Is Reishi Safe for Toddlers?

Children's health is one of the main concerns of any parent, and as the school season approaches, many parents are beginning to wonder what they can do to support their child's immune system. A reinforced immune system can avoid many discomforts and prevent diseases by strengthening immunity. One way to achieve this is through mycotherapy. 

Many parents may not be entirely sure whether to include mycotherapy as a preventive treatment for their children since, at the end of the day, you are introducing foreign agents to their system. 

Mycotherapy demonstrates possible benefits like anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects and can even be the perfect barrier to defending against seasonal ailments. Fortunately, controlled and well-balanced mycotherapy is safe for children, and reishi is one of several mushrooms you can include as part of this treatment. 

If you are looking to understand a little better how safe reishi is for toddlers, the specific benefits it could bring, and how exactly to include it in their routines, you are in the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about reishi, medicinal mushrooms, and how they could positively affect your life.

What Is Reishi Mushroom?

Reishi, also called lingzhi or Ganoderma lucidum, is a fungus with potential beneficial properties used in some Eastern cultures' medicinal practices for more than two thousand years. According to a preliminary study, reishi’s polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and peptides may play an essential role in reishi's beneficial properties. This mushroom also contains dietary fiber, vitamins, amino acids, and various minerals. 

Despite the widespread traditional use of reishi in different ancient cultures, western science still lacks studies that fully prove the potential benefits that this fungus could bring to health. 

Most of the existing studies regarding reishi have been conducted on animals or in laboratories. To date, human studies have not shown the same results, suggesting that this fungus may not be as beneficial to humans as once believed. 

Regardless of this, many people and reports of reishi users support using this fungus due to the possible benefits that it brings to them. People commonly grind reishi into powder or use reishi extracts to make supplements and other products.

Benefits of Medical Mushrooms in Toddlers

Reishi mushrooms are world-renowned for their potential properties to boost the immune system and help fight cancer. Reishi also showed to help reduce stress, improve sleep, and mitigate fatigue. 

Users of this fungus also use it to deal with conditions such as:

• High blood pressure.
• Cardiovascular diseases.
• High cholesterol.
• Kidneys and liver disease.
• Viral infections.
• Treating pain during herpes zoster outbreaks.
• Respiratory diseases such as asthma.
• HIV / AIDS.
• To build strength and stamina.
• As support during chemotherapy.

There is not enough evidence to support these beliefs, but preliminary studies are promising. Research regarding potential reishi benefits is still ongoing.

In fact, some laboratory test tube studies suggest that reishi may be effective in fighting cancer and shrinking tumors. There is also evidence from animal and in vitro studies to indicate that reishi might boost the immune system. Still, more specific studies in humans are needed before scientists can come to a proper conclusion on this matter.

If you want to try reishi as a complementary method to strengthen the immune system of your young children, first of all, you should consult your doctor. You should also keep in mind that the effects of reishi may vary somewhat depending on age, the condition you wish to treat, general health, and the form of reishi you are administering. 

The dose is also significant since too much reishi could cause unwanted side effects that could bother your little one. That said, the correct dosage and form of reishi mushroom could provide your toddler with the following medical benefits. 

Energy

Some user reports indicate that reishi mushrooms may help reduce the severity of chronic fatigue. This may be due to the mushroom's potential to boost the immune system and mitigate free radical damage. Reishi may help the body regulate testosterone levels, promoting optimal energy levels.

Anxiety & Hyperactivity

According to traditional Chinese medicine, one of the most prominent properties of reishi is its ability to reduce anxiety and stress. Reishi also has potential benefits for dealing with depression. The polysaccharides and triterpenoids that reishi contains may have a lot to do with its stress-lowering qualities. A 2015 study published in Nature suggests that reishi may be a promising prebiotic, helping to feed and sustain the good microbes in the gut flora, which play an essential role in regulating people's immune system and digestive health with behavior disorders such as ADHD.

Respiratory Tract

One of the most remarkable properties of reishi is the potential capacity of this fungus to strengthen the functions and structure of the respiratory tract. It can help your child deal with respiratory conditions like asthma.

Intolerances

Using reishi for very long periods, usually more than three to six months, could cause allergic reactions such as dryness in the throat, mouth, and nasal passages. Other symptoms of excessive reishi mushroom use may include dizziness, itching, rashes, stomach discomfort, headaches, nosebleeds, and bloody stools.

It is important to note that it may be riskier to take reishi if you usually suffer from low blood pressure, take therapy to raise your blood pressure, or take medication for diabetes. It is also a risk factor to have disorders of the immune system. Bleeding due to administrating very high doses of reishi may more likely occur in people with a low platelet count.

Pregnant or lactating women should also avoid taking reishi as there are not enough studies to confirm the safety of consuming this fungus in such circumstances.

Reishi mushrooms can interact with other medications such as anticoagulants, blood pressure medications, and other herbs or supplements such as Ginkgo and fish oil. 
It’s best to consult your doctor before starting to use reishi to evaluate possible risks and interactions with other medications you or one of your children may be taking.

Mushroom Supplements for Kids

Some mushrooms have medicinal properties that undoubtedly make them a gift from nature to improve our health. Almost every person can take mushroom supplements depending on their condition, and children are no exception. 

In fact, there are many mushroom supplements for children, and here we bring you some quite beneficial for you to choose according to the needs of your children.

When giving your children medicinal mushroom supplements to boost the immune system, it's important to remember to use a rule often referred to as the 5/2 rule. This rule is to use the supplement for five days and take a two-day break. 

In this way, the effect of medicinal mushrooms on the body and the immune system will be significantly more effective.

It is also advisable to increase the intake of vitamin C, regardless of the source from which it comes. Usually, increasing fruit and vegetable intake can help with this.

Here are a few recommended mushroom supplements for children.

MycoBaby Dragon Syrup

This supplement is special for those children who are still very young or who simply cannot take pills yet. It has a Dutch cocoa flavor that your children will love. 
This supplement is specially designed to improve your children's immune system with its combination of reishi, cordyceps, acerola, and echinacea. 
Follow the instructions on the package to administer the correct dose of Dragon syrup to your little ones.

MycoComplex

That supplement comes in capsule form. It can be ideal for older children and adults and contains reishi, cordyceps, and acerola but has an additional load of shitake and Agaricus. 

Shitake is quite popular in cooking due to its delicious flavor. In addition to being tasty, shitake also strengthens the immune system, improves digestion, and can help fight some viruses and bacteria. Agaricus is one of the most effective mushrooms to strengthen the immune system and can also have positive effects in treating eczema and other skin conditions. 

You can administer two capsules of this supplement for school-age children in the morning and the afternoon. For preschool children, a single tablet twice a day is sufficient.

Beta-glucan BIOcell

BIOcell brand’s pure beta-glucan comes from food yeast and works as a medicinal supplement for fungi. A beta-glucan capsule in conjunction with your usual mushroom supplement intake can boost your supplement's ability to benefit your immune system.

If dealing with acute conditions, you can take beta-glucan separately using higher doses instead of medicinal mushrooms like Dragon Syrup or Myco Complex. The effects of beta-glucan can help children get rid of their ailments after starting to use it.

MycoClean

MycoClean contains a high proportion of tear extract that significantly improves the spleen and helps remove pathological dampness and other impurities from the body. This product can be beneficial for children who are usually congested, cough a lot, or have a runny nose, also for those children with soft stools or who suffer from flatulence.

MycoClean detoxifies the body, and you can use it simply by adding half a teaspoon to meals such as porridge or other soft foods. For slightly older children, one to two teaspoons is enough.