Who can I trust?
Basically, you should trust no one. NO ONE, not even me. Most medical doctors do not know anything about medicinal mushrooms. In fact, most medical schools don't include a course in nutrition. How can this be? Doctors are schooled in the scientific method meaning results must be duplicatable to be valid. Nutrition has too many variables and results are difficult to measure so it is mostly ignored. Very few doctors will even discuss nutrition beyond the basic food groups. Get this, doctors are not legally allowed to practice nutrition. They are legally allowed to practice medicine according to their license. They are only allowed to practice in two areas. Prescribing drugs for a specific diagnosis and performing surgery. Nutrition does not fall in either category. Food like mushrooms cannot be patented and so pharmaceutical companies have little interest. Furthermore they are required to have malpractice insurance and it only covers them when they are practicing in their licensed fields. Anything outside of that (prescribing and cutting) is not covered by their insurance.
Medicine in other countries is practiced very differently. Harmful chemical additives like artificial colors and flavors are banned from foods. In the past 30 years the United States health has fallen from being in the top 10 to a disgusting rank of 62 based on life expectancy. 62! (worldmeters.info) Doctors life expectancy is no better than the general population! I believe in the apprentice approach. Learn from a person who knows what they are doing. Follow advice from a healthyperson who has lived a long healthy life!
So enough about who you can trust. If you cannot trust doctors, the medical community, the health system, then who can you really trust? The best information will be yours that you independently seek out. Doctors could do this too, if they were so inclined.
How can I do my own research? Good health is a proper balance of may things, diet, nutrition, enough clean water, exercise and movement, relaxation, managing stress level, and community. Good health is not simple, quick, nor is it easy. Good health is a worthy goal to pursue so that you can accomplish your life's purpose comfortably and with joy in your heart. Research is the starting point. Published research is essential, but talking to other healthy people is just as essential. Use the apprentice model. Follow healthy successful people.
The internet is a great place to do research! Billions of pages at your fingertips using your smart phone. Google Scholar (scholar.google.com) is a specialized search engine that is extremely helpful in getting through the "marketing chatter" and getting pure scientific results quickly. Google Scholar is specifically limited to scientific research studies, research by someone with letters behind their name, credentials of educational accomplishment. Access Scholar at www.scholar.google.com. It is easy and simple to use and its free. Thank you Google! It has a search window in which you can put what you are looking for. A good approach is to insert a two word string using the name of the mushroom followed by the condition that you are curious about. For example, "ganoderma cancer". You will see that there are so many studies that you cannot read them all. So try to narrow down the search by using" ganoderma brain cancer" or " "ganoderma prostate cancer" You can search for "ganoderma blood pressure" or "ganoderma eczema" or "ganoderma diabetes" or "ganoderma allergies" or "ganoderma interactions" You get the point.
You are going to see some articles about ganoderma that have nothing to do with the human body. Ganoderma is a fungus which attacks trees in the wild and is considered a threat to cultivation of forests.
Ganoderma is a tree mushroom and can be seen around the base or on the upper trunk of trees. Here, ganoderma is a parasite that robs the tree of nutrients and can eventually kill the tree. These articles have nothing to do with human health. Ganoderma is not a parasite in humans but is a highly researched natural plant food that actually works against other parasites in the human body because it contains many beneficial compounds.
What about fake news?
Most "fake news" about medicinal mushrooms is found on package labels. Because supplements are not regulated in the United States, the information on the labels can be false and misleading. Factors that are important is where the ganoderma was grown, does it contain lead? (Asian ganoderma and other mushrooms may contain lead from leaded gasoline still used in automobiles and trucks. If it is a less expensive product, it probably comes from Asia and has absorbed lead while growing in the open atmosphere. One of the beneficial properties for our body is the absorption of lead and other heavy metals so they can be removed. Using ganoderma with lead is definitely counterproductive. Our mushrooms are grown in the USA in climate controlled, FDA HEPA filtered air facilities.
Is the amount of ganoderma in the supplement clearly stated. "Contains Ganoderma" can be a trace or 500mg? Avoid supplements that do not clearly state the ingredients. Look for pure, organic US grown mushrooms processed and packaged in USDA approved facilities.
Beneficial properties are found in all parts of the mushrooms, however different parts of the mushroom, i.e.. fruiting body, stem, spores, mycelium, all have different concentrations. A product made of ALL parts of the mushroom is more likely to contain all of the beneficial properties. In summary, Google scholar will become a trusted friend and you will find it very helpful in researching other things like prescription drugs.. "Prozac side effects" or "Prozac drug interactions" etc.
Happy research!
Robert Elbert Cline, CVO, Co-founder