Does Ganoderma Coffee Really Work? Here’s the Truth

Ganoderma coffee, made from the reishi mushroom, offers a potential boost to your immune system and energy levels, but be mindful of possible side effects and medication interactions. Always consult with your pharmacist or healthcare provider before adding Ganoderma lucidum to your regimen.

What Can Ganoderma Lucidum Do for Your Health?

People might use G. lucidum for various reasons, like lowering cholesterol levels, though it doesn’t seem effective for this. Some studies explore other potential uses for G. lucidum.

Diabetes

Insulin resistance occurs when your body doesn’t respond well to insulin, the hormone that helps muscles and fat absorb sugar for energy. Lowering this resistance usually means improving your body’s response to insulin.

In a small clinical trial, study participants taking 1.44 grams (g) of G. lucidum daily might have lower insulin resistance when compared to a placebo (a substance with no medication).

The small study suggested a potential benefit, but a systematic review found no support for using G. lucidum in type 2 diabetes. G. lucidum doesn’t seem to affect heart-related risk factors linked to type 2 diabetes, like high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) may include the following:

• Dribbling after urination (peeing)
• Frequent need to urinate
• Partly full bladder sensation after urination
• Nighttime need to urinate
• Straining to urinate
• Urgent need to urinate
• Weak urine stream

LUTS can affect people of any birth-assigned gender and may be common with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate condition affecting many older males.

And according to a couple of small clinical trials, results suggest that G. lucidum might provide some LUTS relief in people assigned male at birth. But these small studies were from 2008. For these reasons, more recent research with larger, well-designed studies is still necessary.

Cancer

A systematic review advises against using G. lucidum as a primary cancer treatment. However, it might complement your regular cancer therapy.

As an add-on, G. lucidum might enhance tumor response to standard cancer treatments and support your immune system. However, side effects can occur, and it is unclear if it extends life.

Discuss your preferences with your healthcare provider. They can help weigh the benefits and risks of adding G. lucidum to your regular treatment.

High-quality studies focusing on long-term survival are still needed to better evaluate G. lucidum‘s effects and safety in people with cancer.

What Are the Side Effects?

Like many medications and natural products, side effects are possible with G. lucidum.

Common Side Effects

G. lucidum is generally well-tolerated. But some possible common side effects may include:

You may also notice the following side effects from the caffeine in Ganoderma coffee:

• Acid reflux
• Frequent need to urinate
• High blood pressure

Severe Side Effects

A severe allergic reaction is a serious side effect possible with any medication. If you’re having a severe allergic reaction to G. lucidum or caffeine, symptoms may include breathing difficulties, itchiness, and rash.

Other potential severe side effects with G. lucidum may also include:

• Abnormal white blood cell count: A possible side effect of G. lucidum is an abnormal white blood cell (WBC) count—specifically leukocytes. Leukocytopenia (low amounts of leukocytes) may increase your risk of infections. Be on the lookout for symptoms of an infection.
• Liver problems: Liver problems might be possible with G. lucidum. If you’re having liver problems, symptoms may include dark-colored urine and yellowing of the eyes.

Precautions

Your healthcare provider may advise against using G. lucidum if any of the following apply to you:

• Severe allergic reaction: If you have a severe allergic reaction to G. lucidum, caffeine, or any of its components (ingredients), you shouldn’t take Ganoderma coffee.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding: There’s limited information on G. lucidum during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Caffeine may pass on to the unborn fetus and your nursing baby. Reach out to your healthcare provider to discuss the benefits and risks of Ganoderma coffee while pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Children: Many of G. lucidum’s product labels likely target adults—not children. And children might be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine. If you are considering Ganoderma coffee for your child, have a conversation with your child’s healthcare provider first.
• Adults over 65: Older adults participated in some G. lucidum-related clinical trials, such as for an enlarged prostate. But to better assess the effects and safety of Ganoderma coffee in older adults, more recent, larger, and well-designed studies are needed. Some older adults may be more sensitive to side effects from medications. For this reason, take G. lucidum with caution.
• Liver problems: Liver problems might be possible with G. lucidum. For this reason, your healthcare provider may recommend against G. lucidum if you have a liver condition.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Caffeine may cause acid reflux, which might worsen your GERD symptoms. For this reason, your healthcare provider may recommend limiting caffeine consumption.

Dosage: How Much Ganoderma Lucidum Should I Take?

In general, the typical daily dose for adults ranges between 1,400 and 5,400 milligrams (mg). This is usually divided up throughout the day into multiple doses, though G. lucidum has different dosage forms. What’s more, larger and well-designed clinical trials are still needed. For this reason, there are no guidelines on the appropriate dosage to take G. lucidum for any condition.

Follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations or label instructions for G. lucidum.

What Happens if I Take Too Much Ganoderma Lucidum?

In a systematic review, G. lucidum wasn’t linked to major toxicities. But you may experience nausea and sleeping problems from taking too much G. lucidum.

Too much caffeine may also result in withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop taking caffeine. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms may include:

• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Problems with focus (concentration)

Caffeine overdoses are also possible. Symptoms may include:

If you think you’re experiencing an overdose or life-threatening symptoms, get medical help immediately.

Interactions

Use caution when taking G. lucidum with the following:

• Blood pressure medications: G. lucidum may lower your blood pressure. This may have additive effects with your antihypertensive medications, such as Microzide (hydrochlorothiazide). Symptoms of excessively low blood pressure may include lightheadedness and fainting spells.
• Blood thinners: G. lucidum may thin out your blood. This may worsen the bleeding and bruising side effects of blood thinners, such as warfarin.
• Diabetes medications: G. lucidum may lower your blood sugar. For this reason, this herb may have additive effects with your diabetes medications, such as insulin. Symptoms of low blood sugar may include sweating, tremors, and excessive tiredness.

Use caution when taking caffeine with the following:

• Asthma medications: Caffeine has a similar structure to a medication called Theo-24 (theophylline). While theophylline isn’t commonly used anymore, it’s an asthma medication. Similar to theophylline, caffeine may relieve asthma symptoms. As a result, caffeine may affect how other asthma medications work and raise the risk of side effects.
• Heart-related medications: Caffeine may affect your heart rate and blood pressure. For this reason, it may interact with your heart-related medicines.
• Stimulants: Caffeine may keep you awake like stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This might raise the risk of side effects, such as increased heart rate.

It is essential to carefully read a supplement’s ingredient list and nutrition facts panel to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient are included. Please review this supplement label with your healthcare provider to discuss potential interactions with foods, other supplements, and medications. 

How to Store Ganoderma Lucidum

Since storage instructions may vary for different natural products, carefully read the directions and packaging label on the container. But in general, keep your medications tightly closed and out of the reach of children and pets, ideally locked in a cabinet or closet. Try to store your medicines in a cool and dry place.

Discard after one year or as indicated on the packaging. Avoid putting unused and expired drugs down the drain or in the toilet. Visit the FDA’s website to know where and how to discard all unused and expired medications. You can also find disposal boxes in your area.

Ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider if you have any questions about the best ways to dispose of your medications or supplements.

Similar Supplements

Ganoderma is a genus (group) of over 300 different species of fungi that grow on live trees. There are three species that you may typically see in traditional Asian medicine:

• Ganoderma lucidum
• Ganoderma sinense
• Ganoderma lingzhi

Together, these three species are known as Ling Zhi in traditional Chinese medicine. In Japan, they are collectively known as Reishi.

There is also a European species called G. lucidum, which isn’t the same as the East Asian species of this name. For this reason, the new name for the east Asian version of G. lucidum is Ganoderma sichuanense.

But there are so many Ganoderma species. In addition, numerous research publications use the G. lucidum name. For this reason, it’s hard to tell the difference between these species, especially regarding effects and safety.

Sources of Ganoderma Lucidum & What to Look For

Food Sources of Ganoderma lucidum

G. lucidum is naturally available as fungi that grow on live trees. You may also see this mushroom used for tea or coffee.

Dietary changes may interact with your medications or affect your medical conditions. For this reason, talk with your healthcare provider first. They will help you safely make any dietary changes.

Ganoderma Lucidum Supplements

G. lucidum is available in various forms, including capsules and tablets, and possibly liquid and powder dosage forms. G. lucidum may also have vegetarian options.

The specific product you choose will depend on your preference and what you hope to get in terms of effects. Each product may work a bit differently, depending on the form, so follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations or label directions.