The secret of success is knowing how to deal with your body to maintain peak health condition. The dictum Health is Wealth holds more truth in the modern context than ever before.



Ganoderma lucidum  (Lingzhi) often revered as the ‘Elixir of Life’, has been recognized as

one of the most effective medicinal herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for more

than 2000 years. Its Chinese name translates to ‘Herb of Spiritual Potency’ and its active

ingredients of polysaccharides, triterpenes (triterpenoids), alkaloids and amino acids effectively

support the immune system, replenish energy by relieving fatigue and promote health recuperation

after illness and surgery.



Ganoderma, the scientific name for Ling Zhi in Chinese or Reishi in Japanese, is a basidiomycete

fungus which has been widely used for medical purposes in many Asian countries such as China,

Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan.



In Chinese History

It is regarded as the “Top Medicine” in the first Chinese medical encyclopedia, Shen Nong’s ‘Herbal Classic’ dating from more than 2000 years ago. It had already been granted superior status among all Chinese herbal medicines, and was exalted to the extent that even emperors exerted their full support.

It signifies virtue of extremeness, nimbleness and filial piety; it is likened to a painting representing luck and rarity; it prolongs life and flourishes in its place of growth; it shines like stars in the heaven, namely, Micro-stars, the Shen-star, the sun and moon.

The first Chinese medical text, Shen Nong’s ‘Herbal Classic’, complied approximately around 100B.C. is the earliest text ever documenting and categorizing in detail the six color species of Ganoderma. Despite these descriptions varying from type to type, they all support the statement: ‘taking such (ganoderma) for an extended period may lighten the body, prevent aging, and thus sublimate to godly longevity.’

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European Enlightenment​

Ganoderma was named by a Finnish botanist, Karsten, in 1881. Examine the root of ganoderma: gano means brightness and sheen, and derma means skin; therefore, ganoderma is what its name implies – ‘shiny skin’. According to the 1979 Alexopolus classification of fungi, ganoderma belongs to the kingdom Myceteae​, phylum Amastigomycota, class Basidiomycetes, order Aphyllophorales, family Polyporaceae , and genus Ganoderma.



Green: Coriolus versicolor
Red: G. lucidum and G. tsugae
Yellow: Laetiporus sulphureus
White: Formitopsis offcinalis
Black: Amauroderma rugosum or Polyporus melanopus
Purple: G. sinense

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