the tumor growth rate of the Ganoderma lucidum group (the green curve in Fig. 1) was obviously much slower than that of the control group (the black curve in Fig. 1) that did not receive any treatment.
Figure 1 High-dose Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extract can inhibit the growth of gastric tumors
However, if the Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extract GLE administered orally to the mice is reduced to one third, i.e. only 10 mg/kg per day, the tumor growth rate of the Ganoderma lucidum group (the green curve in Figure 2) is about the same as that of the untreated control group ( the black curve in Figure 2).
Figure 2 Low-dose Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extract cannot inhibit the growth of gastric tumors
In other words, after the Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extract is digested and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, it can indeed inhibit gastric tumors in the immune-deficient body, but this effect is premised, that is, the dose must be sufficient; once the dose is insufficient, there could be an ending that “eating Lingzhi is ineffective”.
The effect of one plus one is not necessarily greater than two.
This study also discussed the synergistic effect of quercetin (QCT, a flavonoid widely found in various fruits, vegetables and teas) and Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extract in inhibiting gastric tumors.
The antioxidant activity of quercetin provides part of the scientific basis for “adequate intake of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer”. Therefore, the combination of quercetin and Ganoderma lucidum should be able to play a role of one plus one greater than two, right?
If you are willing to look back at the results of animal experiments presented in Figures 1 and 2, it is not difficult to find that effect of high-dose (30 mg/kg each) of “Ganoderma lucidum+ quercetin” is not better than that of using one of them alone. Although the effect of low-dose (10 mg/kg each) of “Ganoderma lucidum+ quercetin” is better than that of using low-dose Ganoderma lucidum alone or that of using low-dose quercetin alone, this good effect is no different from the effect of “using high-dose Ganoderma lucidum alone”.
That is to say, from the point of view of human nature, we always want to “add something” to improve the anti-cancer effect of Ganoderma lucidum. However, from the scientific results, a combination similar to the above may not be as good as “eating Ganoderma lucidum alone”. A regular intake of Ganoderma lucidum plus a suitable daily diet can help our own body develop a good anti-cancer self-healing power.
Epstein-Barr virus that can coexist peacefully or induce cancer
It is worth mentioning that the human gastric cancer cell line MKN1-EBV used in the above-mentioned animal experiment is a gastric cancer cell with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Approximately 10% of patients with gastric cancer belong to this type of EB virus-related gastric cancer that “can be tested positive for EB virus in cancer tissues”.
In fact, most adults have been infected with the Epstein-Barr virus without knowing it, because when it invades the B cells in the mucosal tissues through the oral mucosa (saliva), it will hide in the B cells in a dormant state and coexist peacefully with the infected person for a lifetime.
Only a small number of people will suffer from gastric cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer or lymphoma due to Epstein-Barr virus. Insufficient immune function is the key for the Epstein-Barr virus to break the balance and inducing cancer.
Therefore, there are multiple viruses that humans have to learn to coexist peacefully with! To be at peace with these invaders at the same time, the easiest way is to maintain health with Ganoderma lucidum because Ganoderma lucidum contains both polysaccharides that can regulate immunity and triterpenes that can inhibit virus proliferation.
When cancer happens unfortunately, it is better to eat Ganoderma lucidum because at this time the body not only needs polysaccharides to boost the immune system to fight cancer cells but also needs triterpenes to directly fight cancer cells.
The above-mentioned Korean studies have proved that the triterpene-rich Ganoderma lucidum ethanol extract can inhibit the growth of Epstein-Barr virus-related gastric tumors in the body precisely because it can instigate the virus in cancer cells to collapse cancer cells without doing harm to normal cells. Among them, the main ingredient that guides the “fight against poison with poison” is the ganoderic acid A in the triterpene of Ganoderma lucidum.
While Ganoderma lucidum triterpenes such as ganoderic acid A go to the front to kill the enemy, Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides take care of the rear by boosting the immune system. Isn’t it more certain to win a beautiful victory?
So we can study and explore the different ingredients of Ganoderma lucidum. But when eating Ganoderma lucidum, be sure to choose Ganoderma lucidum with complete active ingredients. Only such Ganoderma lucidum can balance the front line and the rear area and achieve the desired effect.
[Data Source]
Sora Huh , et al. Quercetin Synergistically Inhibit EBV-Associated Gastric Carcinoma with Ganoderma lucidum Extracts. Molecules. 2019 Oct 24; 24(21): 3834. doi: 10.3390/molecules24213834.（https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/21/3834）
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About the author/ Ms. Wu Tingyao
Wu Tingyao has been reporting on first-hand Ganoderma information since 1999. She is the author of Healing with Ganoderma (published in The People’s Medical Publishing House in April 2017).
★ This article is published under the exclusive authorization of the author, and the ownership belongs to GANOHERB
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★ The original text of this article was written in Chinese by Wu Tingyao and translated into English by Alfred Liu. If there is any discrepancy between the translation (English) and the original (Chinese), the original Chinese shall prevail. If readers have any questions, please contact the original author, Ms. Wu Tingyao.
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