Laboratory and animal studies have tested the effects of PSK on the immune system, including immune cells called natural killer cells and T-cells. PSK has been studied in patients with gastric cancer , breast cancer , colorectal cancer , and lung cancer.

It has been used as adjuvant therapy in thousands of cancer patients since the mids. PSK has been safely used in people for a long time in Japan and few side effects have been reported. Studies show that the use of PSK as adjuvant therapy in patients with gastric stomach cancer may help repair immune cell damage caused by chemotherapy and strengthen the immune system.

Studies of PSK as adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer include the following:. To date, PSK studies in patients with breast cancer have focused on changes in the immune system T-cell and B-cell levels in the blood rather than on clinical results patient survival, symptoms , side effects, and quality of life.

Studies of PSK as adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer include the following:. Studies of PSK as adjuvant therapy for patients with lung cancer include the following:. The U. Food and Drug Administration FDA has not approved the use of turkey tail or its active compound PSK as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition.

The FDA does not approve dietary supplements as safe or effective. The company that makes the dietary supplements is responsible for making sure that they are safe and that the claims on the label are true and do not mislead the consumer. The way that supplements are made is not regulated by the FDA, so all batches and brands of mushroom supplements may not be the same.

Reishi is a type of mushroom that grows on live trees. Scientists may call it either Ganoderma lucidum or Ganoderma sinense. In traditional Chinese medicine , this group of mushrooms is known as Ling Zhi. In Japan, they are known as Reishi. In China, G. lucidum is known as Chizhi and G.

sinense is known as Zizhi. There are many other types of Ganoderma mushrooms and it is hard to tell the medicinal mushrooms from the other types. Reishi has been used as medicine for a very long time in East Asia. It was thought to prolong life, prevent aging, and increase energy. In China, it is being used to strengthen the immune system of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Reishi is usually dried and taken as an extract in the form of a liquid, capsule , or powder. In laboratory studies , tumor cells are used to test a new substance and find out if it is likely to have any anticancer effects. Laboratory and animal studies have tested the effects of the active ingredients in reishi mushrooms, triterpenoids and polysaccharides , on tumors, including lung cancer.

Studies using products made from reishi have been done in China and Japan. Studies suggest that the use of products made from reishi as adjuvant therapy may help strengthen the immune system in patients with lung cancer. The following study looked at reishi for the prevention of colorectal cancer:.

Food and Drug Administration FDA has not approved the use of reishi as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition. The company that makes the dietary supplements is responsible for making sure they are safe and that the claims on the label are true and do not mislead the consumer.

Physician Data Query PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's NCI's comprehensive cancer information database. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine.

Most summaries come in two versions. The health professional versions have detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that is accurate and up to date and most versions are also available in Spanish.

PDQ is a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health NIH. The PDQ summaries are based on an independent review of the medical literature.

They are not policy statements of the NCI or the NIH. This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the use of medicinal mushrooms in the treatment of people with cancer. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers.

It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care. Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer.

The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary "Updated" is the date of the most recent change.

The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board.

A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients.

During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works.

If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.

Clinical trials can be found online at NCI's website. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service CIS , NCI's contact center, at CANCER PDQ is a registered trademark. The content of PDQ documents can be used freely as text. It cannot be identified as an NCI PDQ cancer information summary unless the whole summary is shown and it is updated regularly.

PDQ® Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board. PDQ Medicinal Mushrooms. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute.

If you want to use an image from a PDQ summary and you are not using the whole summary, you must get permission from the owner. It cannot be given by the National Cancer Institute. Four out of five RCTs of the Cochrane review were in Chinese and were published in Chinese journals Jin et al.

This narrative review shows possible potential of medicinal mushrooms in complementary cancer treatment. Promising anticarcinogenic effects have been documented in vitro and in vivo for several medicinal mushrooms.

However, only few clinical studies defined OS or time to disease progression as primary endpoints. Others were too short in duration as to be fitting to strengthen this hypothesis. Immunomodulating effects such as the proliferation of lymphatic cell lines, immunoglobulins and cytokines have also been documented in humans.

It is likely that medicinal mushrooms could improve quality of life during and after conventional cancer therapy. Their prebiotic effects pose a possible explanation, as do other, yet unknown effects.

A better emotional and physical status, better sleep and less fatigue, as well as fewer side effects of conventional chemotherapy such as nausea, vomiting and gastrointestinal symptoms could be observed in the reviewed CTs on patients taking medicinal mushrooms.

Adverse events of treatment with medicinal mushrooms were poorly reported but appeared to be rare. The relevance of a reduced platelet count remains unclear and requires further investigation.

The correct dosage and possible drug interactions also need to be further clarified in future clinical studies. There is an urgent need to investigate efficacy and safety of medicinal mushrooms in well planned CTs as more and more patients use mushrooms as a co-medication.

However, current knowledge does not support the routine use of medicinal mushrooms in cancer patients. Currently, evidence for the use of medicinal mushrooms in cancer is rather scarce and the methodological quality of most of the reviewed studies is poor.

The existing evidence only allows for preliminary conclusions. The lack of standardization in several aspects of the included studies, such as inconsistent preparation methods and different modes of administration of medicinal mushrooms as well as the lack of key information in the reviewed publications, reduces the reliability and validity of those studies.

A special feature of medicinal mushrooms might be, as they produce hundreds of active compounds, that they may influence several cancer-related processes in a synergistic way. Therefore, not only studies on certain mushroom-derived compounds are warranted, but also further research on complex anticancer effects facilitated by combinations of molecules could be of great interest.

In summary, despite the promising preliminary data, more scientific work needs to be done to clarify the use of medicinal mushrooms in cancer therapy. Particularly, further clinical research is needed, including methodologically high-quality studies, larger sample sizes, standard mushroom preparations and longer-term follow-up studies.

In addition, future studies should also investigate the preventive aspects of medicinal mushrooms, as medicinal mushrooms or more common types of mushrooms can also be effective in reducing cancer incidence as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle Li et al.

MJ conceived the manuscript, gathered information, assembled Table 1 , and wrote part of the paper. AM supervised the conception, and wrote part of the paper. DF gathered information, wrote part of the paper, and assembled Table 1. MH, MF, DL and VM wrote part of the paper. CF wrote part of the paper, and integrated the information.

This work was funded by the Wilhelm Doerenkamp-Stiftung, Chur, Switzerland. The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Ahn, W. Natural killer cell activity and quality of life were improved by consumption of a mushroom extract, Agaricus blazei Murill Kyowa, in gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Cancer 14, — PubMed CrossRef Full Text Google Scholar. Aras, A. Regulation of cancer cell signaling pathways by mushrooms and their bioactive molecules: overview of the journey from benchtop to clinical trials. Food Chem. Astin, J. Why patients use alternative medicine: results of a national study.

JAMA , — Ayeka, P. Potential of mushroom compounds as immunomodulators in cancer immunotherapy: a review. Based Compl. Blagodatski, A. Medicinal mushrooms as an attractive new source of natural compounds for future cancer therapy.

Oncotarget 9, — Bottomley, A. The cancer patient and quality of life. Oncologist 7, — Boulangé, C. Impact of the gut microbiota on inflammation, obesity, and metabolic disease.

Genome Med. Calabrese, E. Cancer biology and hormesis: human tumor cell lines commonly display hormetic biphasic dose responses. Chay, W. Coriolus versicolor Yunzhi use as therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients with poor liver function or who are unfit for standard therapy.

Alternative Compl. Costa Fortes, R. The effects of Agaricus sylvaticus fungi dietary supplementation on the metabolism and blood pressure of patients with colorectal cancer during post surgical phase. Life quality of postsurgical patients with colorectal cancer after supplemented diet with agaricus sylvaticus fungus.

De Silva, D. Medicinal mushrooms in supportive cancer therapies: an approach to anti-cancer effects and putative mechanisms of action. Ernst, E. Cancer 83, — Fan, M. Crude extracts of Agaricus brasiliensis induce apoptosis in human oral cancer CAL 27 cells through a mitochondria-dependent pathway.

In Vivo 25, — Fortes, R. Effects of dietary supplementation with medicinal fungus in fasting glycemia levels of patients with colorectal cancer: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.

Friedman, M. Mushroom polysaccharides: chemistry and antiobesity, antidiabetes, anticancer, and antibiotic properties in cells, rodents, and humans. Foods 5, Gao, W. Vaccine 31, — Gao, Y. A randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study of Ganoderma lucidum W.

lloyd Aphyllophoromycetideae polysaccharides Ganopoly in patients with advanced lung cancer. Mushrooms 5, Effects of ganopoly a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract on the immune functions in advanced-stage cancer patients.

Geng, P. Antifatigue functions and mechanisms of edible and medicinal mushrooms. BioMed Res. Geng, X. A tricholoma matsutake peptide with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory and antioxidative activities and antihypertensive effects in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration , Fitzmaurice, C. Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years for 32 cancer groups, to a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.

JAMA Oncol 3, — Grant, S. Integrative oncology: international perspectives. Cancer Ther. Harris, E. Heavy metal and pesticide content in commonly prescribed individual raw Chinese Herbal Medicines.

Total Environ. Haun, M. Early palliative care for adults with advanced cancer. Cochrane Database Syst. Hofer, M. Modulation of animal and human hematopoiesis by beta-glucans: a review.

Molecules 16, — Jayachandran, M. A critical review on health promoting benefits of edible mushrooms through gut microbiota. Jin, X. Ganoderma lucidum Reishi mushroom for cancer treatment. Joseph, T. A preclinical evaluation of the antitumor activities of edible and medicinal mushrooms: a molecular insight.

Kalaras, M. Mushrooms: a rich source of the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione. Kim, H. Evaluation of antidiabetic activity of polysaccharide isolated from Phellinus linteus in non-obese diabetic mouse.

Kodama, N. Can maitake MD-fraction aid cancer patients? Li, J. Dietary mushroom intake may reduce the risk of breast cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis of observational studies.

PLoS One 9, e Lin, Y. BMC Compl. Martel, J. Phytochemicals as prebiotics and biological stress inducers. Trends Biochem.

Miller, K. Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, CA Cancer J. Ohno, S. Quality of life improvements among cancer patients in remission following the consumption of Agaricus blazei Murill mushroom extract.

Oka, S. A water-soluble extract from culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia suppresses the development of colorectal adenomas. Hiroshima J. Otte, J. Systematic review of sleep disorders in cancer patients: can the prevalence of sleep disorders be ascertained?

Cancer Med. Palomares, M. A dose-finding clinical trial of mushroom powder in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors for secondary breast cancer prevention.

Reis, F. Methanolic extract of Ganoderma lucidum induces autophagy of AGS human gastric tumor cells. Molecules 20, — Rossi, P. B-glucans from Grifola frondosa and Ganoderma lucidum in breast cancer: an example of complementary and integrative medicine. Sakamoto, J. Efficacy of adjuvant immunochemotherapy with polysaccharide K for patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of centrally randomized controlled clinical trials.

Cancer Immunol. Shigesue, K. Mushrooms traditionally associated with medicinal properties are not always tasty on their own. Chaga, for example, has the taste and texture of tree bark. But from a nutritional standpoint, the varieties we commonly nibble on and cook with are quite good for you.

Edible mushrooms are low in calories one cup of raw sliced white mushrooms is only 16 calories , rich in protein and fiber, and a good source of B vitamins as well as minerals such as potassium, copper and selenium.

Mushrooms also contain unusually high amounts of the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione, according to a study conducted at Pennsylvania State University published in the journal Food Chemistry. Outside of a few types of fatty fish and fortified dairy products, mushrooms are one of the only good dietary sources of the essential vitamin.

The catch is that commercial farms often grow mushrooms inside says Katherine Phillips, PhD, a senior research scientist at Virginia Tech University.

She was a co-author on a study for the US Department of Agriculture that found that the mushrooms Americans commonly buy at the grocery store often contain little vitamin D. If you use whole mushrooms, she advises laying them gills up, where the concentration of D-producing compounds are highest.

In addition to eating mushrooms, cultures around the world have used them medicinally for thousands of years. The Greek physician Hippocrates identified the amadou mushroom as good for reducing inflammation and cauterizing wounds around BCE.

Ötzi the Iceman, preserved in the Italian alps for some 5, years, was discovered with whipworm eggs in his digestive tract and, probably not coincidentally, a leather strap around his neck threaded with mushrooms that are known to kill intestinal parasites.

Chinese medical texts dating back to as early as BC describe reishi as a tonic against ageing. Widespread use of medicinal mushrooms continues in Asia today, with more than varieties used just to treat cancer.

You need only look to the psychoactive effects of hallucinogenic mushrooms and the toxicity of poisonous varieties to understand that mushrooms can have potent biochemical effects says David Hibbett, PhD.

Learn about clinical trials at MD Anderson and search our database for open studies. The Lyda Hill Cancer Prevention Center provides cancer risk assessment, screening and diagnostic services. Your gift will help support our mission to end cancer and make a difference in the lives of our patients.

Our personalized portal helps you refer your patients and communicate with their MD Anderson care team. As part of our mission to eliminate cancer, MD Anderson researchers conduct hundreds of clinical trials to test new treatments for both common and rare cancers. Choose from 12 allied health programs at School of Health Professions.

Learn about our graduate medical education residency and fellowship opportunities. In some parts of the world, mushroom extracts are often used by patients for their medicinal benefits.

And their benefits may not stop there. In Japan and China, certain mushrooms are routinely used to complement cancer treatments. There have been more than 2, studies focused on mushrooms and cancer in the last 10 years, and Narayanan is conducting a review of the findings.

There are hundreds of different kinds of mushrooms. Those most frequently studied in cancer research are not usually sold in grocery stores. Shiitake mushrooms are the only one of these that can easily be bought whole in grocery stores. The rest are often found in powdered forms in health food stores.

Sometimes the active ingredient is removed and sold as a supplement. Some studies have shown that cancer patients who take mushrooms may live longer. In some cases, this was linked to a positive immune response, but there may be other factors. Mushrooms have been linked to improvements in several common quality of life indicators for cancer patients.

These include improved appetite , improved physical and mental competency, and reduced fatigue. But it may be that the lowering of inflammation is what is reducing levels of fatigue.

They are not normally severe, but they do exist. Reishi mushroom may cause minor side effects and has been linked to liver problems in some case studies. Some people should also avoid reishi, including those taking certain medications.

Reishi mushroom is a popular fungus used in Eastern medicine, which could help boost the immune system. This fungus may also be able to decrease the size and number of tumors in certain types of cancer, as well as improve the quality of life for some people with cancer.

Most human research has shown that it does not improve cholesterol , blood sugar, or antioxidants, but it may be effective at reducing fatigue or depression in some cases.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. Shiitake mushrooms are prized for their rich taste. They may also have benefits for your heart health, immune function and more.

Maitake mushroom is thought to regulate systems of the body and is said to have offer several health benefits. Here's what the research says. Some supplements can have powerful effects. Here is a list of 4 natural supplements that are just as effective as pharmaceutical drugs. Excess stress is a common problem.

Learn effective ways to relieve stress and anxiety. John's wort is a medicinal herb that functions as an antidepressant. Some studies show that it can be just as effective as prescription medication.

Phosphatidylcholine is known to boost cognition, but its potential benefits don't stop there. Here's what you should know about this herbal remedy. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic?

How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based 6 Benefits of Reishi Mushroom Plus Side Effects and Dosage.

Medically reviewed by Amy Richter, RD , Nutrition — By Grant Tinsley, Ph. Share on Pinterest. Boost the immune system. Anti-cancer properties. Could reduce fatigue and depression. Other potential benefits.

lucidum seemed to be well tolerated when given with conventional cancer treatment. But the authors state that the trials had limitations. They say we need more trials of better quality. They conclude there is not enough evidence to say reishi mushrooms can be used as a cancer treatment.

Shiitake mushrooms are native to East Asia. They are grown worldwide for their supposed health benefits. They are valued in some cultures as an anti cancer agent.

The fresh and dried forms of the mushroom are commonly used in East Asian cooking. There are herbal medicines that use:. Beta glucan may stimulate the immune system. It may do this by triggering certain cells and proteins in the body to attack cancer cells.

In laboratory studies, it seems to slow the growth of some cancer cells. In China a literature review of 12 studies looked at lentinan. They looked at studies where people had it with chemotherapy for lung cancer.

They found that lentinan worked on the immune system. It also improved quality of life in lung cancer patients.

We need larger scale studies before we will know how shiitake extracts can help people with cancer. Maitake mushrooms are used in Japan and China to treat diabetes and hypertension. They contain a complex sugar called beta-glucan.

A Brazilian study looked at Agaricus sylvaticus mushrooms. People taking part had the mushroom as part of their diet after bowel cancer surgery. It found that people who had the mushrooms had a better quality of life. This was compared to people who didn't have the mushrooms.

Used for centuries in Eastern Ancient medicine, this extract is believed to refresh bodies and extend life.

Phellinus linteus is known as song gen in Chinese medicine, sang-hwang in Korean and meshimakobu in Japanese. Researchers have looked at these extracts in the laboratory. This lab research showed that this type of mushroom extract may slow the growth of breast cancer cells.

It has also been shown to have anti cancer effects on skin, lung and prostate cancer cells. We have to be cautious about such early research. Substances that can kill cells in laboratory conditions don't necessarily turn out to be useful treatments in people.

There are no known side effects from eating normal amounts of mushrooms in our diet. Mushroom extracts are classed as dietary supplements. Most of these supplements have not been tested to find out if they interact with medicines, foods, or other herbs and supplements.

Shiitake mushroom extracts are generally considered safe, although there are some reports of diarrhoea or bloating. The phrases complementary therapy and alternative therapy are often used as if they mean the same thing.

Int J Med Mushrooms 5 2 — Badalyan SM b Antioxidant activity of culinary-medicinal mushroom Flammulina velutipes Curt. Int J Med Mushrooms 5 3 — Badalyan SM a Screening of antifungal activity of several Basidiomycetous macromycetes.

Probl Med Mycology 6 1 — Badalyan SM b Antiprotozoal activity and mitogenic effect of mycelium of culinary-medicinal Shiitake mushroom Lentinus edodes Berk. Singer Agaricomycetidae.

Int J Med Mushrooms 6 2 — Badalyan SM Medicinal aspects of edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. In: Zambonelli A, Bonitо G eds Edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms, current knowledge and future prospects, vol Badalyan SM Chemical composition of mycelia of different collections of coprinoid mushrooms.

In Biodiversity and ecology of fungi and fungiform organisms of the Northern Eurasia. Proceedings of All-Russian conference with international participation, 20—24 April , Yekaterinburg, pp. Badalyan SM Fatty acid composition of different collections of coprinoid mushrooms Agaricomycetes and their nutritional and medicinal values.

Int J Med Mushrooms 18 10 — Badalyan SM, Gharibyan NG a Characteristics of mycelial structures of different fungal collections. Badalyan SM, Gharibyan NG b Antiphytopathogenic activity of mycelia polypore mushrooms Аgaricomycetes, Polyporales.

In Current mycology in Russia. Proceedings of the IVth congress of Russian mycologists, vol 7. Badalyan SM, Hambardzumyan LA Investigation of immune-modulating activity of medicinal mushroom Flammulina velutipes Curt.

in vitro. Cytokines induction by fruiting body extract. Int J Med Mushrooms 3 2—3 — Badalyan SM, Rapior S Chemical screening and biological activities of wood-decaying fungi Flammulina velutipes Curt. In Proceedings of the scientific session for the year celebration of Department of Botany at Yerevan State University , 21—23 March , Yerevan, pp.

Badalyan SM, Shahbazyan TA Medicinal properties of two polypore species: Fomes fomentarius and Fomitopsis pinicola. Proceedings of IIIrd international mycological forum, vol 5.

Badalyan SM, Zambonelli A Biotechnological exploitation of macrofungi for the production of food, pharmaceuticals and cosmeceuticals. In: Sridhar KR, Deshmukh SK eds Advances in macrofungi: diversity, ecology and biotechnology.

CRC Press, pp — Badalyan SM, Rapior S, Doko L et al Investigation of primary and secondary metabolites in a chemical study of Cortinarius armillatus A. Cortinariaceae, Telamonia. Cryptogam Mycol 15 4 — Badalyan SM, Rapior S, Le Quang J et al Investigation of fungal metabolites and acute toxicity studies from fruiting bodies of Hypholoma species Strophariaceae.

Cryptogam Mycol 16 2 — Badalyan SM, Serrano JJ, Rapior S et al Pharmacological activity of the mushrooms Flammulina velutipes Curt. and Tricholoma pardinum Quél. Int J Med Mushrooms — Badalyan SM, Innocenti G, Garibyan NG Antagonistic activity of xylotrophic mushrooms against pathogenic fungi of cereals in dual culture.

Phytopathol Mediterr 41 3 — Badalyan SM, Innocenti G, Gharibyan NG Interactions between xylotrophic mushrooms and mycoparasitic fungi in dual-culture experiments. Phytopathol Mediterr 43 1 — Singer against selected fungal pathogens.

Int J Med Mushrooms 10 2 — Badalyan SM, Melikyan LR, Navarro-González M et al b Fibrinolytic activity of several coprinoid mushrooms. Badalyan SM, Gharibyan NG, Iotti M et al Morphological and genetic characteristics of different collections of Ganoderma P. Proceedings of the 18th congress ISMS.

Badalyan SM, Shnyreva AV, Iotti M et al Genetic resources and mycelial characteristics of several medicinal polypore mushrooms Higher Basidiomycetes. Int J Med Mushrooms 17 4 — Badalyan SM, Gharibyan NG, Shahbazyan TA et al Milk coagulating and thrombolytic activity of red-belt conk Fomitopsis pinicola.

In Advances in medical mycology. Proceedings of memorial conference of medical mycology, vol J Pain 11 10 — Bandara AR, Rapior S, Bhat DJ et al Polyporus umbellatus , an edible-medicinal cultivated mushroom with multiple developed health-care products as food, medicine and cosmetics: a review.

Cryptogam Mycol 36 1 :3— Bandara AR, Karunarathna SC, Mortimer PE et al First successful domestication and determination of nutritional and antioxidant properties of the red ear mushroom Auricularia thailandica Auriculariales, Basidiomycota.

Mycol Prog 16 11—12 — Bao F, Yang K, Wub C et al New natural inhibitors of hexokinase 2 HK2 : steroids from Ganoderma sinense. Fitoterapia — Barbieri A, Quagliariello V, Del Vecchio V et al Anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties of Ganoderma lucidum extract effects on melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer treatment.

Nutrients Article CAS PubMed Central Google Scholar. Barceloux DG Medical toxicology of natural substances. Foods, fungi, medicinal herbs, plants and venomous animals.

Wiley, Hoboken. Book Google Scholar. Barros L, Cruz T, Baptista P Wild and commercial mushrooms as source of nutrients and nutraceuticals. Barsanti L, Passarelli V, Evangelista V et al Chemistry, physico-chemistry and applications linked to biological activities of β-glucans.

Nat Prod Rep — Baskaran A Suppression of lipopolysaccharide and hydrogen peroxide-induced inflammatory responses in Raw University of Malaya. Baskaran A, Chua KH, Sabaratnam V et al Pleurotus giganteus Berk. BMC Complement Altern Med Batbayar S, Lee DH, Kim HW Immunomodulation of fungal β-glucan in host defense signaling by dectin Biomol Ther 20 5 — Bedlovičová Z, Smrčová M, Strapáč I et al Mushrooms as the source of potential antimicrobial agents: a review.

Curr Org Chem — Beekman AM, Barrow R Fungal metabolites as pharmaceuticals. Aust J Chem — Bello M, Oluwamukomi MO, Enujiugha VN Nutrient composition and sensory properties of biscuit from mushroom-wheat composite flours.

ACRI 9 3 :1— PLoS One 8 10 :e Fungi for tinder at the Neolithic site of La Draga NE Iberia. PLoS One 13 4 :e PubMed PubMed Central Google Scholar. Bhakta M, Kumar P Mushroom polysaccharides as potential prebiotics.

Int J Health Sci Res — Bhatt RP, Singh U, Uniyal P Healing mushrooms of Uttarakhand Himalaya, India. Curr Res Environ Appl Mycol 8 1 :1— Bhattacharjee J, Bhattacharjee D, Paul T et al Diversity of mushrooms in indo-Bangladesh region of north-East India. J Andaman Sci Assoc 20 1 — Bishop KS, Kao CHJ, Xu Y et al From years of Ganoderma lucidum to recent developments in nutraceuticals.

Phytochemistry — Biswas G, Nandi S, Kuila D et al A comprehensive review on food and medicinal prospects of Astraeus hygrometricus. Pharm J 9 6 — Blackwell M The Fungi: 1, 2, 3 … 5. Am J Bot — Blann AD, Landray MJ, Lip GY An overview of antithrombotic therapy. Br Med J — Boa ER Wild edible fungi a global overview of their use and importance to people.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Roma. Borchers AT, Krishnamurthy A, Keen CL et al The immunobiology of mushrooms. Exp Biol Med Maywood 3 — Bouike G, Nishitani Y, Shiomi H et al Oral treatment with extract of Agaricus blazei Murill enhanced Th1 response through intestinal epithelial cells and suppressed OVA-sensitized allergy in mice.

eCAM — Brandalise F, Cesaroni V, Gregori A et al Dietary supplementation of Hericium erinaceus increases mossy fiber-CA3 hippocampal neurotransmission and recognition memory in wild-type mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Breheret S, Talou T, Rapior S et al Z - and E -1,3-octadiene — new major volatile compounds in mushroom aromas Basidiomycotina.

J Essent Oil Res — Brown GD, Gordon S Fungal β-glucans and mammalian immunity. Immunity — Brunelli E Sindrome di Szechwan e Auricularia auricula-judae. Pag Micol — Buruleanu LC, Radulescu C, Georgescu AA et al Statistical characterization of the phytochemical characteristics of edible mushroom extracts.

Anal Lett 51 7 — Butkhup L, Samappito W, Jorjong S Evaluation of bioactivities and phenolic contents of wild edible mushrooms from northeastern Thailand.

Food Sci Biotechnol 27 1 — Canli K, Akata I, Altuner EM In vitro antimicrobial activity screening of Xylaria hypoxylon. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med 13 4 — Cappelli A Approccio al genere Agaricus — IV.

Riv Micol — Carhart-Harris RL, Roseman L, Bolstridge M et al Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms.

Carocho M, Ferreira ICFR, Morales P et al Antioxidants and pro-oxidants: effects on health and aging. Oxidative Med Cell Longev Castellano G, Torrens F Information entropy-based classification of triterpenoids and steroids from Ganoderma.

Cerigini E, Palma F, Buffalini M et al Identification of a novel lectin from the Ascomycetes fungus Tuber borchii. Chaiyasut C, Sivamaruthi BS Anti-hyperglycemic proper ty of Hericium erinaceus — a mini review. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 7 11 — Chan GCF, Chan WK, Sze DMY The effects of β-glucan on human immune and cancer cells.

J Hematol Oncol Chandrawanshi NK, Tandia DK, Jadhav SK Nutraceutical properties evaluation of Schizophyllum commune. Indian J Sci Res 13 2 — Chang R Functional properties of edible mushrooms. Nutr Rev 54 11 pt.

Chang ST, Buswell JA Mushroom nutriceuticals. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 12 5 — Chang YS, Lee SS Utilisation of macrofungi species in Malaysia. Fungal Divers — Chang ST, Miles PG Mushrooms: Cultivation, nutritional value, medicinal effect, and environmental impact, 2nd edn.

CRC Press, Boca Raton. Chang ST, Wasser SP The role of culinary-medicinal mushrooms on human welfare with a pyramid model for human health. Int J Med Mushrooms 14 2 — Chang ST, Wasser SP The cultivation and environmental impact of mushrooms.

In: Oxford research encyclopedia of environmental science — agriculture and the environment. Chapter Google Scholar. Chang JC, Hsiao G, Lin RK et al Bioactive constituents from the termite nest-derived medicinal fungus Xylaria nigripes. J Nat Prod — Mycol Res — Chen CC, Shiao YJ, Lin RD et al Neuroprotective diterpenes from the fruiting body of Antrodia camphorata.

Chen W, Zhao Z, Chen SF et al Optimization for the production of exopolysaccharide from Fomes fomentarius in submerged culture and its antitumor effect in vitro. Bioresour Technol 99 8 — Chen JT, Tominaga K, Sato Y et al Maitake mushroom Grifola frondosa extract induces ovulation in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a possible monotherapy and a combination therapy after failure with first-line clomiphene citrate.

J Altern Complement Med 16 12 — Chen H, Tian T, Miao H et al Traditional uses, fermentation, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Phellinus linteus : a review. Chen B, Tiana J, Zhang J et al Triterpenes and meroterpenes from Ganoderma lucidum with inhibitory activity against HMGs reductase, aldose reductase and α-glucosidase.

Cheng CR, Yue QX, Wu ZY et al Cytotoxic triterpenoids from Ganoderma lucidum. Cheng PG, Phan CW, Sabaratnam V et al Polysaccharides-rich extract of Ganoderma lucidum M. accelerates wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Chepkirui C, Yuyama K, Wanga L et al Microporenic acids A-G, biofilm inhibitors, and antimicrobial agents from the basidiomycete Microporus species. J Nat Prod 81 4 — Cheung PCK Mushrooms as functional foods. Cheung PCK Mini-review on edible mushrooms as source of dietary fiber: preparation and health benefits.

Food Sci Human Wellness — Int J Mol Sci Choi HS, Sa YS Fibrinolytic and antithrombotic protease from Ganoderma lucidum. Mycologia — Choi HS, Shin HH Purification and partial characterization of a fibrinolytic protease in Pleurotus ostreatus. Mycologia 90 4 — Choi BS, Sapkota K, Choi JH et al Herinase: a novel bi-functional fibrinolytic protease from the monkey head mushroom, Hericium erinaceum.

Appl Biochem Biotechnol 3 — Choi JY, Paik DJ, Kwan DY et al Dietary supplementation with rice bran fermented with Lentinus edodes increases interferon-γ activity without causing adverse effects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Nutr J 13 1 — Choi JH, Kim DW, Kim S et al Purification and partial characterization of a fibrinolytic enzyme from the fruiting body of the medicinal and edible mushroom Pleurotus ferulae.

Prep Biochem Biotechnol 7 6 — Choi YJ, Park IS, Kim MH et al The medicinal mushroom Auricularia auricula-judae Bull. extract has antioxidant activity and promotes procollagen biosynthesis in HaCaT cells.

Nat Prod Res —4. Ćilerdžić J, Kosanić M, Stajić M et al Species of genus Ganoderma Agaricomycetes fermentation broth: a novel antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. Int J Med Mushrooms 18 5 — Combs GF Selenium in global food systems.

Br J Nutr — Corrěa RCG, Brugnari T, Bracht A et al Biotechnological, nutritional and therapeutic uses of Pleurotus spp. oyster mushroom related with its chemical composition: a review on the past decade findings.

Trends Food Sci Technol — Corrěa RCG, Peralta RM, Bracht A et al The emerging use of mycosterols in food industry along with the current trend of extended use of bioactive phytosterols.

Corrěa RCG, Barros L, Fernandes A et al A natural food ingredient based on ergosterol: optimization of the extraction from Agaricus blazei , evaluation of bioactive properties and incorporation in yogurts. Food Funct 9 3 — Cucuianu V, Bratanescu V, Sterian B The edible mushrooms — an organic food and its potential use for health.

J Environ Prot Ecol 5 4 — Da Silva de Souza AC, Corrěa VG, Goncalves GA et al Agaricus blazei bioactive compounds and their effects on human health: benefits and controversies.

Curr Pharm Des 23 19 — Da Silva de Souza AC, de Almeida Gonсalves G, Soares AA et al The antioxidant action of an aqueous extract of royal sun medicinal mushroom, Agaricus brasiliensis Agaricomycetes in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Int J Med Mushrooms 20 2 — Da Silva Milhorini S, Smiderle FR, Biscaia SMP et al Fucogalactan from the giant mushroom Macrocybe titans inhibits melanoma cells migration.

Carbohydr Polym — Dadakova E, Pelikanova T, Kalc P Content of biogenic amines and polyamines in some species of European wild-growing edible mushrooms. Eur Food Res Technol — Dai YC, Yang ZL, Ui BK et al Species diversity and utilization of medicinal mushrooms and fungi in China review.

Dai X, Stanilka JM, Row CA et al Consuming Lentinula edodes shiitake mushrooms daily improves human immunity: a randomized dietary intervention in healthy young adults.

J Am Coll Nutr 34 6 — De Mattos-Shipley KMJ, Ford KL, Alberti F et al The good, the bad and the tasty: the many roles of mushrooms. Stud Mycol — De Silva DD, Rapior S, Fons F et al a Medicinal mushrooms in supportive cancer therapies: an approach to anti-cancer effects and putative mechanisms of action.

De Silva DD, Rapior S, Hyde KD et al b Medicinal mushrooms in prevention and control of diabetes mellitus. De Silva DD, Rapior S, Sudarman E et al Bioactive metabolites from macrofungi: ethnopharmacology, biological activities and chemistry.

Debnath S, Upadhyay RC, Das P et al Antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts from ten Pleurotus species. Int Res J Pharm 8 3 — Degreef J, Demuynck L, Mukandera A et al Wild edible mushrooms, a valuable resource for food security and rural development in Burundi and Rwanda.

Biotechnol Agron Soc Environ 20 4 — Del Buono A, Bonucci M, Publiese S et al Polysaccharide from Lentinus edodes for integrative cancer treatment: immunomodulatory effects on lymphocyte population.

WCRJ 3 1 :1—7. Denisova NP Proteolytic activity of cultures of higher fungi. Mikol Fitopatol 16 5 — Denisova NP History of the study of thrombolytic and fibrinolytic enzymes of higher basidiomycetes mushrooms at the V.

Komarov botanical institute in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Int J Med Mushrooms 12 3 — Denisova NP, Semenova IR, Sukharevich VI Biosynthesis of proteinases with fibrinolytic action by basidiomycetes in submerged culture. Mikol Fitopatol 23 4 — Diling C, Chaoqun Z, Jian Y et al Immunomodulatory activities of a fungal protein extracted from Hericium erinaceus through regulating the gut microbiota.

Front Immunol Dissanayakea AA, Zhanga CR, Mills GL et al Cultivated Maitake mushroom demonstrated functional food quality as determined by in vitro bioassays. J Funct Foods — Doğan HH, Karagöz S, Duman R In vitro evaluation of the antiviral activity of some mushrooms from Turkey. Donatini B Hericium erinaceus : properties mostly related to the secretion of neuronal growth factor.

Phytothérapie — Donatini B Control of oral human papillomavirus HPV by medicinal mushrooms, Trametes versicolor and Ganoderma lucidum : a preliminary clinical trial. Int J Med Mushrooms 16 5 — Donnini D, Gargano ML, Perini C et al Wild and cultivated mushrooms as a model of sustainable development.

Plant Biosyst 1 — Duru ME, Çayan GT Biologically active terpenoids from mushroom origin: a review. Rec Nat Prod 9 4 — Dutta S Role of mushrooms as nutraceutical an overview. Int J Pharm Bio Sci 4 4 :B59—B Dyakova MY, Kamzolkina OV, Shtaera OV et al Morphological characteristics of natural strains of certain species of Basidiomycetes and biological analysis of antimicrobial activity under submerged cultural conditions.

Microbiology 80 2 — Ebrahimi A, Atashi A, Soleimani M et al Anti-invasive and anti-proliferative effects of Pleurotus ostreatus extract on acute leukemia cell lines.

J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 29 1 — Ehsanifard Z, Mir-Mohammadrezaei F, Safarzadeh A et al Aqueous extract of Inocutis levis improves insulin resistance and glucose tolerance in high sucrose-fed Wistar rats.

J Herbmed Pharmacol 6 4 — Eik LF, Naidu M, David P et al Lignosus rhinocerus Cooke Ryvarden: a medicinal mushroom that stimulates neurite outgrowth in PC cells.

El Dine RS, El Halawany AM, Ma CM et al Inhibition of the dimerization and active site of HIV-1 protease by secondary metabolites from the Vietnamese mushroom Ganoderma colossum.

Elisashvili V Submerged cultivation of medicinal mushrooms: bioprocesses and products. Eliza WL, Fai CK, Chung LP Efficacy of Yun Zhi Coriolus versicolor on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Recent Patents Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov 6 1 — Ellan K, Sabaratnam V, Thayan R Antiviral activity and mode of action of mushroom extracts against dengue virus type In Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever , 21—23 October , Bangkok.

Ellertsen LK, Hetland G An extract of the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill can protect against allergy. Clin Mol Allergy 7 6 :1— Ey J, Schomig E, Taubert D Dietary sources and antioxidant effects of ergothioneine.

J Agric Food Chem — Falade OE, Oyetayo VO, Awala SI Evaluation of the mycochemical composition and antimicrobial potency of wild macrofungus , Rigidoporus microporus Sw.

J Phytopharmacol 6 2 — Falandysz J Selenium in edible mushrooms. J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev 26 3 — Fan L, Pan H, Soccol AT et al Advances in mushroom research in the last decade.

Food Technol Biotechnol 44 3 — Fang N, Li Q, Yu S et al Inhibition of growth and induction of apoptosis in human cancer cell lines by an ethyl acetate fraction from shiitake mushrooms. J Altern Complement Med 12 2 — PubMed Google Scholar. Farzana T, Mohajan S, Saha T et al Formulation and nutritional evaluation of a healthy vegetable soup powder supplemented with soy flour, mushroom, and moringa leaf.

Food Sci Nutr — Fernandes A, Barros L, Martins A et al Nutritional characterisation of Pleurotus ostreatus Jacq. ex Fr. produced using paper scraps as substrate. Food Chem — Ferreira ICFR, Barros L, Abreu RMV Antioxidants in wild mushrooms.

Curr Med Chem 16 12 — Ferreira ICFR, Vaz JA, Vasconcelos MH et al Compounds from wild mushrooms with antitumor potential. Anti Cancer Agents Med Chem 10 5 — Ferreira ICFR, Heleno SA, Reis FS et al Chemical features of Ganoderma polysaccharides with antioxidant, antitumor and antimicrobial activities.

Ferreira-Silva V, Gusmão NB, Gibertoni TB Antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate extract of Agaricomycetes collected in Northeast Brazil. Curr Res Environ Appl Mycol J Fungal Biol 7 4 — Filipic M, Umek A, Mlinaric A Screening of Basidiomycete mushroom extracts for antigenotoxic and bio-antimutagenic activity.

Finimundy TC, Dillon AJP, Henriques JAP et al A review on general nutritional compounds and pharmacological properties of the Lentinula edodes mushroom.

Food Nutr Sci — Finimundy TC, Abreu RMV, Bonetto N et al a Apoptosis induction by Pleurotus sajor-caju Fr. Singer extracts on colorectal cancer cell lines. Finimundy TC, Barros L, Calhelha RC et al b Multifunctions of Pleurotus sajor-caju Fr.

Singer: a highly nutritious food and a source for bioactive compounds. Fortes RC, Recôva VL, Melo AL et al Effects of dietary supplementation with medicinal fungus in fasting glycemia levels of patients with colorectal cancer: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.

Nutr Hosp 23 6 — Exp Biol Med Maywood 1 — Francia C, Rapior S, Courtecuisse R et al Current research findings on the effects of selected mushrooms on cardiovascular diseases. Francisco CRL, Heleno SA, Fernandes IPM et al Functionalization of yogurts with Agaricus bisporus extracts encapsulated in spray-dried maltodextrin crosslinked with citric acid.

Food Chem 15 — Friedman M Mushroom polysaccharides: chemistry and antiobesity, antidiabetes, anticancer, and antibiotic properties in cells, rodents, and humans. Foods 5 4 Fritz H, Kennedy DA, Ishii M et al Polysaccharide K and Coriolus versicolor extracts for lung cancer: a systematic review.

Integr Cancer Ther 14 3 — Frost, M. Three popular medicinal mushroom supplements: a review of human clinical trials. Dissertation, Brigham Young University. Fu Z, Liu Y, Zhang Q A potent pharmacological mushroom: Pleurotus eryngii. Fungal Genom Biol Gao Y, Padhiar AA, Wang J et al Recombinant latcripin 11 of Lentinula edodes C suppresses the proliferation of various cancer cells.

Gene — Gargano ML Mycotheca of edible and medicinal mushrooms at herbarium SAF as a potential source of nutraceuticals and cultivated mushrooms. Int J Med Mushrooms 20 4 — Gargano ML, van Griensven LJLD, Isikhuemhen OS et al Medicinal mushrooms: valuable biological resources of high exploitation potential.

Plant Biol 3 — Gaylan CM, Estebal JC, Tantengco OA et al Anti-staphylococcal and antioxidant properties of crude ethanolic extracts of macrofungi collected from the Philippines. Pharm J 10 1 — Giacomoni L Le Syndrome de Szechwan.

Bull AEMBA — Giavasis I Bioactive fungal polysaccharides as potential functional ingredients in food and nutraceuticals. Curr Opin Biotechnol — Gil-Ramirez A, Morales D, Soler-Rivas C Molecular actions of hypocholesterolaemic compounds from edible mushrooms.

Food Funct 9 1 — Lek Sirov — Glamočlija J, Stojković D, Nikolic M et al A comparative study on edible Agaricus mushrooms as functional foods. Food Funct 6 6 — Gregori A Cordycepin production by Cordyceps militaris cultivation on spent brewery grains. ABS 57 2 — Grienke U, Zöll M, Peintner U et al European medicinal polypores — a modern view on traditional uses.

J Ethnopharmacol — Grotto D, Bueno DCR, Ramos GKA et al Assessment of the safety of the shiitake culinary-medicinal mushroom, Lentinus edodes Agaricomycetes , in rats: biochemical, hematological, and antioxidative parameters.

Int J Med Mushrooms 16 10 — Gründemann C, Arnhold M, Meier S et al Effects of Inonotus hispidus extracts and compounds on human immunocompetent cells.

Planta Med — Guggenheim AG, Wright KM, Zwickey HL Immune modulation from five major mushrooms: application to integrative oncology. Integr Med 13 1 — Guillamón E, García-Lafuente A, Lozano M et al Edible mushrooms: role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Fitoterapia 81 7 — Gunde-Cimmerman N Medicinal value of the genus Pleurotus Fr. Agaricales s. Gupta S, Summuna B, Gupta M et al Edible mushrooms: cultivation, bioactive molecules, and health benefits.

In: Mérillon JM, Ramawat KG eds Bioactive molecules in food, reference series in Phytochemistry. Springer, pp 1— Guzmán G New studies on hallucinogenic mushrooms: history, diversity, and applications in psychiatry. Hadda M, Djamel C, Akila O a Production and qualitative analysis of triterpenoids and steroids of Ganoderma species harvested from cork oak forest of north-eastern Algeria.

Res J Microbiol 10 8 — Hadda M, Djamel C, Akila O b Screening of extracellular enzyme activities of Ganoderma and Fomes species collected from north East Algeria. RJPBCS 6 4 — Maitake is often used to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and make it more effective.

It is most effective against breast, prostate, and liver cancer. Reishi is often referred to as the mushroom of immortality.

The mushroom itself is not edible due to its strong bitterness, but Ganoderma lucidum products are commercially available in many forms. Polysaccharides GL-PS and GL-T have the strongest anticancer activity. They can inhibit the cell cycle, are cytotoxic, and have antimetastatic, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects.

GL-T is synergistic with doxorubicin in vitro and extracts reduce cardiotoxicity in rats. When GL-PS is combined with bleomycin, it reduces drug-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats.

lucidum extracts given in conjunction with cisplatin reduce nausea and vomiting, decrease nephrotoxicity, and enhance chemosensitivity in rats.

A Cochrane review of five RCTs concluded that G. lucidum could be administered as an adjuvant to conventional treatment, given its potential to enhance tumor response and stimulate host immunity. Patients who had been given G.

lucidum treatment alone did not demonstrate the same regression rate as that seen in combined therapy. Four of the studies found that patients in the G. lucidum group had improved quality of life.

Shiitake is the second largest cultivatedand the most popularedible mushroom in the world. The polysaccharide extract active hexose correlated compound AHCC of the Lentinula edodes mushroom has been tested in several human trials. Eleven advanced cancer patients who were given 3 gm per day of AHCC for 1 month in an uncontrolled trial showed a 2.

The treated group had a significantly longer disease-free interval, and increased overall survival. Long-term use in China has found it improves of quality of life and increases the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation.

Hericium erinaceus is commonly used for its neuroprotective effects. Water and ethanol extracts have shown growth inhibitory effects on gastric, liver, and colon cancer cells.

Oral administration to mice shows tumor suppressing activity similar to 5-fluorouracil. erinaceus extracts demonstrate numerous anticancer activities that are immunostimulatory, antimetastatic, pro-apoptotic, antioxidant, gastrointestinal protective, and inhibitory of angiogenesis.

While more research is still needed, mycomedicinals are showing promise for many cancer-related indications. Mycomedicinals are best absorbed when taken on an empty stomach.

sinense , G. hoehnelianum ; G. leucocontextum Li et al. multipileum D. Hou, Ganoderma tsugae Murrill, and Ganoderma mutabile closely related to G anoderma applanatum. To confuse matters more, Chinese mycologists disagree on whether or not Ganoderma lingzhi and Ganoderma sichuanense are the same or different species based on morphological considerations.

Zhou et al. Richter et al. Currently, Index Fungorum lists Ganoderma lingzhi as a later synonym of Ganoderma sichuanense. A study conducted in China comparing 32 batches of commercially grown G anoderma lucidum and 12 batches of Ganoderma sinense revealed that the two mushrooms are chemically different.

The highly lauded triterpenes of G anoderma lucidum were found to be completely absent from the native Chinese Ganoderma sinense.

Given that different species of G anoderma have different collections of compounds, and the fact that we are not anywhere near certain which compounds might be helpful medicinally, why would anyone take any product for an extended period — or till the bottle is empty — without knowing whether or not there is fact-based evidence proving its universal effectiveness in either preventing or curing a plethora of illnesses?

At any rate, it is reasonable to ask healthy mycophiles what they think they are getting from their Ganoderma tinctures. On the east coast of N. Everyone is blindly assuming all have the same medicinal properties that will improve us spiritually as well as physically.

Unlike pharmaceutical drugs with defined amounts of medication reliably distributed in each pill, natural products of even the same species vary widely in the potency of their presumed beneficial ingredients. do not have the purported medicinal compounds in them. Just 8 of 19 product samples contained the triterpenes of the reishi fungus.

Only six of the 19 were free of starches from the combined mycelium and its rice or grain substrate. Just 5 of the 19 products were authentic. The remaining 14 contained no high molecular weight beta-glucans. In another recent study of U.

applanatum, G. austral, G. gibbosum , G. sessile and G. One GYO kit was the European Ganoderma lucidum. Bruch Reed Chief Operating Officer COO namyco. The North American Mycological Association NAMA is a c 3 nonprofit organization.

NAMA is committed to the promotion of scientific and educational activities related to fungi. NAMA supports the protection of natural areas and their biological integrity. We advocate the sustainable use of mushrooms as a resource and endorse responsible mushroom collecting that does not harm the fungi or their habitats.

EIN , documentation. By Dianna Smith. CLAVICEPS spp. IMMUNE SYSTEM. CURRENT STATE OF RESULTS OF CLINICAL STUDIES ON MEDICINAL FUNGI. SHIITAKE: Lentinus edodes. CHAGA: Inonotus obliquuis Ach. Ex Pers. Pilát MAITAKE: Grifola frondosa. TURKEY TAIL: Trametes versicolor.

REISHI: Ganoderma lucidum and relatives. They are also generated by inflammation, stress, radiation, illness, aging, the breakdown of food, and well as exercise and just breathing.

Over time an overload of free radicals accumulates as a result of a free-radical chain reaction as we age can lead to chromosomal mutations, the initiation of disease and mortality.

Antioxidants are said to consist of a wide variety of hundreds and perhaps thousands of different chemical substances. These include but are not limited to minute amounts of vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, Selenium, flavonoids, the B vitamins, zinc, resveratrol, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Food-borne antioxidants are also found in a plethora of vegetables, fruits, tea, coffee, extra virgin oil, fish, fungi and other sources of carotenoids and polyphenol.

Some of the most highly touted medicinal marvels for these maladies include echinacea, green tea, ginseng, turmeric, SOD, cinnamon, saw palmetto, pomegranate juice, argan oil, kava kava, canola oil, coconut oil, gingko, moringa leaves, pomegranates, blueberries, ginseng, licorice root, juice detoxes, milk thistle, and of course, medicinal fungi.

Every year new antioxidants are discovered and promoted suggesting they can turn back aging and free-radical damage. One of these according to Dr. Joseph Mercola who recently appeared on the Dr. Fungal medicinal supplements are also taken to charge up the innate immune system so that it is on always on high alert and ready to resist and if necessary, destroy any disorders that might threaten to interfere with the normal functioning of healthy humans.

Life-extension proponents often argue that age itself is a disease that can be defied. By taking the right combination of natural herbal or fungal ingredients, they claim we should be able to prolong our active lives indefinitely.

Apparently, mushrooms are the best source of getting these two antioxidants, and he advises replenishing them regularly. It is produced by the body and is an abundant tripeptide found in all cells. Low levels are associated with cancers, but high levels are thought to protect cancerous cells resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs.

One of approximately 12 patients in the high dose group developed cardiomyopathy. Ergothioneine is an amino acid derived from Claviceps purpurea. It is not synthesized in the body. It is absorbed with foods which contain this protein building chemical. It can be found in dietary sources such as kidney beans, black beans, oat bran, King Crab, meat and organs of animals that graze on ergothioneine containing grasses, and other foods.

It can even be found in certain bacteria. Especially high levels are found in edible mushrooms. First discovered in , in vitro studies spanning a period of toughly 70 years have been done on the substance, but we still do not know what functions it serves in the physiology of animals, including humans.

It has been approved for use by the FDA as a nutrient supplement in soft drinks, cookies, cakes, candy, fruit drinks and coffee and tea at 5 mg per serving. There is an observational study performed at the National University of Singapore over a 6-year period involving seniors over the age of 60 designed to measure the effect of eating the equivalent of over grams or roughly a half a plate of cooked edible mushrooms a week on the cognitive functioning of the participants.

The researchers determined 90 scored less than 1. They concluded that these subjects experienced mild cognitive decline. The researchers and authors of this preliminary study plan on marketing a product containing this ingredient.

While it is probably safe in the amounts found in foods, currently there is not enough information available to determine whether or not it is safe when taken as a supplement.

According to www. com, we would be wise to avoid taking these supplements, especially if pregnant or breast- feeding. Researchers began to conduct trials to gauge the impact of single and combinations of known antioxidants.

These studies have produced disappointing results. Oxidative damage is not the whole story representing the causes of aging. Cellular respiration and damage is a consequence of life that increases with aging. Makers of supplements do not have to prove their products are safe or effective.

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. One result of the lack of laws designed to protect consumers rather than manufacturers is that in New York, Connecticut and Indiana tests of store brand supplements revealed that four out of five herbal supplements sold have been found to not have the ingredients listed on their labels.

With natural products in general, the levels of various compounds and their therapeutic activity will vary, often greatly, depending on ecological conditions including the substrate, time of year the fungus is gathered, what pathogens it may be fighting against, where it was collected, and perhaps especially by how it is processed.

Some marketers sell spores, others sell hot water or dual extraction tincture, or pills filled with either the mycelium or the fruiting bodies, or a combination of fungi after they have been dried and powdered. Does it matter if the fruiting bodies are immature or mature?

Data is still out on the best substrates to employ when cultivating fungi for medicinal purposes. What, if anything, is added to products produced for treatment and distribution? What might be the differences in potency, if any, when growing it on coffee grinds, rice, barely, hay or wood?

Prices are a little less than buying directly from a preferred U. One must be cautious, though, when buying products from unknown sources. The quality of some Chinese medicinal fungal products compared to those made in the U.

is often highly variable. Yet hundreds of studies refute the validity of claims that these supplements can protect us from aging. Antioxidants can also be used by cancer cells to prevent the immune system from destroying them.

But since not all antioxidants needed can be produced by the body, we are also dependent on food sources to supply the rest.

However, only a tiny portion of the antioxidants in antioxidant-rich foods actually gets into our bloodstream. They are not likely to directly neutralize free radicals.

Contrary to popular thought, free radicals are not all bad. They are essential for maintaining our health. They are a normal by-product of using oxygen and generating energy. Free radicals accelerate wound healing. They may also be friendly longevity assistants.

In their study on roundworms, with which we share many genes, researchers at McGill University discovered that free radicals promote longevity in these creatures. To date, most assertions regarding the capacity of fungal compounds to prevent and cure diseases are based on results of studies limited to describing what happens to human tissue samples exposed to fungal extracts in a test tube or petri dish; on genetically engineered rodents; or on a very small number of patients.

Few published studies employ randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trials. It is not surprising that they are often unrepeatable by researchers employing recommended standards of testing.

These facts have not deterred believers from continuing to espouse their utility in mitigating a plethora of disease conditions based on suggestive, but often unproven and incomplete data. Fortunately, with a few known exceptions, most appear safe to consume within limits.

As much as we all would love to find a magic tonic or pill to mitigate or even prevent the infirmities that often accompany aging, there is no getting away from the fact that we are not immortal.

There should be little doubt, however, that edible fungi, along with other nutritious foods, are efficacious in helping us live healthy and productive lives. Prevention Magazine, December , p Elie J. Ernestina Marianna De Francesco, et al. Taylor F. et al. Denis R. Steffen Bauer, et al.

Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst, M. Thomas Miedaner and Hartwig H. Stephanie L. Arnold and Daniel G. Griffiths, Ph. April 23, Tan, et al.

Tero Isokauppila and Mark Hyman, Healing Mushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Mushrooms for Whole Body Health, N. Zhu, et al.

Lv, et al. NGF is a substance in the brain that was first discovered in the s. Mori, et al. Sheng, et al. Cul, et al. Mayumi Nagano, et al. Isoda, et al. Kabir, et. Dai, et al. Handayani, et al. Min-Woong Lee, et al. Kim Yo, et al. Shibnev, et al. Yue, et al. Youn MJ, Kim JK, Park SY, et al.

Potential anticancer properties of the water extract of Inonotus[corrected] obliquus by induction of apoptosis in melanoma BF10 cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Jan 21 ; 2 Satoru Arata, et al. Ning, et al. Aug ;35 4 Kobori, et al. Dosychev, et al. Kikcuchi, et al. Winiarek, et al. Kang, et al.

Tsai, et al. Sun, et al. Soares, et al. Rossi, et al. Hirosaki, et al. Wesa, et al. Yuki Masuda, et al.