TURKEY TAIL MUSHROOMS SUPPORT IMMUNITY OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS IN NIH-FUNDED CLINICAL STUDY

Fungi Perfecti's Host Defense® Turkey Tail mushroom product used in research announced at International Integrative Oncology conference.

Olympia, WA, 1/13/11. A seven-year, $2 million NIH-funded clinical study jointly conducted by Bastyr University and the University of Minnesota shows that

The number of distinct mushroom species is a matter of debate — with estimates ranging from 30,000 to 1.5 million. What is not disputed, however, is the close relationship between mushrooms and humans, and the many benefits mushrooms can provide for overall health and wellness. Human culture has evolved with mushrooms and many societies have relied on mushrooms to provide a wholesome food source. Over thousands of years of trial and error, many cultures have also discovered

Of the 1-2 million species of mushrooms on the planet, about 5% have medicinal or nutritional properties. That's a lot of mushrooms!

We humans have an amazing connection with mushrooms as we share 30% of our DNA with these fungi. That's a lot of DNA to share with a plant. Because of our shared DNA humans can gain from some of the "intelligence" that fungi have developed to protect

Medicinal mushrooms have a long and rich history of use. Now a new class of antiviral drugs has been recently discovered in mushrooms. In a time when new anti-viral medicines are critically needed, mushrooms stand out as an untapped resource and deserve intensive studies. The predominant mushrooms showing promise for their antiviral activities are polypores-the so-called woody conks, thought to be the ancestors of most, if not all, gilled mushrooms. (Interestingly we know of

Humans share 30% of our DNA with the fungal kingdom (verses 10% with the plant kingdom), of which mushrooms are the most visible member. Medicinal mushrooms are a rich source of polysaccharides, long complex sugar molecules more commonly known as "glyconutrients." Some of the best known polysaccharides are beta-glucans, but dozens of others have been identified and are equally if not more active. In other words, mushrooms supply compounds which "wake up" the immune system to

The profound immune benefits of medicinal mushrooms have been commanding the attention of researchers in Asia for nearly 50 years. More recently, researchers in the United Stated have joined the bandwagon and are conducting government-funded studies on the effects of the mushrooms on cancer, cholesterol, and infectious diseases. It turns out that humans share 30% of our DNA with the fungal kingdom (versus 10% with the plant kingdom), of which mushrooms are the most visible

Some of the better known viruses include Influenza and the common cold. Like other microorganisms, viruses typically gain entry to the body through epithelial surfaces: skin, or respiratory tract, G.I. tract or genital tract. If a virus manages to make it through these physical barriers, it encounters a second line of defense. This defense is engaged against anything the body recognizes as foreign. Defenses include include phagocytes (literally, "cell eaters"), white blood

Cordyceps sinesis

Cordyceps sinensis is famous due to its curing properties. The Chinese discovered its power many centuries ago, having noticed that sheep, grazed on Cordyceps, were stronger and healthier. Traditional herbalists began using the fungus for curing many diseases in humans. Cordyceps was believed to be a cure-all herb, able to fortify all the body systems, providing anti-aging, immune boosting, and strength increasing effects. This

Grifola frondosa

>Hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa), referring to a mythical beast which is half-lion and half-eagle), also known as Sheep's Head and maitake (pronounced mytah-keh), is an edible mushroom. It has a rippling form with no caps, and grows in clusters at the foot of oak trees, giving it an image of dancing butterflies, and thus the Japanese named it "maitake", literally meaning "dancing mushroom".

Ganoderma lucidum

Ganoderma lucidum, (Reishi in Japanese, Ling Zhi in Chinese), is reputed to be the "ultimate herbal substance". The ancient texts and scripts described Reishi as a tonic reserved for emperors. Reishi is the oldest known medicinal mushroom in use for more than 4,000 years by Chinese medical practitioners. Reishi is a tonic herb benefiting "Qi" (vital energy) and bestowing multiple health benefits. Tonic herbs are used to preserve