Of an estimated 2.2 to 3.8 million species of fungi on Earth, only about 4 percent have been documented and described. The interactions between fungi and humans are ancient — fungi have been around for about 1 billion years, according to a recent discovery based on fossils collected in northern Canada by an international team of researchers. The previous estimate was about 460 million years. This research shows that fungi appeared on land prior to the evolution of flowering plants, prior to the rise of insects, and long before the evolution of mammals. Other research shows that our distant ancestors were interacting with fungi. It’s no wonder, then, that we have developed sensors throughout our bodies to detect the presence of fungi. Since then, the scientific research and publication on the myriad ways fungi interact with our immune system and other body systems, as well as their disease-preventing and healing properties, have grown tremendously. Currently, the published scientific

The term “medicinal mushroom” is used to draw snickers and knowing glances, but these days science is recognizing legitimate medicinal uses for mushrooms.   Reishi mushrooms have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, and western science is just beginning to explore their many uses. Medicinal mushrooms such as reishi, chaga, maitake, turkey tail, and shiitake contain both water-soluble components, known as polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble components known as triterpenes.    For this reason, medicines made from reishi mushrooms often include a double extraction.   This two-step process combines alcohol and water extracts to maximize the medicinal benefits. REISHI MUSHROOM TINCTURE BENEFITS OF REISHI MUSHROOM TINCTURE Reishi’s water-soluble polysaccharides have been shown to boost immune response, especially in relation to cancer cells.   Studies show that “The polysaccharides from G. lucidum are believed to trigger an indirect antitumor mechanism in which the host i