WHEN SYNTHETIC MEDICINE’S CURE IS WORSE THAN THE DISEASE

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Sometimes some drugs can cause more trouble than the disease they’re meant to heal. This is often said about prednisone, the corticosteroid used to treat a variety of inflammatory ailments

-arthritis, asthma, colitis and some cancers- and to prevent rejection of transplanted organs. Its nasty side effects-from a swollen “moon face” to increased infections-are legendary. But many people don’t know is that there’s a medicinal mushroom known as reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) that could, in some cases, do as good a job without wreaking havoc on the body.

YOUR BODY’S CHEMISTRY

Prednisone is a poor long-term solution because it stops inflammation by literally shutting down immune system function-and an operational immune system is not something you want to live without for too long. “We need to be able to modulate inflammation because it allows immune cells to come in and fight infections as necessary,” Hobbs says. “With prednisone, you’re impacting the body’s ability to do its job.” The drug also causes severe water retention, affects your adrenal hormones, changes your insulin balance and can trigger insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Reishi, by contrast, work slowly with your immune system, to reduce abnormal inflammation. Reishi also has an antistress effect, earning it the nickname “calming the spirit.”

If your doctor prescribes prednisone and it’s not a life-threatening situation, you might discuss trying reishi first. It is available in health-food stores in powder form, as well as capsules and tablets.

CAUTION:

Do not take immune-boosting supplements without the advice of your health-care professionals-preferably both a physician and a licensed oriental medical practitioner-if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or other autoimmune disease. Reishi should also be used with caution in individuals who have a history of bleeding or those who are on anticoagulants.

A NATURAL CURE

Reishi, known in china as an “elixir of immortality”, has been used for more than 3000 years to rev up the immune system and heal chronic inflammatory properties. One Chinese study found that of the more than 2000 people with chronic bronchitis who took reishi syrup for two weeks, 60% to 90% said they felt better.

The best part? Its side effects are as minimal as those you might have from taking a placebo. “I can guarantee that the side effects, if any, will be less than one-quarter of those you might have with prednisone-and the cost is less than one quarter that of a drug prescription, “says herbalist and botanist Christhoper Hobbs, Lac, AHG.

Hobbs, who has written many books on alternative therapies, including Herbal Remedies for Dummies, acknowledges that prednisone has its place. “For short-term life-threatening conditions, it may save your life,” Hobbs says, noting that a friend recently benefited from the drug when he experienced a flare-up of irritable bowel syndrome. “But if you have an ongoing inflammatory condition, reishii may be the best first line of treatment.”

 References:

Christhoper Hobbs, Lac, AHG, Licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and botanist, Sutter Center for Integrative Health, Davis, CA, and author, Herbal Remedies for Dummies (Wiley).

Special thanks to "More Ultimate Healing"