Ganoderma Lucidum Effects on Mood and Health-Related Quality of Life in Women with Fibromyalgia

Authors: Francesco Pazzi, José Carmelo Adsuar, Francisco Javier Domínguez-Muñoz, Miguel Angel García-Gordillo, Narcis Gusi, and Daniel Collado-Mateo

Journal: Healthcare

Study Design:

• Intervention: 6 g/day of micro-milled Ganoderma lucidum (GL) fruiting body or placebo
• Participants: 64 women with fibromyalgia
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Outcome Measures:
  • Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS)
  • Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)
  • Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)
  • Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-12 questionnaire (SF-12), version 2
  • Global Impression of Improvement Scale (GIIS)

Summary: This pilot study investigated the effects of Ganoderma lucidum (GL) on mood and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women with fibromyalgia. While the study did not find statistically significant differences between the GL and placebo groups for most outcomes, likely due to the small sample size, there were notable trends suggesting potential benefits of GL. The group taking GL showed a 17.2% increase in happiness according to the study. Participants taking GL also reported a greater perceived improvement compared to the placebo group. These promising trends suggest that GL may have a positive impact on mood and well-being in women with fibromyalgia, but further research with larger sample sizes and longer durations is needed to confirm these effects.