Reishi - A Traditional Chinese Medicinal Mushroom

By Markho Rafael

Reishi extract is commonly used in Oriental Medicine as almost a cure-all. Both medical practitioners and regular people use it for things as innocent as stress and the common cold to more serious afflictions like asthma and cancer.

One of the strongest proponents for the use of reishi as a medicinal mushroom is Dr. Fukumi Morishige. He works with the Linus Pauling Institute of Science & Medicine on treating cancer with reishi.

Below follows seven cases described by Dr. Morishige during a speech, later reprinted in the publication, Chinese Traditional Medicine Part III.

Being a native of Japan, Dr. Morishige was familiar with reishi before becoming aware of its potential in cancer treatment. But his attitude was essentially the same as any other trained medical professional. He believed it might have some marginal effect on certain non-terminal conditions but dismissed any claims regarding cancer as exaggerated. That is, until two of his cancer patients related their stories of using reishi to self-remediate their conditions.

The first case he encountered was a woman in her late 30's with lung cancer. A number of hospitals had told her the cancer was too advanced to be treatable. There had also been secondary complications in the form of edema of the chest. However, when she came to see Dr. Morishige half a year later, all those symptoms had disappeared. The woman insisted her recovery had come as a result of 4 gm of reishi administered daily by her husband.

After that, there was the case of the young boy with congenital liver cancer. Four years before he came to see Dr. Morishige, the boy's original doctor had sent him home with his parents, claiming the condition was terminal and there was nothing he could do to help. But when Dr. Morishige examined the now 9-year-old-boy, he could find no trace of the tumor. The boy's parents said they had been giving their son reishi via his naso-gastric feeding tube. This is when Dr. Morishige decided that reishi deserved a closer look.

Below are five cases using reishi in combination with Vitamin C (to prevent side effects):

Case 1: A 70-year-old male patient who had lost consciousness due to a 5 cm (2 in.) brain tumor was administered 6 gm of reishi per day starting in June of 1986. By September, he had regained consciousness. He continued to take reishi orally after regaining consciousness, now 3 gm/day. By December of that same year, brain scans showed the tumor had diminished in size. Once the size of the tumor had been reduced to 1 cm, the patient was released from the hospital and returned to live with his family.

Case 2: A 50-year-old woman who had lung cancer and was coughing up blood was put on 6 grams of reishi per day. After six months, the tumor had disappeared. At the onset of treatment, she was unable to climb stairs. At the end, she was able to climb stairs with little effort.

Case 3: A woman with breast cancer and metastatic bone cancer suffered excruciating pain and an inability to move below the neck. Dr. Morishige started her out on 9 gm/day of reishi and then increased it to 20 gm/day. In two months, the patient was free from pain, able to walk, and was released from the hospital.

Case 4: A man with rectal cancer metastasized to the liver was placed on 6 grams per day of reishi. Six months later, CT scans revealed that the tumor had shrunk. The patient showed improved health.

Case 5: A male patient aged 60 was diagnosed as having terminal pancreatic cancer and short life expectancy. Dr. Morishige placed him on 9 gm/day of reishi plus 30 gm/day of Vitamin C. A year later, the man was free of any symptoms and back working. After leaving the hospital, he continued taking 5 gm of reishi per day.

Note: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The product mentioned herein has not been approved by the FDA for use in treating cancer. Never use this or any other herb to treat a life-threatening disease without consulting a licensed physician.

Reference: Morishige, Fukumi, 1987. Chinese Traditional Medicine Part III, Page 12 - 23, ISBN4-88580-053-6 C-0077 - 30427

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