Rediscovering Medicinal Mushrooms
I have been interested in medicinal herbs for ten years, but
only recently have become interested in the fungi kingdom, and all of the
amazing health benefits that many of the mushrooms included in this group, have
to offer. Awareness of this treasure trove of information started trinkling
into my consciousness as more and more herbalists began mentioning the health
benefits of one mushroom, or another, and began including them on their
immune-booster lists. These inventories of known plants, which help build the
immune system, either by playing a preventative role, or a curative one, were
now more often including mushrooms. As a result, little, by little, I became
more interested in them, and began doing my own research; what I have found has
been very exciting.
It is well documented that mushrooms have been used for
nutritional, medicinal and ritualistic purposes, all over the world, for
thousands of years. A cave painting exists in Algeria depicting a shaman
dancing amongst mushrooms, which dates back 7,000 years. The Greeks and the
Romans treasured the benefits of mushrooms, and several documents on the
subject exist from the first century AD, and earlier. The earliest known
document on the health benefits of mushrooms comes from India, written in 3,000
B.C.
China, too, has long treasured mushrooms, and records exist
of their use, that go back 7,000 years. This is especially true because
mushrooms have been a central focus in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for
thousands of years.
Paul Stamets, D.Sc, owner, developer, and leading visionary
of the Host Defense Company, has been a dedicated mycologist for over 30 years.
He has discovered and co-authored 4 new species of mushrooms and pioneered
countless techniques in the field of edible and functional mushroom
cultivation. He is the winner of many awards, including Utne Magazine’s naming
him one of the “Fifty Visionaries Who Are Changing the World.”
Paul works in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and sees
them as a resource of incalculable value. His vision is to preserve and protect
these incredibly diverse and rich old-growth forests, especially in regard to the
fungal genome. His dream, and life goal, is to preserve and protect as many of
these ancestral strains of mushrooms as possible.
Largely thanks to him, we have seen medicinal mushrooms
become readily available on the alternative medicine market. The interest in
these medicinal mushrooms has been largely sparked by research that has been
carried out in Russia, Europe, China, Japan and the U.S and Canada. Here are
some highlights of just a few of these mushrooms:
Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)
One of these multiyear studies, carried out on the Turkey
Tail mushroom (Trametes versicolor) in the United States, by National
Institute of Health, was very promising. It showed that turkey tail was very
effective in boosting the immune systems of breast cancer patients who had
ended their radiation therapy treatments. It was found that the natural killer cell
activity and lymphocytes (natural immunity boosters which dramatically decline
during radiation therapy) are significantly increased in these patients,
thereby helping them to gain strength as their new proliferation of killer
cells attack remaining cancer cells. In addition, turkey tail has been widely studied in China
and Japan for its immune – stimulating properties (more than 400 studies
published in Japan show the benefits to the immune system.)
Further
research has shown it to be anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant,
antiviral, and an anti-cancer agent.
Chaga (Inonotus ibliquus)
Chaga
mushrooms are one of the highest food antioxidants on the planet. Antioxidants
are substances that stabilize free radicals (maurading unpaired electrons, which are known to damage
cells, protein, and DNA, and have been associated with cancer.) A substance’s
ability to stabilize these reactive atoms (thereby rendering them harmless) are
measured by ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbent Capacity) units. There are many
foods which are natural antioxidants; blueberries, for instance have long been
recognized as a great antioxidant food, have an average rating of about of 24.5
ORAC units per gram. Almost unbelievably, chaga has a rating of 1104 ORAC units
per gram! Chaga’s high rates of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) the body’s most
powerful natural antioxidant, is responsible for this extremely high rating,
and it also plays a critical role in reducing internal inflammation.
In
addition, extensive research in Russia, China and Japan, as well as the United
States, has long associated the mushroom with anti-cancer activity; this is due
to a number of properties of the mushroom: some boost the immune system, while
other properties destroy cancer cells, and still others, prevent cancer cells
from replicating.
The
mushroom is also nutrient dense with significant amounts of vitamins, minerals,
and amino acids. In addition, it is purported to be: anti-tumor, anti-cancer,
immune stimulating, and anti-viral.
To
use as a tea, take 3 tbl of chaga mushroom powder and add to 16 cups of water.
Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then, allow the tea to come to room temperature.
For extra medicinal value, you may repeat the entire process; then bottle and
refrigerate; drink hot or cold.
Immune
enhancing
Anti
viral
Cholesterol
reducing
Anti-fatigue
Stimulates
macrophage, killer cells, and T-cell production in host (natural killer cells
Non-B and non-T lymphocytes that bind to diseased cells
Relief
from bronchitis, asthma and allergies (enhances respiration – helps oxygen-absorbing
capacity of alveoli)
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)
*Increase
stamina and circulation
*
Helps to alleviate arthritis, high blood cholesterol, helpful in the treatment
of diabetes
*Immune
stimulant
*Activates
killer cells to fight cancer
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
*
Brain food that increases intellect and nourishes the nervous system (Paul
Stamets)
*
Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for digestion and curing gastric
ulcers
*Anti-cancer
*Immune
stimulation
*Nerve
growth regeneration
*
Anti-Microbial
*Stimulates
neurons to re-grow (possible treatment for senility and Alzheimer’s disease)
*
Promotes growth of Natural Killer (NK) cells
Immunity Soup
Makes
12 cups - 6 servings
1
½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
2
large onions, thinly sliced
3
garlic cloves, mashed
1
tbl minced fresh ginger
4
oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2
large carrots, thinly sliced on the bias
2-½
pieces astragalus root (about 15 inches total)
10
cups mushroom stock
2-tbl
tamari
Salt
to taste (optional)
2
cups broccoli florets
½
cup chopped scallions
In
a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and
ginger and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the shiitakes, carrots,
astragalus root, and mushroom stock. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and
simmer for 45 minutes.
Add
the tamari and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed. Add the broccoli
florets and cook until tender, about 2 minutes
Remove
the astragalus root pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with
scallions before serving.
Borrowed
from True Food, by Andrew Weil, M.D.
One caution: be sure you are aware of the source
of your mushrooms; it is essential that they are organic, and that you know they
come from a reliable source. Not all suppliers are reputable, either the
quality of the mushroom is poor, or, they have not used sustainable practices
in harvesting. Also, if mushrooms are
imported, be sure that country’s health and handling standards are of the
highest quality.
