Medicinal
Mushrooms are truly superstars in the world of herbal remedies.
While it is true that some species of mushroom are toxic,
psychotropic or even deadly, other species are powerfully
supportive of human health and well-being with little or no
toxicity or side effects. There are about 1.5 million species
of fungus on the planet, giving us a wide palette of choices
for research and discovery. Drug discovery and cancer research
meta-studies have been done on as many as 7,000 samples per
study to find species that may provide answers to a variety
of disease conditions, but this is just a beginning. Mushrooms
have a long history of effective medicinal use in traditional
cultures though, and many species are revered as superior
tonics. This rich tapestry of traditional knowledge has served
to point the way for further modern exploration. For several
mushroom species, research results have been nothing short
of astonishing in helping with such seemingly intractable
epidemic problems as cancer, AIDS, heart disease, hepatitis,
and diabetes.
Mushroom
species like Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake and Cordyceps have
received a lot of attention in the press and we have reported
on them before (read Extrax Fax Sept,
2002 on immune enhancers, March,
2000 on Cordyceps, and short blurbs in June,
1999 and March,
1998) but we would like to discuss two other species that
are very healing, have a solid foundation of clinical and
pharmacological work, are very promising in the marketplace,
and would be great for inclusion in a range of supplement
products. These two are Agaricus blazei (Murill) and
Trametes versicolor.
Royal
Sun Agaricus
Agaricus
blazei (Murill), in the same genus as the button mushroom
(Agaricus bisporus) common to your local supermarket,
is indigenous only to a particular area of tropical Brazil
near Sao Paulo. A group of Japanese ethnobotanists discovered
in the early 1980's that residents in a mountainous rain forest
region of Brazil called Piedade had a very low incidence of
a variety adult diseases. They were able to determine that
Agaricus blazei, known there as Cogmelo de Deus (God's
Mushroom), played a significant role in this phenomenon. Back
in Japan, researchers, who named the mushroom Himematsutake,
began conducting studies on the species and found that it
has powerful anticancer, anti-tumor, and anti-mutagenic effects.
As
in several other species of mushroom with anticancer effects,
the active constituents in Agaricus blazei are the
ß-D-glucans. The ß-D-glucans are high molecular
weight polysaccharides (long chain sugars), the most active
of which show a triple strand right winding helix structure.
Not all ß-D-glucans have the same level of activity,
with differences attributable to variations in molecular size,
water solubility, branching rate, form, and the particular
ß-(1-6) bonding system. Agaricus blazei contains
the highest levels of total ß-D-glucans of any mushroom
species found to date.
The
ß-D-glucans are not toxic to cancer cells but function
as carcinostatic (anti-cancer) agents by stimulating the host
immune system. They bind to lymphocyte surfaces or serum specific
proteins, which activate macrophage, T-helper, Natural Killer,
and other effector cells. All these increase the production
of antibodies as well as interleukins 1 and 2, and interferon,
which are released upon activation of the effector cells.
Because of this mechanism, the body is better able to fight
cancer on a cellular level, and to recover from immunity destructive
chemo and radiation therapy. ß-D-glucan rich mushrooms
like Agaricus blazei also produce little or no side
effect or toxicity. For these reasons, mushrooms with these
ß-D-glucans are excellent adjunctive therapies for any
mainstream cancer protocol.
Because
Agaricus is so powerful in stimulating the immune system,
this herb is highly recommended for people that want to improve
general immunity. It is widely used as an antiviral and for
allergies or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Turkey
Tail Mushroom
Turkey
Tail is the common name for Trametes versicolor (also
classified as Coriolus versicolor, Boletus versicolor,
Polyporus versicolor and Polystictus versicolor).
In Japan it is known as Kawaratake or "mushroom by the
riverbank" and in China as Yun Zhi or "cloud fungus".
It is a common bracket fungus that grows on dead logs throughout
many parts of the world. With fan shaped fruiting bodies that
are concentrically banded in shades of brown or grey, the
mushroom looks very much like a turkey's tail feathers.
Turkey
tail is an important therapy for cancer patients in Asia.
In Japan in 1987, PSK, which is extracted from Turkey Tail,
accounted for a quarter of the total national expenditure
for anti-cancer agents that year. In China, Yun Zhi is used
extensively for various cancers, but also for chronic hepatitis
and infections of the upper respiratory, urinary, and digestive
tracts. It has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese
Medicine to enhance the immune system, remove toxins, reduce
phlegm and dampness, increase energy and brighten the "shen"
(spirit), strengthen the body, and dispel heat. A cold herb,
the fungus works primarily on the liver and spleen organs.
Not
surprisingly, two polysaccharide constituents are considered
instrumental in the activity of Turkey Tail. The first, Polysaccharide
Kureha (PSK), also known as "Krestin" is a water
soluble, protein-bound (38% protein) polysaccharide with a
ß-1,4-glucan backbone and ß-1,3 linkages found
primarily in the mycelia but also in small amounts in the
fruiting bodies. The second, PSP is a homogenous mixture of
macromolecules with closely similar physiochemical properties,
which is about 90% polysaccharides and 10% peptides. The polysaccharide
component is a ß-glucan. The fungus also contains a
group of sterols that may contribute to its medicinal effects.
Both
PSK and PSP have been the subject of extensive pharmacological
and clinical study, showing them to be potent boosters of
several components of immunity. They activate T-lymphocytes,
B-lymphocytes, bone marrow cells, natural killer cells and
lymphocyte-activated killer cells. As a first line of defense,
they cause an increase in macrophagic phagocytosis (cellular
"Pac-Man" activity). They also increase levels of
antibodies, interferon, interleukins and tumor necrotic factor.
Cancer survival rates after treatment with PSK have been shown
to be significantly higher than control. In a Japanese study
on cervical cancer patients given PSK during radiation treatment,
5 year survival rate was boosted from 48% (control) to 79%
(PSK group). PSK has also demonstrated antiviral activity
and may inhibit HIV infection by preventing the virus from
binding to host receptors.
Whole
Turkey Tail extracts have been found to significantly inhibit
tumor growth and prevent metastasis in a wide range of specific
cancers, and to restore immunological function depressed by
tumor burden or chemotherapy. The herb augments the cytotoxic
activity of splenocytes and T-killer cells; such cytotoxicity
against liver cancer cells was attributed to its ergosterol
constituents.
While
Turkey Tail is certainly a powerful immunomodulator, it has
also been shown to lower serum cholesterol, lower blood pressure,
inhibit blood platelet aggregation, inhibit heart arrhythmias,
and help with blood sugar control. As a liver herb, it has
been shown to be hepatoprotective, even helping substantially
with active chronic hepatitis. Used with Astragalus, the herb
has been shown to speed recovery from burns.
As
with the most advanced mainstream cancer therapies available,
treatment with Trametes versicolor must have its drawbacks,
right? Not so, unless you want to count a contraindication
during immunosuppressive therapy. The fungus has extremely
low toxicity and produces virtually no side effects or chromosomal
damage. As a cancer adjunct therapy, it can do a lot to help,
and as a dietary supplement it can provide valuable deep immune
system augmentation.
Mycological
visionary Paul Stamets commented that, in spite of the fact
that penicillin, derived from a mold fungus, virtually revolutionized
modern medicine, nobody has paid much attention to the medicinal
properties of mushrooms - partly because Americans, unlike
Asian cultures, think mushrooms are meant to be eaten, not
prescribed. But their ability to dramatically improve the
very health conditions that are the most perplexing in our
21st century society may be a signal that they are herbal
remedies whose time has truly come.
Draco
Natural Products is your source for high quality extracts
of several mushroom species. We can provide you with Full
Spectrum Standardized Herbal Extracts of Agaricus blazei
(Murill) and Trametes versicolor, as well as Shiitake,
Maitake, Reishi and others. Standardized to 55% polysaccharides
(principally ß glucans), our Agaricus extract
is standardized to the highest polysaccharide levels currently
on the market. Trametes versicolor is standardized
to 25% polysaccharides as ß-glucans. Please call us
or email us for additional
details about any of our mushroom products.
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