Reishi mushroom

Ninety vegan capsules of reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) extract at 500 mg each, with no fillers, made in the UK according to the brand. Reishi is the glossy red-brown bracket mushroom that is too woody to eat, so nearly every reishi mushroom supplement is an extract, and this is the capsule format: swallow with water, up to 3 a day, nothing to taste.

At the full 3 a day a pot lasts a month; at 1 a day it lasts three. It is a Herbastore own-label product and one of the four single-species mushrooms on our capsule shelf.

What it is

Reishi grows as a hard, lacquered shelf on hardwood stumps and has been cultivated on logs and sawdust for decades, so most of what reaches supplements is farmed rather than wild. The fruiting body is dried, broken up and extracted with hot water, alcohol or both, then the extract is dried to a powder and filled into capsules.

The label points that let you compare one reishi against another are the milligrams per capsule, whether it is extract or whole powder, the extract ratio, and the part used. This listing gives the first two: 500 mg of extract. The brand has not published a ratio or stated fruiting body against mycelium, so we leave those out rather than assume.

If you prefer a drink, reishi can be simmered from slices as a tea, but it is strongly bitter. Nobody orders a second cup for the flavour, which is why most people pick a capsule, or the alcohol tincture that you can stir into something stronger.

A lab report image is in the product gallery; we have not verified it. This is a food supplement and should not be a substitute for a varied diet.

How to take it

Up to 3 capsules a day with water, per the brand. Reishi is traditionally taken in the evening, which makes it easy to attach to a routine you already have, such as the last drink of the day. You can take all three at once or spread them out; the listing does not specify with or without food.

• 90 capsules per pot
• 500 mg extract per capsule
• 30 days at 3 a day, 90 days at 1 a day
• £19.99 works out at about 22p per capsule, or about 67p a day at 3

Store closed in a cool, dry cupboard. No refrigeration needed.

What's inside

• Reishi mushroom extract, 500 mg per capsule
• Vegan capsule shell
• No fillers, as stated by the brand

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum, sometimes labelled Ganoderma lingzhi) is a polypore: the underside carries tiny pores rather than gills, and the top has a varnished look as if it had been lacquered. It is known as lingzhi in China and mannentake in Japan. It is one of the most bitter mushrooms used in supplements, which is one reason the capsule is the common format.

Who it's for

People who want reishi as part of an evening wind-down without the bitter taste of the tea. The capsule suits a bedside routine or a kitchen cupboard, and it is the format to choose if you want a set amount each day with no preparation. It is also the usual starting point for someone who has read about reishi and wants to try it without committing to a tincture.

If you want a labelled extract ratio and a named grower, the Mushroom Dispensary reishi capsules state a 10:1 fruiting body extract grown in Finland. If you want several mushrooms at once, the six mushroom complex includes reishi as one sixth of each capsule.

Pairs well with

For a labelled 10:1 fruiting body extract, compare the Mushroom Dispensary reishi capsules, or their reishi tincture if you prefer drops. For a blend that includes reishi alongside five other mushrooms, see the six mushroom complex. Browse the whole mushrooms department or stay with capsules.

Frequently asked questions

What does reishi mushroom do?

Reishi is a bracket mushroom used in East Asia for a very long time, taken today as a supplement in extract form. Its effects are a matter of personal experience and we make no health claims for it. People most often take it in the evening.

How many capsules in the pot?

90, which is 30 days at the brand's maximum of 3 a day.

Is it extract or whole mushroom powder?

The brand describes it as reishi mushroom extract at 500 mg per capsule. The extract ratio is not published.

Where is it made?

The UK, according to the listing.

Read what reishi is, how it grows and how it is extracted in our reishi guide. Herbastore ships this product from the UK, with free UK shipping on orders over £40. Orders are packed by Herbastore UK, so if you are buying from more than one of our brands everything arrives together.