In the
Orient, there are traditionally three types of herbs — Superior, General, and
Inferior herbs.
The Superior herbs are
health-promoting substances that have been found through centuries of use to
improve overall health and resistance, increase energy and lead to a long life.
The General herbs are used to prevent
specific diseases, or they can be used to provide the first course of action in
case of an illness.
The Inferior herbs are specifically
medicinal in nature and are used only in case of an illness.
These
three levels were first described in the original classic of The Divine
Farmer’s Classic of Herbalism, attributed to the legendary herbalist Shen Nong
more than 2000 years ago.
The
following section from that classic explains the three levels of herbalism
practiced in the Orient since that time.
The Superior Type (food grade) of herbs are the rulers. They
control the maintenance of life and correspond to Heaven. These herbs are not
medicines, so the taking of these herbs in larger amounts or over a long period
of time is not harmful. If you wish to take the material weight from the body,
to supplement the energies and nutrients circulating in the body, and to
prolong the years of life without aging, you should base your efforts on the herb
foods of the Superior Type.
The General Type of herbs are the ministers. They control the
preservation of the human nature and correspond to Man. One part of them
possesses medicinal effectiveness, another part possesses preventive
effectiveness. For every application, the choice of the suitable herbs should
be considered carefully. If one wishes to prevent illnesses and to balance
depletions and consumption, one should base his or her efforts on herbs in the
General Type.
The Inferior Type (medicinal) of herbs are the assistants. They
control the curing of illnesses and correspond to Earth. They possess a
markedly medicinal effectiveness and must not be taken over a long period of
time since side effects will likely result. If you wish to remove cold, heat,
and other evil influences from the body, to break up stagnation of any sort,
and to cure illnesses, you should base your efforts on the herbs in the
Inferior Type.
Of the
several thousand of herbs used in the Chinese herbal system, there is an elite
group of few herbs known as the superior
herbs, also called food grade herbs. Food grade herbs are not considered to be medicinal, nor are
they used to treat specific disease or disorders. Food grade herbs are used to
promote overall well-being, to enhance the body’s energy and to regulate the
bodily and psychic functioning so as to create what the Chinese call balance. Food grade herbs provide an
adaptive energy in abundance and are thus a primary source of true human
empowerment and Ganoderma falls under this category.
In China, for over 2,000 years,
the mushroom known as Ganoderma has been called “God’s Herb”. Also recognized
by its Chinese name, Ling Zhi, Ganoderma’s reputation for being effective in
treating a wide range of ailments moved Chinese Emperors throughout the various
Dynasties to order servants to search for wild Ganoderma mushrooms found atop
distant mountains, believing that the consumption of Ganoderma would grant them
eternal youth and enhanced health.
Because of the mushroom’s remote habitat and the scarcity of
high-quality specimens, the use of Ganoderma for medicinal purposes was
reserved primarily for royalty and wealthy individuals. It was not until the
late 20th century, that this once-rare plant, through diligent cultivation by
the Japanese, was it made widely available to the general public.
Over the ages, Ganoderma has
become ingrained in Oriental art and culture because of its prestigious status
in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Since the first Chinese dynasty,
paintings, embroideries, buildings, and sculptures of the gods and immortals
have depicted Ganoderma as a symbol of divinity, longevity and good fortune.
Depictions of Ganoderma are displayed throughout the Forbidden City and the
Summer Palace in Beijing as a testimony to its value, and the mushroom’s
distinctive shape was a favorite ornamental design feature used by royalty and
the wealthy. Even the traditional scepter of the emperors of China was a
stylized Ganoderma, called a "Ru Yi".
Ganoderma was further
immortalized as the ultimate healing substance and spiritual herb of China in
the classic Chinese fairy tale, "The White Snake", wherein a mystical
heroine stole a magical Ganoderma plant from the gods to save the life of her
human lover. The celestial battle for the Ganoderma rivaled the battles
portrayed in Homer's Iliad and is a story known by virtually every Chinese
person.
Why does Ganoderma, a traditional
Chinese herbal medicine dating back 2000 years still remain in the spotlight in
this biotechnological era ? What makes it still on of the health products
highly in demand ? Why does it remain as the research target of industries,
governments and academe over the past 30 years ? It must be the unique characteristics of Ganoderma that make
it so outstanding amid the multidudinous biomedical products and supports its
prominent status. In fact, the
foundation of pharmacological studies and its application value accumulated
over the past 30 years have made Ganoderma, a medicinal fungus, the ultimate
herbal medicine.
This blog is setup to provide a
bigger perspective on Ganoderma.
It concentrates on explicitly expounding the efficacy of Ganoderma from
a professional academic perspective.
I sincerely hope this blog will benefit those who are interested in
Ganoderma and those who are currently taking
it.
