Ever wonder about the nutritional value of a mushroom? As it turns out, this fabulous forgotten food has more medicinal qualities than just about anything you can eat. Mushrooms have been used in folk medicine and traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. But they are also widely adopted in modern, Western medicine. Many of the world’s leading pharmaceuticals are derived from mushrooms. Most of the antibiotics we use today, including streptomycin and tetracycline, come from fungal extracts. PSK, a well-known cancer treatment, comes from turkey tail mushrooms. Cyclosporine, the immuno-suppressant drug that made organ transplants possible, is derived from mushrooms. And Lovastatin, the most widely prescribed drug for high cholesterol, originally came from oyster mushrooms.
Eric Cerecedes, botanist and founder of MycoFormulas, said the medicinal value of mushrooms stems from their unique place in the natural world. They are neither plants nor animals. “Mushrooms are more closely related to humans than they are to plants,” he said. “They breathe in oxygen, and they breathe out carbon dioxide just like humans. Fungi are affected by the same pathogens as humans, so mushrooms produce high concentrations of antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal compounds. You can’t get the same from plants or from plant-based supplements.
” At MycoFormulas, they grow organic medicinal mushrooms in a controlled environment and make mushroom-based supplements that are third-party tested and accurately measured for potency. “We have the technology now to actually measure the concentration of targeted active compounds,” Eric said. “So we can substantiate the potency and consistency of our products that you can’t get with many supplements, or with mushrooms straight from the woods because potency can vary from batch to batch.” What you get with MycoFormulas is a concentrated source of bio-active compounds, from more than 200 naturally occurring mushroom molecules. None of the MycoFormulas contain any fillers or artificial ingredients. In fact, the ingredients list is simple: just organic mushroom powder. MycoFormulas Immune Support uses 10 of the most potent medicinal mushrooms in the world to optimize overall immune system performance. MycoFormulas Endurance combines three potent medicinal mushrooms that enhance intracellular energy exchange, increase oxygenation and naturally sustain endurance. MycoFormulas Memory features the Lion’s Mane mushroom that supports healthy brain function and day-to-day mental clarity.
“There are over 2,000 varieties of mushrooms that are medicinal and edible, but we only eat two or three,” Eric said. “And even those are rarely a part of the everyday diet. It’s too bad because you can’t get these compounds anywhere else in nature. With mushrooms, what they’re doing, in a more sophisticated way, is immune modulation to help protect the body. It’s a natural boost for the immune system that’s been excluded from the modern diet for 100 years.”
Learn more about mushrooms on Wednesday, April 12th, 6 to 7:30 PM, at Meadowsweet Herbs, 180 S 3rd St W, Missoula, MT. Call to let us know you can make it, (406) 728-0543.
