The first human study to discuss whether Ganoderma lucidum can reduce weight has been released.

 

Since the research paper "Ganoderma lucidum can slow down weight gain by regulating intestinal bacteria in mice fed a high-fat diet" was published in 2015, many animal experiments have successively verified the triterpenoids (ethanol extract) or polysaccharides (hot water extract) in Ganoderma lucidum more or less has the effect of reducing fat accumulation (obesity is inevitable but the degree of obesity is reduced), and relieve related symptoms such as insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities.

 

In contrast, there seem to be little (or no) relevant animal experiments to study whether Ganoderma lucidum can help lose existing weight or regulate blood sugar, blood lipids, and blood pressure at the same time, not to mention the possible effects of Ganoderma lucidum actually being used in humans.

 

Fortunately, a clinical research report published in the Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism in June 2022 finally gives many people who are overweight but have not yet developed hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and hypertension a basis for reasonable expectations.

 

 

Middle-aged subjects were overweight but did not suffer from three highs.

 

This report was published by scholars from the School of Pharmacy of Tehran Medical Sciences of Islamic Azad University and the Research Center of Nutrition and food science of the University. Although the clinical trial in the report has only been reviewed by the University’s Research Ethics Committee (IR.QUMS.REC.1399.1515) and has not been registered in the International Clinical Trial Registry, it deserves attention because it is the first to publicly discuss the use of Ganoderma lucidum to reduce weight in humans and is conducted in a relatively rigorous randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled manner.

 

The subjects participating in the experiment were all outpatients of Salahuddin Hospital in Baneh Province, Iran, both male and female, with an average age of about 40 years old, and BMI between 25 and 29.9 (kg/m²), namely the so-called "overweight" or "slightly obese" position.

 

Take 3 (750 mg) Reishi capsules per day for 6 weeks.

 

In order to exclude the interference of other factors, all subjects finally included in the study analysis did not suffer from diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia or diseases that may cause weight loss, nor pregnancy, lactation, or COVID-19 infection. They also did not take any drugs that may interact with Ganoderma lucidum (such as anticoagulants including Aspirin and Warfarin) or are related to weight loss or blocking fat absorption.

 

In addition, the subjects were also required to maintain their original dietary and exercise habits (some continued to take calcium tablets, vitamin D3, comprehensive vitamins and sedatives), with the only change being that they were required to consume three capsules provided by the research institution daily for 6 consecutive weeks (42 days). The content of each capsule taken by the Ganoderma lucidum group was 30 mg water extract of Ganoderma lucidum and 220 mg whole Ganoderma lucidum powder (Ganoderma lucidum preparation approved by Iran Food and Drug Administration), and the content of each capsule taken by the placebo group was 250 mg of flour.

 

Indexes of body weight and blood lipids were improved.

 

It was found that if only the differences before and after the experiment in the Ganoderma lucidum group (26 females and 10 males) were observed, the indicators with statistically significant reductions included body weight, BMI and hip circumference; in contrast, the indicators with significant differences before and after the test in the placebo group (25 females and 8 males) did not include these 3 items. Instead, for the placebo group, the waist circumference and arm circumference after the experiment were thicker than those at the beginning of the experiment.

 

If the changes of the two groups before and after the experiment are compared, there are statistically significant differences between the two groups in the changes of BMI, hip circumference, arm circumference and serum total cholesterol.

 

The significant difference in these four indicators is not only related to the magnitude of decrease (improvement) in the Ganoderma lucidum group but also to the magnitude of increase (deterioration) in the placebo group. In other words, when evaluating the benefits of eating Ganoderma lucidum, if we also consider the negative effects of not eating Ganoderma lucidum, the answer may be different.

 

 

The role of Ganoderma lucidum in preventing weight and health problems from worsening may be more effective than “scraping oil”.

 

Researchers believe that due to the fact that there is no statistically significant difference in the magnitude of weight change between the Ganoderma lucidum group and the placebo group, although the weight of the subjects may decrease slightly due to Ganoderma lucidum, it is still insufficient to claim that Ganoderma lucidum has the function of "weight loss".

 

However, taking Ganoderma lucidum for one and a half months has indeed brought some benefits to the weight, physical appearance, and lipid metabolism of overweight individuals. Especially when multiple indicators in the placebo group become worse at the end of the experiment, the stable and positive performance of the Ganoderma lucidum group highlights that the role of Ganoderma lucidum in "preventing weight and health problems from worsening" may be more effective than "scraping oil".

 

The report concluded that the capsules provided by the researchers were well tolerated by both groups during the experiment, and no adverse side effects were observed during the experiment or for a month after the experiment ended. It has been confirmed again that Ganoderma lucidum can regulate physiological functions under the premise of safe consumption, which is why Ganoderma lucidum is more precious than any weight loss pills.

 

Source: Shilan Babamiri, et al. The Efficacy of italic Ganoderma lucidum in Overweight Individuals: A Randomized Placebo-controlled trial. Med J Nutrition Metab. 2022;15(2): 263-271. DOI: 10.3233/MNM-211533

 

 

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