The History of Ganoderma

Ganoderma, which comes from the Red Reishi mushroom, has over 4,000 years of fascinating history in Asia being known for its health, healing, virility and longevity qualities. In fact, its one of the oldest medicinal herbs known to man. There are classical Chinese texts, dating back to before the birth of Christ, that talk about Ganoderma. During Emperor Han Wu Dis reign (156 -187 BC), one of the most notorious emperors of China, Ganoderma could actually be found growing throughout the imperial palace. Images of the red mushroom were even carved on the walls of the palace because they symbolized peace, prosperity and immortality. Over the years, the Reishi mushrooms distinctive shape remained a favorite design feature used by royalty and the very wealthy. Paintings, embroideries, and sculptures of the gods and immortals have depicted the mushroom as a symbol of divinity, longevity and good fortune. This highly treasured herb has been given many names over the years. Names like King of Herbs, Mushroom of Immortality, Gods Herb, and even Elixir of the Emperor With a Thousand Mistresses, to name a few. During the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen, who was one of the most-respected physicians of that era, wrote about the highly effective healing powers of Ganoderma in his book entitled Compendium of Materia Medica. This book, which was written in 1578, is regarded as one of the most comprehensive medical books of traditional Chinese Medicine. In the classic Chinese fairy tale entitled The White Snake, Ganoderma was even immortalized as the ultimate healing substance and spiritual herb of China. In the story, a mythical heroine steals a magical Reishi plant from the gods to save the life of her human lover. To this day, Ganoderma is still a National Treasure in China and it has only been approximately 30 years that China began allowing it to be exported from the country. The country remains very protective of it because of its ability to do some amazing things for ones health. Its adaptogen qualities make it an herb that can help almost every person in one way or another. Organo Gold's mission is to improve the health and balance in people's lives by sharing the knowledge of a healthy alternative to regular coffee.