Talk About It
A new medicinal mushroom from Korea is gaining reputation around the world at record pace. Most commonly known by its Latin name as Phellinus linteus, it is also sometimes referred to as Mesima (Japanese), and rarely by its English name, Black Hoof Fungus.
Phellinus linteus grows on hardwood trees such as oak, poplar and mulberry. The species is common in Southeast Asia and southern parts of the United States. [1]
Most medicinal mushroom species used today in America came to us via China or Japan. Phellinus linteus is a break from this trend, as it first became popular in Korea where it’s commonly used to complement traditional cancer treatment.
From Korea, its reputation has spread like wildfire around the world. Doctors across the globe are now beginning to use it as an immune booster [2-11], and especially for preventing cancer metastasis. [5,10,12-17] Apart from Korea, Phellinus linteus is particularly popular in Japan, the U.S., and the Middle East from Israel to Turkey.
It may have all began when a’96 Korean study reported that Phellinus linteus extract exhibited a broader range of immune enhancing and anti-cancer properties than the extracts from other species of medicinal mushrooms. [4]
Seven year later, in confirmation of the Korean finding, America’s best known mycologist Paul Stamets published a paper which compared Phellinus linteus to several of the most highly regarded species of medicinal mushrooms: Cordyceps, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Maitake and Agaricus blazei. [18]
In this study, Phellinus linteus turned out to have the most powerful effect on enhancing the activity of macrophages, a type of white blood cell that’s an important part of the immune system. Macrophage activity was increased 5,700% by the Phellinus linteus extract. The dose used was equivalent to 3,750 mg for an average (165 lbs) adult. [18]
Macrophages as part of the human immune system can be a two-edged sword. They may devour cancer cells, but can also stimulate cancer growth. The published research on Phellinus linteus indicates that it activates the cancer-fighting properties of macrophages, not the cancer-stimulating properties. [8,14,19,20]
Three additional papers have been published with reports of patients using Phellinus linteus extract and experiencing “spontaneous” regression:
1. A 2004 paper out of Japan reported “a hormone refractory prostate cancer patient with rapidly progressive bone metastasis who showed dramatic response to intake of an extract from the mushroom, Phellinus linteus.” [15]
2. In 2005, a Korean paper related the case of a 65-year-old patient with liver cancer and skull metastasis who experienced “spontaneous regression” after one and a half years of using Phellinus linteus. [17]
3. A Japanese article from 2006 reported the case of a 79-year-old man with malignant liver cancer and lung metastases who exhibited complete regression of the tumors six months after using an extract of Phellinus linteus Mycelium. [16]
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The mushroom Phellinus linteus has not been approved by the FDA for medicinal use. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before using any herb or mushroom medicinally.
Dr. Rafael currently specializes in medicinal mushrooms research, having worked in the natural health field since’96. He partners with Cordyceps Reishi Extract, LLC, a business offering premium grade medicinal mushroom products including Phellinus linteus extract. For article references, go the Phellinus linteus reference page.
Tags: Biology, cancer, disease, Diseases, healing, herbal, herbs, medicine, mens, nature, nutrition, prostate cancer, research, Supplements, wellness
Posted in Diseases · November 16th, 2009 · Comments (0)
Sea turtles have long been endangered or threatened and there are only seven kinds of sea turtles remaining in the world, as a result of hunting and pollution. Then again the population of sea turtles just exploded at San Diego’s SeaWorld.
In October 82 eggs hatched.. Before this the last successful hatching took place at SeaWorld in 2003 but there were merely 21 sea turtles. Park staff had incubated the eggs to try and increase the chances of hatching and after 21, staff felt they were triumphant.
Well this time around the Park Staff decided not to incubate them and let nature do its thing. The baby sea turtles hatched on Shipwreck Beach without any assistance from park staff. On October 5 the turtles made their way out of ping pong sized eggs.. Ever since, the babies have been steadily growing and will be on display at the park before 2010.
Seeing as so many eggs hatched this year at SeaWorld the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will establish whether the new turtles stay at SeaWorld and if the turtles will be allowed to breed again next year. There are already 30 adult sea turtles at the park counting three green females and one male. These adults vary in age between 40 and 50 but they normally live to be over 100 years.
These turtles are in their peak for reproduction which means the park doesn’t know if these baby turtles are from the same mother or several. All three females had buried eggs in the sand on the beach. So in order to determine who the mother is, the baby sea turtles will be undergoing genetic testing. Staff will also be digging up Shipwreck Beach in order to see how many eggs failed to hatch.
Little is known about sea turtles but experts know they mate in the water, then go up onto the sand. While on the sand the female will dig three different holes in order to fool predators but they end up laying their eggs in only one hole.
The nest in the sand normally holds between 100 and 120 eggs. Then the eggs develop in the sand for three months. While the eggs are incubating, the temperature of the sand determines the gender of each baby.. The babies when they hatch only weigh a few grams but can weigh in at 250 pounds by the age of 20. The babies diet consists of squid, krill, shrimp, and special pellets provided by SeaWorld staff.
Although there are only seven species of sea turtles and they are all in danger of extinction or threatened; these babies will help make a bounce back. Since humans are the major problem for this species it will take a lot in order to be removed from the endangered list but sea turtles are slowly making their way back.
Diane Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Utah. She likes to write about the news, politics, college degrees, Continuing Education, and the college experience.
Tags: Biology, endangered species, marine life, pets, sea turtles
Posted in Our Pets · November 12th, 2009 · Comments (0)