Agarikon (Fomitopsis officinalis) - Tree Fungus Tested at Army Lab
In a fascinating broadcast on National Public Radio, internationally renowned medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets tells his story of discovering the medicinal potential of agarikon, an extremely rare and threatened species of wood conk that requires century-old trees to grow. Agarikon is today all but extinct in Europe, its remaining distribution limited to the old growth forests on the North American West Coast.
Knowing that mushrooms are susceptible to many of the same microbes as humans, how could it be, he asked himself, that this perennial wood conk managed to stay healthy for 50 years in the dripping wet rain forest without rotting? It must have a powerful immune system, he concluded, with potentially powerful medicinal compounds that could benefit humans.
Agarikon in the wild looks somewhat like a beehive on the trunk of some of the giant, ancient trees of the old-growth forests of the American northwest. (See picture of Paul Stamets with one of these wood conks by clicking on the agarikon-link on this page.) Be aware that this is an endangered species, which should be left unharmed in the wild. But be sure to bring your digital camera so you can prove to your mushroom club friends that you saw it.
Using a proprietary extraction method on his organically cultivated agarikon, Stamets created an agarikon medicinal. He sent a sample of it to the Defense Department for testing within the BIO Shield Program, at a top security lab facility in Ft. Dietrich, Maryland. The BIO Shield Program is dedicated to finding remedies for use against bioterrorism threats and potential biological warfare agents, such as anthrax or smallpox.
Within this BIO Shield Program, tens of thousands of natural and manmade compounds have been tested for use against biological warfare pathogens. Drug discovery supervisor John Seacrest was happy to report on the radio show that the agarikon extract provided by Stamets had indeed been one of the few substances tested that had proved effective against smallpox related viruses.
In lieu of this discovery, Stamets has applied for a patent to a mushroom related anti-viral drug. One of his sponsors is Boston investor John Norris. As Mr. Norris so correctly points out, not everybody is willing or able to be vaccinated.
A former second in command at the FDA, Mr. Norris is hopeful that he and Paul Stamets will be able to sell hundreds of millions of doses of this agarikon extract to the American, German and British armies' defense stock-piles.
However, that may still be a few years off. This new mushroom-based anti-viral drug must first go through many lab trials and then gain final approval by the FDA.
Note: This article is intended to provide entertainment and information only. Do not use this or any other herbal or mushroom-based product for medicinal purposes unless advised by a licensed medical doctor.
Reference: NPR Morning Edition, Smallpox Defense May Be Found in Mushrooms by Tom Banse, August 4, 2005. - 17269
Knowing that mushrooms are susceptible to many of the same microbes as humans, how could it be, he asked himself, that this perennial wood conk managed to stay healthy for 50 years in the dripping wet rain forest without rotting? It must have a powerful immune system, he concluded, with potentially powerful medicinal compounds that could benefit humans.
Agarikon in the wild looks somewhat like a beehive on the trunk of some of the giant, ancient trees of the old-growth forests of the American northwest. (See picture of Paul Stamets with one of these wood conks by clicking on the agarikon-link on this page.) Be aware that this is an endangered species, which should be left unharmed in the wild. But be sure to bring your digital camera so you can prove to your mushroom club friends that you saw it.
Using a proprietary extraction method on his organically cultivated agarikon, Stamets created an agarikon medicinal. He sent a sample of it to the Defense Department for testing within the BIO Shield Program, at a top security lab facility in Ft. Dietrich, Maryland. The BIO Shield Program is dedicated to finding remedies for use against bioterrorism threats and potential biological warfare agents, such as anthrax or smallpox.
Within this BIO Shield Program, tens of thousands of natural and manmade compounds have been tested for use against biological warfare pathogens. Drug discovery supervisor John Seacrest was happy to report on the radio show that the agarikon extract provided by Stamets had indeed been one of the few substances tested that had proved effective against smallpox related viruses.
In lieu of this discovery, Stamets has applied for a patent to a mushroom related anti-viral drug. One of his sponsors is Boston investor John Norris. As Mr. Norris so correctly points out, not everybody is willing or able to be vaccinated.
A former second in command at the FDA, Mr. Norris is hopeful that he and Paul Stamets will be able to sell hundreds of millions of doses of this agarikon extract to the American, German and British armies' defense stock-piles.
However, that may still be a few years off. This new mushroom-based anti-viral drug must first go through many lab trials and then gain final approval by the FDA.
Note: This article is intended to provide entertainment and information only. Do not use this or any other herbal or mushroom-based product for medicinal purposes unless advised by a licensed medical doctor.
Reference: NPR Morning Edition, Smallpox Defense May Be Found in Mushrooms by Tom Banse, August 4, 2005. - 17269
About the Author:
About the author: Dr. Rafael has worked in natural health since 1996, specializing in medicinal mushrooms. Click Agarikon Mushrooms for picture of agarikon, mushroom products, free mushroom articles, or to request unique copies of medicinal mushroom articles for your own web-site or magazine / ezine. Click Fomitopsis officinalis for scientific research references about agarikon.
posted by X - Men at
12:16 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home