Anyone familiar with going to a health food store is no stranger to unusual and unknown products.

Perhaps one of the weirdest new types of products commonly sold these days are medicinal mushrooms, like, for example, reishi mushroom capsules by VidaCap. While most people expect to find mushrooms in supermarkets and not in health food stores, there are actually all kinds of practical benefits when taken as a supplement. One of the most common, reishi mushrooms, has several different exciting health perks. But what possible health benefits of taking mushrooms could there be?

What Are Reishi Mushrooms?

To understand the health benefits of reishi mushrooms, we need to look at what reishi mushrooms are.

A reishi mushroom is one of many different medicinal mushrooms first discovered and used in East Asia. Long believed to provide innumerable health benefits, only in the last few decades have people studied the effects of this surprising mushroom.

Reishi mushrooms grow like many mushrooms do – starting as a spore, they develop into large fruiting bodies with a woody, hard exterior. Properly known as polypore funguses, reishi mushrooms don’t have typical mushroom gills – instead, it is sort of like a shelf, with a hard, thick underside covered in pores.

In China, reishi mushrooms are known as the ‘mushroom of immortality’ as they help encourage long life. But what are its actual effects and benefits?

What Are the Different Health Benefits of Reishi Mushrooms?

#1 Strong Immune System

The original reason for taking reishi mushrooms in East Asia was to provide daily health, supporting a long life.

From a biological perspective, the fungus may encourage a more robust immune system. Studies have shown that reishi mushrooms can be helpful immunomodulators, thanks to their high concentration of polysaccharides.

Polysaccharides have long been linked to the immune system. They are thought to help improve the immune system in general and help handle allergies, pain, and even inflammation.

#2 Antioxidant Properties

The term “antioxidant” gets thrown around a lot these days, usually in health food circles. This makes a lot of people assume that there aren’t any valuable benefits of antioxidants.

However, antioxidants have been linked to helping prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and generally improve well-being. They do this by eliminating free radical oxidants, hence the term antioxidant.

Reishi mushrooms contain a surprisingly high quantity of antioxidants, which is primarily why they are considered an excellent supplement. Additionally, it may also help reduce any apparent signs of aging.

While the science still isn’t entirely clear on the subject, increasing the number of antioxidants in the body seems to help diminish the effects of aging. It can also help the immune system and encourage better sleep when taken in the right quantities.

#3 Great for Helping You Get to Sleep

Reishi mushrooms have many unique compounds, but alongside plenty of polysaccharides and antioxidants, they also have a lot of triterpenes.

These compounds are known to help increase levels of calm, both on a physical level in the body and mind as well. This is why reishi mushroom supplements are commonly used to help promote relaxation and allow users to enjoy sleep easier.

Managing stress is never easy, but reishi mane mushrooms, commonly sold as reishi capsules, might make it more straightforward.

How to Get a Hold of Reishi Mushrooms?

Reishi mushrooms aren’t typically sold as food in grocery stores, primarily because of their wooden, rugged exterior and terrible taste.

While users could definitely go hunting for reishi mushrooms on their own, that comes with all of the standard risks and dangers of hunting for any mushroom.

Instead, the easiest way to get a hold of reishi mushrooms is by buying them as a supplement.

Commonly sold in convenient little reishi mushrooms capsules, they can be purchased from many health food stores, pharmacies, and online.

However, the best providers are those manufacturers that specialize in reishi mushrooms or other mushroom supplements and sell them directly.

There are various retailers out there, from VidaCap to even high street brands like Holland & Barrett. So much choice means that it is not only straightforward to get into taking reishi mushroom supplements but surprisingly cheap as well.