Medicinal mushrooms have been utilized among cultures across geographies for centuries. There is a wide range of evidence of their use as foods, medicines and as religious sacraments. Some examples include Aztec and Mayan ceremonial depictions and icons. Within the Judeo-Christian tradition, a 13th century Tree of Life fresco at Abbaye de Plaincourault in Mérigny, France is portrayed with mushrooms. Depictions of the Chinese goddess Kuan Yin; stories of Soma from the Indian Vedas; and the Iceman Ötzi from the Austria-Italian Alps are other interesting cases.
Traditional uses of medicinal mushrooms versus evidence based research
Traditional uses of medicinal mushrooms have been touted for all kinds of ailments and spiritual needs. Accounts of cultural uses, are however, highly anecdotal and sometimes questionable. Therefore, it is important for both the clinician and consumer to be able to appreciate the traditional and cultural significances while focusing on the evidence-based studies.
Current research on medicinal mushrooms is growing
Modern science is currently investigating the unique role medicinal mushrooms play in heath and healing. This is particularly notable in countries like Japan and China where medicinal mushrooms have held an important place in both the pharmacopeia and spiritual practices for over a thousand years. It is exciting to be able to share this information as it relates to physiology, neurology, endocrinology, immunology, digestion and more.
A variety of topics to look forward to
The following articles take a clear evidence-based focus. Some articles discuss the applications that medicinal mushrooms play in autoimmune disorders, cancer healing, endocrine support or general health. There are obvious limitations in the research as human trials and double-blind studies are not performed in life threatening illnesses such as cancer. Other articles are philosophically and ethnographically focused. Personally, I find the similarities between fungi mycelium structures and the human nervous system as networks to be fascinating.
I will focus primarily on medicinal mushrooms I use clinically with patients such as reishi, turkey tail, lion’s mane, cordyceps, shiitake, maitake, chaga and others.
