In April 2020, the international scientific journal 'Nutrients', which specializes in reporting on various aspects of nutrition research and commentary, published a special issue titled "The Application of Mushrooms or Mushroom Extracts to Enhance Health". One of the articles, titled "Use of Ganoderma lucidum (Ganodermataceae, Basidiomycota) as Radioprotector", precisely hits on the current topical issue.

 

The article was jointly published by Dr. Jose M. Soriano, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Valencia, Spain, who is also the co-chair of the non-profit organization La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe), along with three other Spanish scholars.

 

They conducted a search of research reports published in English before March 2020, using the keywords "Ganoderma", "Ganoderma lucidum", "radiation", "radiation protection", and "radioprotector". The search was based on the widely adopted systematic literature review guidelines "PRISMA" and was carried out on major literature databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, and the clinical trial registration platform ClinicalTrials.gov.

 

Note: PRISMA stands for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. It is a process for literature review and synthesis analysis developed collaboratively by 29 commentators, methodologists, clinicians, medical editors, and consumers. It includes a total of 27 check items. The main purpose is to extract scientific and comparable research from publicly published literature containing original data for comprehensive evaluation, serving as a decision-making basis for further research or application.

 

A total of 15 English reports were selected, all aimed at confirming the radioprotective effects of Ganoderma lucidum (using Ganoderma lucidum as a radioprotective agent) and meeting basic scientific standards. The research covers in vitro experiments (experiments conducted by removing tissues or cells from living animals outside the body), ex vivo experiments (experiments conducted with laboratory-cultured cell lines), and in vivo experiments (experiments conducted by injecting or orally administering experimental materials into animals). The details are as follows in the table.

 

 

The anti-radiation effect of Ganoderma, which has been scientifically verified for at least 30 years

 

Looking at the content of the above table, it is not difficult to find that from 1990 to 2020, there have been continuous research results on the anti-radiation effect of Ganoderma appearing in international journals. The research teams cover India, China, Egypt, and South Korea. The type of radiation used is mostly gamma rays (commonly used in cancer radiotherapy, such as cobalt 60 or gamma knife), which have greater penetration and damage than X-rays. This shows that the role of Ganoderma in protecting against radiation damage is not just a claim by one party or a sentiment of traditional medicine, but a real skill that has been proven effective on different experimental platforms time and again.

 

According to these selected studies, whether it is water extract, “water + alcohol” extract, crude polysaccharides, β-glucose or total triterpenes extracted from the fruiting body of Ganoderma, or spore powder and spore oil, they can all play a role in protecting against radiation damage in the animal body through oral administration and via the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, the effect is positively correlated with the dose, and none of them will cause toxic damage to the body under the effective dose of radiation protection.

 

In addition, we can also learn from the results of in vitro cell experiments conducted by different teams at different times using different materials that the reason why Ganoderma can protect against radiation mainly comes from two major mechanisms of action, “antioxidation” and “DNA protection”. The former reduces the oxidative damage to the cell membrane caused by radiation, while the latter can prevent DNA breaks in the cell nucleus caused by radiation. Both can reduce the chance of massive cell death or cancerous changes. The components of Ganoderma that implement these mechanisms of action are Ganoderma polysaccharides and Ganoderma triterpenes, which are familiar to both you and me.

 

How to stably reproduce the efficacy of Ganoderma is the key importance.

 

Over the course of thirty years, international experiments involving animals and cells have provided supportive evidence for the role of Ganoderma in protecting against radiation damage. Among these, the extracts from the fruiting body of Ganoderma have received the most recognition.

 

In the final stage of Ganoderma’s development, the various polysaccharides and triterpenes contained in the fruiting body are precisely the source of Ganoderma’s protection against radiation damage. Although they can be found in the water and alcohol extracts of Ganoderma, as the Spanish scholar who authored this article kindly reminds us:

 

The biggest problem with extracts is that the components obtained from each extraction are not exactly the same. The content of the same component can easily vary between different production batches. The interaction between different components, as well as the content of various active ingredients, can all affect the efficacy of Ganoderma extracts.

 

From this, it can be seen that the real issue is not whether Ganoderma can resist radiation, but how to produce a product with clear components, stable quality, and the ability to repeatedly reproduce its protective effects through stable raw material sources, stable production processes, and standardized procedures.

 

On the clinical effects of Ganoderma’s radiation resistance

 

Furthermore, since this systematic review of Ganoderma’s radiation resistance research only touched on animal and cell experiments and did not involve human trials, the author of this article specifically proposed in the report that we must further understand the clinical application effectiveness of Ganoderma in this regard.

 

In fact, the anti-radiation effect of Ganoderma has already been used in clinical practice, and the results are clear. Allow me to quote some content from the book “A Comprehensive Discussion on Ganoderma” (published by Peking University Medical Press), compiled by Professor Zhibin Lin of Peking University Health Science Center:

 

Clinical effectiveness is the most scientific. The anti-radiation effect of Ganoderma has been used in clinical practice. One is to reduce the damage caused by tumor radiotherapy, such as leukopenia, gastrointestinal reactions (such as vomiting), and decreased immune function, which I have mentioned many times in my column. The second is the treatment of leukopenia. The results of the above research indicate that Ganoderma does have a certain protective effect against radiation damage. Perhaps people who have been using Ganoderma for health care for a long time have stronger resistance to nuclear radiation than ordinary people. Of course, this hypothesis still needs further research to prove. (Originally published in “Ganoderma”, 2011, Issue 52, Pages 2-3)

 

Radiation is actually everywhere.

 

In fact, regardless of whether there are special events causing a radiation crisis, as long as we live on this planet, we cannot avoid radiation. Moreover, we will have to endure more due to some medical behaviors (such as X-ray examinations, cancer treatments, and CT angiography) or lifestyle habits (such as frequent flying).

 

 

In physics, radiation refers to the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves (such as electromagnetic waves) or subatomic particles (particles smaller than atoms, such as electrons, neutrons, and photons). Because the energy of radiation radiates in straight lines from the source of radiation to all directions, radiation is often referred to as emission.

 

The most common types of radiation in daily life are electromagnetic waves, which include radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. Particles emitted by nuclear reactions or radioactive decay, as well as cosmic rays from outer space, belong to a type of particle radiation.

 

Whether radiation is harmful depends on whether it can ionize atoms or molecules (i.e., cause atoms or molecules to lose or gain electrons, forming charged particles). This is what is known as ionizing radiation. Alpha rays, beta rays, high-speed (high-energy) neutron rays, X-rays, and gamma rays are all forms of ionizing radiation. Since cells are composed of atoms, ionizing radiation has the potential to cause cancer. The probability of causing cancer depends on the dose of radiation and the sensitivity of the irradiated individual to radiation.

 

 

This image shows the penetration of three types of ionizing radiation: alpha particles can be blocked by paper, beta particles can be blocked by aluminum, and gamma rays are partially blocked when passing through a lead screen. Essentially, gamma rays and X-rays are the same type of radiation, it’s just that gamma rays and X-rays come from different sources.

 

So, anti-radiation is not a matter of a moment, but a daily matter, and even more so, a matter of self-love. How can we eat effectively, with peace of mind, and without harming our bodies day after day? I don’t know about other things, but I know for sure that there must be Ganoderma.

 

The standardization of the variety, cultivation, harvesting, and extraction processes of Ganoderma ensures the clarity of its components and the stability of its quality. The long-term accumulated application experience and word-of-mouth reputation can provide a reference for determining safe and effective dosages for human consumption.

 

In the face of ubiquitous radiation, making good use of the all-protective Ganoderma may be a wise move to live up to our entrusted responsibilities.

 

Co-edited by Professor Zhibin Lin and Professor Baoxue Yang from the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, and published by Springer-Verlag in 2020, "Ganoderma and Health: Pharmacology and Clinical Application" is considered one of the most representative scientific monographs on Ganoderma today.

 

References

1. Aránzazu González, et al. Use of Ganoderma lucidum (Ganodermataceae, Basidiomycota) as Radioprotector. Nutrients 2020, 12(4), 1143; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12041143

2. Zhibin Lin. Discussing the Anti-Radiation Effects of Ganoderma in the Context of the Fukushima nuclear accident. A Comprehensive Discussion on Ganoderma, 2016: 165-169. Published by Peking University Medical Press.

3. Zhibin Lin, Baoxue Yang. Ganoderma and Health：Pharmacology and Clinical Application. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1182. Springer, Singapore, 2019.  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9421-9.

 

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★ The original manuscript of this article was authored in Chinese by Wu Tingyao and subsequently translated into English by Alfred Liu. In the event of any inconsistencies between the English translation and the original Chinese text, the latter shall take precedence. For any queries, pls reach out to the original author, Ms. Wu Tingyao.