Our Medicinal Mushrooms

Our Medicinal Mushrooms

Our Medicinal Mushrooms

Since ancient times mushrooms have been known for their healing properites. Ötzi, the prehistoric hunter killed by an arrow in the back five thousand years ago was found in a glacier of the Austrian Alps in 1990 with a Tinder Fungus (Fomes fomentarius) to carry incandescent ashes and a birch polypore (Polyporus betulinus ) probably for healing . Scientific research has decisively linked definite health benefits with the presence of certain bioactive agents, notably polysaccharides of mushroom cell walls : β-glucans. To name just a few species indigenous to the North East, Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum and tsugae on the picture) and Maitake (Grifola frondosa) contain anti-inflammatory (sterols), anti-microbial and immuno-modulating substances. Reishi, Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) and Turkey tail (Trametes versicolore) have anti-tumor and anti-oxidant components. Numerous gastronomical species like Oysters (Pleurotus ostreatus), Lion’s mane (Hydnum erinaceum) and Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake) harbor, respectively, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor and immuno-modulating molecules. At the Mycoboutique, we offer a variety of regional and wild mushrooms with healing properties.

Source : Poucheret, P. et al. 2006