herb · for stress
Reishi
An adaptogen that helps steady your cortisol response to pressure.
Say that in clinical terms
Triterpene adaptogenic activity modulates cortisol and HPA axis, reducing perceived stress.
How strong is the research?
Solid evidence
Different group studied
2 papers read, 2 supporting.
Who was studied: The cited review is entirely of cancer patients taking it alongside chemotherapy.
How much to take
daily
1000–1500 mg
Adaptogenic effects build over 4-8 weeks. Standardized to triterpenes and polysaccharides.
Before you take it
- Platelet inhibition via triterpenes — clinically significant interaction with anticoagulants (warfarin), antiplatelet agents (aspirin, clopidogrel), thrombolytics, and NSAIDs; documented in human and animal studies since 1984 (PMID 4085058, PMID 2098581)
- CYP2E1 inhibition confirmed; potential effects on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 — review all concomitant hepatically metabolized medications before co-administration
- Rare but documented hepatotoxicity with concentrated powdered extracts, including a fatal fulminant hepatitis case (PMID 17621752, 2007) and an additional case report in Journal of Hepatology (PMID 15464254, 2004); liver function monitoring is warranted with long-term or high-dose use
- No NIH Tolerable Upper Intake Level established for Reishi mushroom; controlled human safety data beyond 12 weeks is limited
- Insufficient evidence for safety in pregnancy or lactation — use should be avoided in these populations
What we make of it
The Cochrane review we cite is about reishi in cancer treatment.
The detail
The citation is a Cochrane review of reishi as an add-on to chemotherapy, looking at tumour response and quality of life in cancer patients. It says nothing about stress in healthy people and cannot support this claim.