Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide is the earliest active ingredient of Ganoderma lucidum discovered. In 1971, Japanese scholars discovered its existence for the first time when exploring why Ganoderma lucidum hot water extract could inhibit tumor growth. These active ingredients cannot be broken down by enzymes in the digestive tract, so they stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the gut and activate immune cells in the intestinal wall, which in turn initiates a cascade of beneficial health effects, including immune regulation, hepatocyte regeneration, antioxidation and regulation of blood pressure, blood sugar and lipids.

The bitterness of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies comes from triterpenoids. Because there are many kinds of Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids, Ganoderma lucidum has such a wide range of effects. The liver-protecting, anticancerous, anti-allergic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-synthesis-inhibiting, platelet-aggregation-inhibiting, blood-pressure-regulating, blood-lipid-regulating, osteoporosis-delaying, prostate-hypertrophy-improving and diabetic-cataract-preventing effects of Ganoderma lucidum are all derived from this group of active ingredients.

Compared with Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides, which mainly produce a positive effect "indirectly" through the immune system, triterpenoids can "directly" fight cancer cells, viruses, and bacteria. Since the two have different mechanisms of action, when they make a joint attack, the effect is often better than a single fight.

--The above content comes from P28 in the book "Healing with Ganoderma" written by Wu Tingyao.

In addition to the above two "famous" active ingredients, Ganoderma lucidum has a series of other active ingredients. Immunomodulatory protein Ling Zhi-8 (LZ-8) has immune regulation and anti-tumor effects; sterols have the effects of anti-cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and anti-oxidation, scavenging free radicals; adenosine can reduce the serum aldolase level, inhibit platelet aggregation, and resist hypoxia in mice with experimental myotonia; alkaloids such as Ganoderma lucidum alkaloids A and B have anti-inflammatory effects.

--The above content is excerpted from P11 in the book "Pharmacology and Clinics of Ganoderma lucidum" edited by Zhi-Bin Lin and Bao-Xue Yang and published by Peking University Medical Press.

Usually, a plant or herbal medicine contains only a few active ingredients. However, Ganoderma lucidum contains hundreds of active ingredients. So it is not surprising that Ganoderma lucidum has multiple effects and is different from the single-ingredient Western medicine.