A Scoping Review on the Safety of Yeongji (<italic>Ganoderma lucidum</italic>)

Abstract

Purpose: A scoping review was conducted to assess the toxicity and safety of &lt;i&gt;Ganoderma lucidum&lt;/i&gt;.Methods: A literature search was conducted in several medical databases (EMBASE, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScieneON, and RISS) to identify studies related to &lt;i&gt;G. lucidum&lt;/i&gt;. We extracted clinical manifestations of adverse events described in the included studies and analyzed whether the incidence of each adverse event was higher in the &lt;i&gt;G. lucidum&lt;/i&gt; group compared to the placebo group.Results: An initial search yielded 1,409 studies, of which 31 studies met the criteria and included in the final analysis (7 randomized controlled trials, 5 nonrandomized studies, and 19 case reports). Several gastrointestinal, respiratory, neurological, and dermatological manifestations were reported as adverse events in the included literature. However, no serious adverse events with a causal relationship to &lt;i&gt;G. lucidum&lt;/i&gt; were reported in studies other than case reports, and no statistically significant differences in the incidence of any adverse events were observed between the &lt;i&gt;G. lucidum&lt;/i&gt; group and the placebo group (p&gt;0.05).Conclusion: Our findings do not seem to support the claim that &lt;i&gt;G. lucidum&lt;/i&gt; poses a safety risk when consumed as food or as an ingredient in food. However, given the existence of some adverse events where a causal link to &lt;i&gt;G. lucidum&lt;/i&gt; cannot be entirely ruled out, further research and ongoing monitoring are still warranted.