Intractable Enteritis: How Lingzhi Can “Tune” It—The Triterpenes Chapter

It was the news of Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s resignation that drew public attention to ulcerative colitis. At its root, this disease stems from a malfunction in the immune system’s regulatory mechanisms, causing persistent inflammation where it shouldn’t occur.

If we can not only alleviate symptoms but also correct the dysregulated immune response, there should be a good chance of gradually reducing the severity of flare-ups, decreasing the frequency of relapses, and pushing cancerous transformation further and further away.

Reishi mushroom, long known for its reputation of “boosting immunity,” is actually also a master at “regulating inflammatory responses.”

Previously, we have already gone through... Intractable Enteritis: How Lingzhi Can “Tune” It—The Polysaccharide Perspective The previous article reviewed the effects of ganoderma polysaccharides on ulcerative colitis; this article, however, will show you what role ganoderma triterpenes can play when both pathogenic factors—intestinal inflammation and intestinal cancer—are present simultaneously.

Ganoderma triterpenes alleviate colitis and inhibit colorectal cancer.

Ulcerative colitis alone is already quite troublesome; if your diet also tends to favor processed meats or red meat that are cooked at high temperatures, it can more easily trigger intestinal inflammation and increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

However, if you could regularly take care of yourself with ganoderma triterpenes, you might be able to avert most of the risks. This is because, according to an animal study published in 2012 in PLOS ONE by Professor Daniel Sliva of the Indiana University School of Medicine:

Oral administration of Ganoderma lucidum fruitbody triterpene extract GLT can, in the presence of both of the aforementioned risk factors, reduce the degree of intestinal inflammation and damage, decrease polyp proliferation and tissue lesions, and inhibit cancer development and tumor growth.

Moreover, preemptive protection (300 mg/kg three times per week) proved more effective than administering ganoderic triterpenes only after the risk factors had already emerged (500 mg/kg three times per week), and it also required a lower dosage (as shown in the table below).

Protecting intestinal cells and alleviating inflammation are key.

Amid the long-term onslaught of dietary carcinogens and ulcerative colitis, why do ganoderic triterpenes (GLT) from Lingzhi mushrooms provide protective effects for the gut? According to the evidence analyzed in this study, the answer can be broadly categorized into three aspects:

1. Reduce the toxicity of carcinogens: Regulate the enzyme (cytochrome P450) that metabolizes the heterocyclic amine PhIP in the body, thereby preventing, as much as possible, the activation of PhIP by this enzyme into a substance with carcinogenic activity.

2. Protect intestinal cells: Inhibit the activation of protein molecules in intestinal cells that are involved in inflammatory responses and cell proliferation (Figure 1), making these cells less susceptible to activation by inflammatory stimuli and intestinal carcinogens.

3. Regulating the immune response: Reducing the number of macrophage infiltrates in colonic tissue (Figure 2) prevents the inflammatory response from escalating further due to excessive macrophage involvement, thereby alleviating inflammation and reducing the risk of cellular carcinogenesis.

Figure 1: Ganoderma triterpenes inhibit abnormal cell proliferation.

Figure 2: Ganoderma triterpenes inhibit the inflammatory response of macrophages.

Recommended human dosage

The GLT used in this study is a triterpene mixture extracted from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum in a specific manner. Its main components are ganoderic acid A (3.8 mg/g), ganoderic acid H (1.74 mg/g), and ganoderic acid F (0.95 mg/g).

Based on the highest effective dose from mouse experiments, researchers calculated that an adult weighing 60 to 80 kilograms would need to consume 90 to 120 grams of GLT per week (an average of 12.9 to 17.1 grams per day) to achieve effects similar to those observed in animal studies.

Since the experimental animals fed GLT continued to gain weight normally and showed no signs of liver or kidney toxicity, nor any abnormalities in lipid or glucose metabolism, it seems worthwhile for individuals who love meat but also have a predisposition to ulcerative colitis to consider supplementing with ganoderma triterpenes as a preventive and therapeutic measure against colorectal cancer.

Lingzhi regulates the immune system and is also effective for abnormal inflammation.

Because of the news about Abe’s resignation, I revisited past research on Lingzhi and discovered that many researchers had already demonstrated foresight. It also became clear that Lingzhi polysaccharides and triterpenes actually have effects on ulcerative colitis.

In fact, beyond the studies mentioned above, Ganoderma lucidum also exerts a relieving effect on another inflammatory bowel disease—Crohn’s disease—which is also autoimmune-mediated—as well as on small-intestinal inflammation induced by painkillers (see references 2–4 for details).

These findings further demonstrate that in addition to boosting immunity, Ganoderma lucidum also has the ability to regulate inflammatory responses—depending on how the underlying immune imbalance needs to be balanced.

Different components of Reishi mushroom each have their own unique benefits; naturally, it’s best if you can consume both Reishi polysaccharides and Reishi triterpenes.

However, no matter which ingredient you choose—or whether you’re consuming it yourself or recommending it to family and friends—be sure to select lingzhi products of consistent quality. Only by adhering to stringent corporate standards and maintaining standardized control over every stage, from the strain of the mushroom to the processing procedures, can you truly enjoy increasing health benefits and avoid being defeated by illness.

[References]

1. Sliva D, et al. The mushroom Ganoderma lucidum prevents colitis-associated carcinogenesis in mice. PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e47873.

2. Liu C, et al. Anti-inflammatory Effects of Ganoderma lucidum Triterpenoid in Human Crohn's Disease Associated with Downregulation of NF-κB Signaling. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2015 Aug;21(8):1918-25.

3. Hanaoka R, et al. The water-soluble extract from the cultured medium of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) mycelia (designated as MAK) ameliorates murine colitis induced by trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid. Scand J Immunol. Nov 2011;74(5):454-62.

4. Nagai K, et al. Polysaccharides derived from Ganoderma lucidum fungus mycelia ameliorate indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury via induction of GM-CSF from macrophages. Cell Immunol. 2017 Oct;320:20-28.