Reishi has been used ethnomedically as an anti-aging agent and tonic for thousands of years. A number of highly complex mechanisms are responsible for the aging process, many of which are still unclear, but the involvement of oxidative stress is considered relatively certain. Oxidative damage and a decline in cognitive performance are among the symptoms of aging. The bioactive components in Ganoderma lucidum that mediate the anti-aging effect are mainly polysaccharides, triterpenes, peptides and polysaccharide peptides, with the polysaccharides, with their antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects, probably being the main players.