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The ingredients of the Reishi mushroom can have a calming effect.
June 30, 2025
Hanja Niederhammer
Does Reishi really strengthen the psyche? Scientific studies show how the medicinal mushroom affects the brain and nerves and can, for instance, reduce stress and improve sleep.
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Adaptogen, mood enhancer, stress blocker - Reishi has been considered a medicinal mushroom for centuries. But what is really behind its reputation? This article sheds light on the effects of Reishi on the psyche - from easy-to-understand explanations of its biochemical active substances to current study results. What is proven today, what remains open - and why it is worth taking a closer look.
Reishi, also known as Ganoderma lucidum or Lingzhi, has been regarded in traditional medicine for thousands of years as a true panacea - from adaptogenic energy boost to stress-relieving balance to strengthening defenses, heart, liver, and its effects on the psyche. Newcomers quickly ask: What is proven, and what is based on handed-down anecdotes?
But what of this is scientifically proven today? And what can actually be verified with modern studies?
Current research sheds light in the dark: it provides exciting, albeit microbiologically complex, clues from animal models about what effects might come into play. Naturally, this remains a partial result; the results cannot be directly transferred to humans. However, the findings provide a promising indication of how Reishi could impact our psyche.
Flavonoids are natural plant substances that can be imagined as tiny dye molecules found in many fruits, vegetables - and also in the Reishi mushroom. They belong to the group of polyphenols and act as antioxidants in the body: they can inhibit inflammation and specifically target enzymes and signaling substances in the nervous system.
In a Study The methanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum showed that especially the flavonoids rutin and quercetin apparently have antidepressant, anxiolytic, and calming effects in the mouse model.
Polysaccharides - such as ß-glucans - are large, branched sugar chains that are present in significant amounts in the Reishi mushroom.
Animal experimental evidence suggests that they act via the so-called gut-brain axis: They can attenuate inflammatory signaling pathways and thus keep neuroinflammatory reactions dampened. As a result, they could indirectly calm the stress axes in the brain and thus support cognitive and psychological functions.
Triterpenes are plant compounds with a characteristic four-membered carbon ring, similar in structure to our body's own hormones. In the Reishi mushroom hundreds of different triterpenes have already been identified proven. In a study Study researchers examined whether these Reishi triterpenes can slow inflammatory processes in the brain and thus alleviate anxiety- and depression-like symptoms in mice.
Active ingredient type: Flavonoids
What's inside? Plant pigments
Study highlights: Radical scavenger & anti-inflammatory agent. During an animal experiment, it ensured fresh nerve signal tuning
Type of active ingredient: Polysaccharides
What's inside? Long sugar chains (ß-glucans)
Study highlights: Gut-brain dialogue in flow, curbs inflammation and could provide brain power
Type of active ingredient: Triterpenoids
What's inside? Lanostanoid molecules (hormone-like)
Study Highlights: Brain peacemaker – moderates inflammatory alarm and alleviates anxiety & depression signals in mice
Mushroom power in animal models: Flavonoids like rutin & quercetin directly impact neuroreceptors in the mouse brain, while polysaccharides & triterpenes modulate inflammatory and hormone signals. Does it work the same way in the human head? Considerably more research is needed for this.
Who doesn’t know those phases, when stress burdens the mood and the carousel of thoughts doesn’t stop? The question of Reishi's impact on the psyche is thus more in focus - and initial animal studies deliver exciting hints.
Our body has an "inflammation switch," called the NLRP3 inflammasome/NF-κB pathway in technical terms. Quite simply, this mechanism detects stress or energy emergencies (such as from unhealthy diets) and initiates a chain of alarms, releasing inflammation-promoting messengers. Constant alarm can lead to neuroinflammation - chronic inflammation in the brain that impairs mood, concentration, and memory.
In a current study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2025) researchers isolated a β-glucan from Ganoderma lucidum and administered it to mice that had developed cognitive deficits from a high-fat diet and chronic stress. The results:
Our gut microbiome is in constant dialogue with the brain - a balance here can promote mood and stress resistance, while an imbalance can trigger inflammation and thus weigh on the psyche. Reishi polysaccharides (β-glucans) have shown in mice that they strengthen beneficial gut bacteria and slow down inflammatory processes in the body.
The result: less neuroinflammation and better learning performance. Whether these effects are similar in humans is still open, but the approach provides exciting clues about the interplay between gut health and the potential effects of Reishi on the psyche.
Reishi provides flavonoids such as rutin and quercetin, which according to molecular analyses can specifically dock to nerve cell proteins and thus influence signal transmission in the brain.
In an animal study researchers used a methanol extract from the fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum to specifically investigate the effects of the active ingredients rutin and quercetin in the nervous system. They combined classic behavioral tests (for anxiety, depression, and sedation) with molecular docking to see how the molecules dock to central nerve cell proteins.
The study provides a multi-layered insight: Reishi flavonoids apparently not only work through anti-inflammatory properties but also specifically intervene in neurotransmitter and gene regulation systems. Whether these effects show up similarly in humans remains the subject of further research - but they open up a promising perspective on the effect of Reishi on the psyche.
When the heart races and the mind doesn't come to rest, the idea of a mushroom extract sounds almost too good to be true. However studies on Reishi provide indications that it could address precisely this: mice that received a Reishi concentrate navigated boldly through anxiety mazes and later found sleep noticeably faster.
This triple package of anxiety elimination, stress buffering, and sleep promotion underscores the promising profile of Reishi extracts and their effect on the psyche: They could address exactly where our nervous system cries out for relaxation.
Can Reishi protect the psyche from stress? A Mouse study from 2022 provides exciting clues: animals that received Reishi triterpenes for several weeks showed a dampened inflammatory response in the brain - and at the same time less anxious behavior.
They fled less often, explored their surroundings more actively, and persisted longer in the water test.
Researchers suspect: Reishi triterpenes could slow down stress-related inflammation and thus reduce anxiety and depressive reactions. A potential natural protective factor for the psyche.
Ein current paper in Nature Communications (March 2025) provides new, more precise clues about the neuroactive effects of Reishi. The study examined Ganoderic Acid A (GAA), a typical triterpene from the Reishi mushroom - specifically in the context of anxiety and depression behaviors in older mice.
The result of the study is promising: after two months with Ganoderic Acid A - an active ingredient from the Reishi mushroom - older mice showed significantly less anxiety. In behavioral tests, they less frequently avoided the typical "danger zones" of the labyrinth, moved more freely, and explored their environment curiously. An indication of improved mood and more internal drive.
The researchers suspect that the active ingredient acts directly in the brain. GAA seems to affect communication between nerve cells - precisely those processes that also play a role in learning, motivation, and emotional stability. At the same time, the substance influences the activity of microglia - specialized cells that protect the brain from inflammation and help regulate the neuronal balance.
The interaction of these effects could explain why the mice reacted more calmly, actively, and with greater psychological stability. An exciting impetus for mental health research - especially when it comes to natural ways to enhance mental strength in old age.
While animal studies already show promising effects of Reishi on stress, mood, and inflammation, the data on humans is still thin - and methodologically often shaky.
A Pilot study from Italy investigated the effect of micro-fine ground Reishi powder in women with fibromyalgia. Although there were slight improvements in life satisfaction and mood after six weeks, the difference to the placebo group was not statistically significant.
There are also initial studies among cancer patients: In a randomized study patients with breast cancer received Reishi powder during their hormone therapy. After four weeks, anxiety and depression scores significantly decreased compared to the placebo group. In patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma, a combination of Reishi and Ligustrum during chemotherapy showed a trend toward better general well-being - but without statistical significance.
One current overview article from 2025 summarizes: Reishi might alleviate depressive symptoms, especially in combination with standard therapies. However, large, methodologically clean studies are lacking. Many previous works are small, last only a few weeks and use different Reishi preparations - which makes comparisons difficult.
In contrast to animal studies, which take place under controlled conditions, human studies are more complex. People have individual differences, and placebo effects can affect the results. Therefore, the previous indications are interesting, but not yet proof of a clear effect in humans.
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Reishi mushrooms are often offered in powder, extract, or capsule form.
