Medicinal mushrooms are some of the strongest “medicine” out there. Yet unlike drugs, many of them have a dual-direction activity that can boost or decrease your immune system as needed; an all-natural immunomodulator. In addition, there are many other benefits besides helping immunity and cancer.
A few years back at the Longevity Conference the keynote speaker was Paul Stamets. Paul is the world’s foremost mycological expert. From the stage he spoke of the benefits of mushrooms, not just in how they can help us individually, but also to help heal the world.
Paul Stamets holding the rare Agarikon mushroom.
He also wore a cap made from Fomes fomentarius, also known as the Ice Man Fungus, which can be pounded down into a felt-like material. How cool is that? I would wear one!
Stamets told a personal story about his mother who had gone through cancer. This was only a few months after I and my brothers lost our mother to breast cancer. The difference was that Paul Stamets knew the power of the mushrooms.
Several of them are well-research for their cancer-fighting properties. One of them he talked about is Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor and how he gave this and other mushrooms in high doses to his mother. The difference was that she survived cancer!
I shed a tear or two during his speech. Although it was too late for my own mother, at least I would have this knowledge to help others for the rest of my life.
If I was diagnosed with cancer the very first thing I would do is to start taking tons of medicinal mushrooms each and every day.
When I returned home from that conference I went on a hike with the purpose of finding mushrooms within the local forested area.
You often have to go off the beaten path to find what you’re looking for…
An important thing I had learned was that you MUST be very CAREFUL when it comes to mushrooms that grow on the ground. Some of these are poisonous and even deadly. And it can be tough to figure out the difference.
But when it comes to mushrooms grown on trees its much simpler. First of all, the majority of medicinal mushrooms are those found growing on living or dead trees.
There are some medicinal mushrooms found growing on the ground like Agaricus blazei, but that is the exception, not the rule.
Secondly, there is only one poisonous tree mushroom, the Jack o’ Lantern. This one is easy to spot because it glows in the dark!
The only poisonous tree mushroom, the Jack o’ Lantern
Thus, mushroom hunting can be done safely if you know this little bit of knowledge. Still it is best to do additional research from the real experts like Paul Stamets to be extra safe.
On my first trip mushroom hunting, I located about 7 or 8 different varieties. I searched online but couldn’t identify any of them…except one.
What was growing just a couple of miles from where I lived? Turkey Tail!
Turkey Tail is on the right. A couple unidentified tree mushrooms on the left.
Just recently, I went hunting mushrooms again looking specifically for this one again. The picture above shows what I found on this trip.
An interesting thing to note is that the brown mushroom on the left had just released its spores as it and the surrounding area where I had found it where covered in a brown chalky substance.
I threw these mushrooms into a tea which I drank the following couple of days.
My mushroom tea brewing on the stove that night.
I also created a tincture which is still sitting in my closet which I will have for later.
Now I realize that not everyone can nor will go mushroom hunting. But you don’t have to to get the benefits of these amazing herbs like reishi.
If you enjoyed this article please like it and leave a comment below and we’ll have more information about Agarikon mushrooms, Paul Stamets and cancer in the future.
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Lost Empire Herbs
Making tincture for agarikon. Have found some.
Audubon Field guide to Mushrooms is an EXCELLENT guide, but does NOT differentiate medicinal qualities only edible or not….still great for identification
i got lot of knowledge from your comments. thanks. i have some medicinal mushrooms with me which i collected in the jungle of kerala, india. the name of the mushroom is pilat which normally found in the branches of jack fruit tree having an age more than 100 years. can you please tell me about this mushroom and the importance and usage of the same. thanks and regards.
zakeer hussain.
Not familiar with that mushroom. I’ll have to do some research and see what I can dig up…
Are there any good books that you would recommend for beginners on foraging for medicinal mushrooms?
Good question. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of what’s out there on this subject. Though starting with some of Paul Stamets’s books wouldn’t be a bad place to start even if they’re not about foraging specifically.
Don’t forget about Cordyceps, Lions’ Mane, Slippery Jack, St. Georges Mushroom, White Fungus, Fu Ling, Split-GILL, Green Russula, Birch ConK, several additional conKs and polypores, Bladder Cup, Hen of the Woods, Hedgehog Fungus, Weeping Milky Cap, Shitake, Blewit, Fried Chicken Mushroom and Beech Rooter. Those mushrooms also inhibit tumors in addition to the various Turkey Tail species.
I didn’t want to turn this article into a big list of mushrooms, but thanks for adding it in for me. :)