The reishi mushroom , (Latin Name: Ganoderma lucidum )or the ling zhi, as it is known in China, Reishi, as it is known in Japan, is a very potent and sacred mushroom. The ling zhi was revered by the ancient taoists as the King of Medicines, with incredibly powerful and spiritual properties. Ling zhi actually translates to "spiritual vegetable meat" and has been treasured more than gold. An elixir of life is said to be made from the Reishi due to its power of vivifying the entire system. The reishi mushroom's immune modulating properties are due mainly to the polysaccharides (a group of sugar-bound molecules) found in the mushroom that also increase RNA and DNA in the bone marrow where lymphocytes and other immune cells are made. RNA (ribonucleic acid) works by disrupting viral conditions by inducing interferon production. It does not work against cells already infected but against the virus invading the cell.