Mushrooms can be deep reservoirs of powerful medicines. The fact that some mushrooms can feed you, some can heal you, some can kill you, and some can send you on a spiritual journey speaks of the full spectrum of their chemical variety. The mycelium, from which they develop, can live for many hundreds of years. The largest known organism on Earth is a mycelial mat of a honey mushroom in eastern Oregon- more than 2000 years old.
“Mushrooms produce a lot of interesting chemical compounds that could be defensive, and that might be useful for fending off bacteria and other bodily invaders that make us sick. Fungi produce some of our most important drugs. Penicillin and cholesterol-lowering statins were derived from fungi” says David Hibbett, PhD., a mycologist and professor of biology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Paul Stamets mycologist and medical researcher points out that bio diversity is bio security and mycelium has its own immune system. Mushrooms are prebiotic, boosting the microbiome’s beneficial bacteria, improving digestion and overall health. Recent independent research shows that certain varieties of mushroom are also our best dietary sources for potent antioxidants, such as sulfur-rich ergothioneine and glutathione. A diet rich in antioxidants such as these is known to help the body withstand normal oxidative stress that damages healthy cells. In addition to boosting longevity, mushrooms pack a serious nutritional punch, providing a great source of vitamin D, essential for strong immune system function.
In lieu of the absence of Standard Process Epimune, I’d highly recommend Medi Herb Ganoderma Shiitake. When Epimune is back (April 22), I’d highly recommend taking them together. Here’s why:
MEDI HERB GANODERMA/SHIITAKE: Being smart about your mushroom choices!
When I first started researching this product, I wondered why it was called Ganoderma rather than the more common name, Reishi. It’s to set it apart from 75% of products that claim to be Reishi, but cannot verify their preparation with DNA sequencing like Mediherb can! Ganoderma lucidum contains more than 400 active constituents that act like miniature pharmaceutical factories that can produce hundreds of medicinally-interactive compounds. Today, Ganoderma Lucidium stands out as one the most valuable of all polypore mushrooms in nature for the benefit of our health. Known as the “Mushroom of Immortality, Ganoderma appears to possess a wider range of therapeutic properties than any other health supporting mushroom known. In a chart by Paul Stamets, Ganoderma lucidum extract is listed as therapeutic in 16 out of 17 areas of health. Wow!!
Ganoderma extract (equivalent to 81 g/day of mushroom) has proven to be significantly superior to placebo for reducing physical and mental exhaustion in a randomized, double-blind trial of patients with neurasthenia, MH Ganoderma Shiitake contains 6.6 grams per tablet.
A combination of Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake mushroom extracts may synergistically stimulate immune cells responses, says a new study from Australia. Clinical findings included improved gut immunity due to increased Sig A, reduction of C reactive protein which in turn lowered inflammation, increased interleukin 2, 4, 6 and interleukin 10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF a).
For a detailed discussion highlighting the studies being done in conjunction with Medi Herb (Integria), please refer to: Synergistic immuno-modulatory activity in human macrophages of a medicinal mushroom formulation consisting of Reishi, Shiitake and Maitake
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