Videos about Medicinal Mushrooms

Although more than 2,000 years ago and the composition ofReishiwasn’t known, inhabitants of Asia used it for the treatment of many health problems. Thanks to its effects, the mushroom acquired its nickname - the mushroom of immortality. Its effects and impact on human health and its use have been described in many historical written sources. Reishi is also mentioned in the ”Herbarium”Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, which dates back to the time of the Eastern Han dynasty, that is 25−220 A.D. This book has been continually upgraded and amended by incorporating other newly discovered Reishi capabilities. You can find more information in our Mushroom Collection.

Surviving ancient stories describe how yak herders discovered the effectsof Cordyceps. The animals, which – besides grass - ate Cordyceps and were more vital, stronger healthier and also more potent. Of course, this led yak herders to use this fungus themselves. Written historical records, which we have at our disposal, date back to about 620 A.D. They’re included in Chinese herbariums. For the Western world, Cordyceps were only "discovered" in  1726. It was introduced to experts at the mycological conference held in Paris at that time. It was mentioned in  mycological atlases, but its effects were unknown, which only changed more than two centuries later. In 1964,Cordyceps were classified as herbal medicine in contemporary Chinese pharmacology. You can find more information in our Mushroom Collection.

Maitakeis undoubtedly best known in Asia, where it’s used in preparation of dishes and where its therapeutic effects have been known for thousands of years. Historical sources explain why it’s also called dancing mushroom (translation from Japanese), as it was a huge piece of luck to find this mushroom and “mushroom pickers” literally danced with joy over their "catch". Traditional Chinese medicine has been using effects ofMaitake for a very long time. It’s described in historical sources from the Han dynasty era (206–210 A.D.) and it’s also in the ”Chinese herbarium” Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. Even today the interest in this mushroom isn’t decreasing, on the contrary, as many studies confirm its positive impact on human health, it has been grown artificially, commercially since the 1980s. You can find more information in our Mushroom Collection.

This mushroom was already known about 4,000 years ago, when it was used by Mesopotamians, Egyptians and Chinese, etc. Chaga is also described in the Chinese “herbarium” Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. In Russia and in Siberia, it was used both for treatments and  shamanic rituals and in particular by the Khanto/Oystak people, who also gave it the name most commonly used today. Chagu was also enjoyed by the tsar Vladimir Monomach or Rasputin... The mushroom was also mentioned by Solzhenitsyn in his book Cancer Ward.Chaga was also known to the original inhabitants of Japan, the Ainu people. They used it to brew tea, which they used to drink for digestive problems and stomach pains, etc. And they also used powder from the dried mushroom for religious rituals. You can find more information in our Mushroom Collection.

Hericium is an edible and very tasty mushroom. It has its role in Asian gastronomy. It’s both a food and a remedy, which is mainly used in traditional medicines in Asia, including the Chinese one. Nevertheless, it was also known by Native Americans, there is proof that they always carried it with them in the form of powder and used its healing powers in treating open wounds, especially for  disinfection and to stop bleeding. The mushroom was “scientifically” documented only in 18th century by two mycologists, the first one was Francis J. B. F. Bulliard, who named it Hydnum erinaceus, the second one was Ch. H. Persoon, who gave its currently used name Hericium in 1797. You can find more information in our Mushroom Collection.

Coriolus is long known from past times. Compact texts from 1368 A.D., that’s from  the period of ancient China and the Ming dynasty, state that Coriolus was used for enhancing both physical and mental health and strengthening the energy qi. Coriolus is still used as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine. Scientists only discovered it in the 60.−1970s. At that time, a Japanese scientist helped to extract a polysaccharide from  Coriolus, which was named PKS, and which was soon proved to have immunostimulatory effects. Further attempts in 1965 confirmed that PKS even has antitumour effects. In Japan around 1980, it was first used in practice , when it was added to the standard anticancer treatment. The same applies to Korea, where Coriolus is administered to 70% patients with cancer.  Since the1990s, many clinical studies have been performed, which confirmed the efficacy ofCoriolus. You can find more information in our Mushroom Collection.