As a parent of three kids in elementary school, I was catching every single virus they brought home. September through March was a continuous cycle of sore throats, colds, and sinus infections. My doctor suggested it was just the reality of having young kids in school, which was probably true, but I wanted to try something.
I started taking a dual-extract Reishi capsule (standardized to 30% polysaccharides and 2% triterpenes) — 1000mg with breakfast and 1000mg with dinner. This was October.
The first month, I still caught a cold from my youngest. Business as usual. But the cold resolved in 4 days instead of the usual 7-10. Could be coincidence.
November through January — this is normally my personal plague season. I caught one mild cold in December that lasted 3 days. My kids had multiple rounds of illness during this period that I simply did not catch. My spouse, who was not taking anything, caught all of them.
Is this scientific proof? Obviously not. Could be coincidence, could be that my immune system was going to have a good year anyway. But I have now been through two full cold seasons on Reishi and the pattern has held. I catch roughly half the illnesses I used to, and they resolve faster.
The other thing I noticed: my seasonal allergies in spring have been milder. I still sneeze, my eyes still itch, but the severity is maybe 30-40% lower than it was before Reishi. I have read that Reishi has anti-histaminic properties, so this tracks.
No side effects to speak of. Slight digestive adjustment in the first week. Cost is real — I spend about $40/month on quality capsules, which adds up over a year. Whether the immune benefits justify the cost is a personal calculation, but for me, fewer sick days and less misery has been worth it.