Mushrooms That Fight Cancer

A recent mushroom study funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) proves what Traditional East Asian Medicine has known for centuries.

The Turkey Tail mushroom, found throughout the world, (Asia, North America and Europe) was tested on immune cells to determine how it aids the immune system.

The extract was used to treat immune cells isolated from the blood taken from nine healthy human volunteers, and cultured in vitro. The results showed that the blood cells treated developed more immunologically-relevant proteins, including those specifically known to regulate immune responses.

According to Mushroom Science, the Turkey Tail has been widely used in Asia to support overall good health. Its medicinal properties, it is believed, are used in traditional herbalism hot water extracts to get rid of phlegm, treat pulmonary infections, promote liver health, and to treat stomach cancer.

The results will now be used to see how exactly this information can be used to use mushrooms to treat cancer, and other diseases - including AIDS.