Ganoderma Lucidum Polysaccharide Accelerates Recovery of Brain Injury
Can Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharide be eaten when the brain is traumatized by external forces?
According to a study published in Korean Journal of Neurotrauma by Dicle University in Turkey, the answer seems to be yes, because Ganoderma lucidum seems to have the potential to accelerate the recovery of brain trauma.
Researchers induced brain injury in rats by “falling from a high place”. Half of them (16 rats) were untreated (brain injury group). The other half were given water extract of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body rich in polysaccharides (brain injury + Ganoderma lucidum group) by gastric tube 30 minutes after injury. The daily dose was 20 mL/kg (the polysaccharide content was 2 mg/mL). Continue for 7 days.
Ganoderma Lucidum Polysaccharide Accelerates Recovery of Brain Injury
In addition to inflammation, the brain with traumatic hemorrhage is vulnerable to oxidative damage (increased oxidative stress) due to the increase of free radicals and the decrease of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, brain edema accompanied by hemorrhage will squeeze into brain tissue, which will aggravate brain injury; impaired blood-brain barrier (the natural barrier between blood vessels and brain, which can block foreign substances from entering the brain from blood) will cause more white blood cells to infiltrate the brain or cause brain infection, making the inflammatory reaction more intense.
All of these conditions mentioned above are not conducive to the recovery of brain tissue from trauma. However, animal experiments from Turkey show that:
Compared with untreated “brain injury group”, brain tissue in “brain injury + Ganoderma lucidum group” was less damaged by free radicals, more free radical-neutralizing glutathione peroxidase (GSH), less inflammatory reaction of white blood cells, less severe brain edema and nearly normal permeability of blood-brain barrier.
In addition, slices of cortical tissue also show that Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides can improve vasodilation and edema, repair nerve cells, and accelerate the recovery of the injured brain (as shown below).
Ganoderma Lucidum Polysaccharide Accelerates Recovery of Brain Injury2
Cerebral cortex refers to the connective cortical structure enclosed in the outer layer of the brain with many folds, which is responsible for higher levels of emotion and thinking ability. Therefore, the recovery of this area is of great significance to the recovery of brain function in patients with brain injury.
According to the above experimental data, the water extract of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting body can accelerate the recovery of brain injury by reducing oxidative stress and alleviating inflammatory reaction. Therefore, the researchers believe that it would be helpful to use appropriate doses of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide as adjuvant therapy in time after brain trauma.
Reference: Özevren H, et al. Ganodermalucidum protects rat brain tissue against trauma-induced oxidative stress. Korean J Neurotrauma. 2017;13(2):76-84.
