Until recently, the only mushrooms most Americans had seen were bland, factory-grown white button mushrooms in blue styrofoam containers found in grocery stores.
Thankfully times have changed.
As awareness has grown and demand has increased, numerous varieties of mushrooms are now offered in many supermarkets. More and more people are discovering the unique flavors and properties of fungi.
Did you know that fungi appear to communicate by electric impulses, according to a study from the University of West England?
Also. mushrooms can grow and expand for miles under the ground. In fact, the largest known living organism on the earth is a single honey mushroom. It’s around 3.5 miles wide and occupies approximately 2,385 acres in the Malheur National Forest, Oregon, USA. This mushroom is estimated to be at least 2,400 years old, but it could easily be much more. The network of mushrooms underground is called mycelium. The mycelium links and supports the plant ecosystem, distributing nutrients and modulating the environment to make all of the plants function more harmonically. This information has fomented a radical change in the ways scientists think about ecological interaction; it’s a movement away from the survival of the fittest to a community model with systems of mutual benefit.
Another startling factoid: fungi are genetically closer to humans than plants. Think that over!
In 1991, hikers discovered a 5,300-year-old mummified body in the Italian Alps. Interestingly, “Otzi”, as the mummified man was later named, was carrying two different types of mushrooms, suggesting that humans have known how to use mushrooms for thousands of years. Once again, our culture is discovering that the “better living through chemistry” practices of the 20th century often threw the baby out with the bathwater. Science has improved life in many ways, but in many ways, our health is also worse off for it. Our understanding of ecosystems is changing back to integration rather than domination, and the benefit of integrating ourselves into them is readily apparent.
According to research performed at Harvard University (Harvard) mushrooms are powerhouses of nutrients, containing vitamins B2, B3, folate, and B5, as well as phosphorus, vitamin D, selenium, copper, potassium, and a large number of complex myconutrients that have demonstrated the ability to decrease the risk of cancer, promote lower cholesterol, protect brain health, and support a healthy immune system.
George’s protégé Will Sarante is a brilliant massage therapist who is also a wildcrafter. He and his partner harvest wild mushrooms in rural Maine while they are naturally in season. George decided to offer these to his clients. We are offering two types: ground Chaga and Turkey Tail Tincture.
Chaga Mushroom is high in antioxidants. Studies suggest that Chaga may be beneficial for lowering cholesterol levels, slowing cancer growth, supporting immune function, and reducing blood pressure. It brews into a liquid that tastes very much like black tea. Research
Turkey Tail Mushroom: is known primarily for its immune-boosting
properties. Despite being called a “system”, the immune system isn’t a system at all; immunity happens between multiple, maybe all systems. The effects of mushrooms are multi-systemic – perhaps because nobody told the mushrooms, or the body, that anything in the body could be separated from anything else. Studies have shown Turkey tail to be helpful in supporting cancer treatments, and it’s also been used to support gut and liver health, balance blood sugar, and increase stamina. Research
Most people understand that healthy, clean foods are the best medicine. Mushrooms are foods that are powerhouses of antioxidants and nutrients. They can help make your diet, and therefore your self, healthier.
You can get these supplements at our office. Ask me. – Matthew Wilder