Interviewed on NPR, world leading medicinal mushroom specialist Paul Stamets relates how he came to discover the healing properties of agarikon, an increasingly rare wood conk that has all but vanished from Europe and now grows almost exclusively in the old growth rainforests of the northwestern United States.
Scientists have known for some time that mushrooms are not plants. Far from it. They are more closely related to animals and humans then they are to the vegetables we eat. Because of that, they are often at risk from the same bacteria and other "bugs" that cause diseases in humans. Being well aware of this fact, Stamets asked himself how agarikon - a perennial mushroom living for up to 50 years - managed to fight off diseases so well in the perpetually wet rainforests. It must possess a potent immune system, he concluded, with potential anti-bacterial and anti-viral compounds that may act as antibiotics for humans.
Stamets describes the agarikon conk as looking like a bee hive when viewed from the ground. Remember, they grow on the trunks of ancient tree giants, sometimes high up. (Use the agarikon-link on this page to view a picture of Paul Stamets holding an agarikon mushroom.) Please be aware that this is a threatened species and should be left alone in most cases. Just get out your digital camera if you are lucky enough to find a specimen. (Otherwise, no one may believe you.)
Paul Stamets now grows his own agarikon, which he uses for his agarikon extract. A sample of this extract was sent to the BIO Shield Program for testing at a top security lab located in Ft. Dietrich, MD. The BIO Shield Program is a division within the Defense Department created to search for remedies against biological warfare agents and bioterrorism threats - e.g. pathogens like smallpox or anthrax.
Within this BIO Shield Program, tens of thousands of natural and manmade compounds have been tested for use against biological warfare pathogens. Drug discovery supervisor John Seacrest was happy to report on the radio show that the agarikon extract provided by Stamets had indeed been one of the few substances tested that had proved effective against smallpox related viruses.
Paul Stamets has since applied for a patent on a mushroom-based anti-viral drug. Boston investor John Norris is one of his financial backers. Mr. Norris believes in the project due in part to the fact that some individuals simply are not willing or not able to be vaccinated against smallpox or other potential biological warfare agents.
As a former second at the FDA, John Norris should know enough about the field of medicine. And obviously, his belief in Paul Stamets agarikon extract is strong enough to put his money where his mouth is. His goal is that they may someday sell this agarikon extract for the defense stock-piles of NATO armies, with doses numbering in the hundreds of millions.
That may, however, still be a few years in the making. First the product needs to go through further exhaustive lab trials as well as gain FDA approval.
Note: The above article is intended for informational purposes only. Agarikon has not been approved by the FDA for use as a medicinal. Never use any herbal or mushroom-product for medicinal purposes unless advice to do so by a licensed medical practitioner.
Reference: Banse, T., NPR Morning Edition, Smallpox Defense May Be Found in Mushrooms, August 4, 2005. - 14130
Scientists have known for some time that mushrooms are not plants. Far from it. They are more closely related to animals and humans then they are to the vegetables we eat. Because of that, they are often at risk from the same bacteria and other "bugs" that cause diseases in humans. Being well aware of this fact, Stamets asked himself how agarikon - a perennial mushroom living for up to 50 years - managed to fight off diseases so well in the perpetually wet rainforests. It must possess a potent immune system, he concluded, with potential anti-bacterial and anti-viral compounds that may act as antibiotics for humans.
Stamets describes the agarikon conk as looking like a bee hive when viewed from the ground. Remember, they grow on the trunks of ancient tree giants, sometimes high up. (Use the agarikon-link on this page to view a picture of Paul Stamets holding an agarikon mushroom.) Please be aware that this is a threatened species and should be left alone in most cases. Just get out your digital camera if you are lucky enough to find a specimen. (Otherwise, no one may believe you.)
Paul Stamets now grows his own agarikon, which he uses for his agarikon extract. A sample of this extract was sent to the BIO Shield Program for testing at a top security lab located in Ft. Dietrich, MD. The BIO Shield Program is a division within the Defense Department created to search for remedies against biological warfare agents and bioterrorism threats - e.g. pathogens like smallpox or anthrax.
Within this BIO Shield Program, tens of thousands of natural and manmade compounds have been tested for use against biological warfare pathogens. Drug discovery supervisor John Seacrest was happy to report on the radio show that the agarikon extract provided by Stamets had indeed been one of the few substances tested that had proved effective against smallpox related viruses.
Paul Stamets has since applied for a patent on a mushroom-based anti-viral drug. Boston investor John Norris is one of his financial backers. Mr. Norris believes in the project due in part to the fact that some individuals simply are not willing or not able to be vaccinated against smallpox or other potential biological warfare agents.
As a former second at the FDA, John Norris should know enough about the field of medicine. And obviously, his belief in Paul Stamets agarikon extract is strong enough to put his money where his mouth is. His goal is that they may someday sell this agarikon extract for the defense stock-piles of NATO armies, with doses numbering in the hundreds of millions.
That may, however, still be a few years in the making. First the product needs to go through further exhaustive lab trials as well as gain FDA approval.
Note: The above article is intended for informational purposes only. Agarikon has not been approved by the FDA for use as a medicinal. Never use any herbal or mushroom-product for medicinal purposes unless advice to do so by a licensed medical practitioner.
Reference: Banse, T., NPR Morning Edition, Smallpox Defense May Be Found in Mushrooms, August 4, 2005. - 14130
About the Author:
About author: Dr. Markho Rafael has worked with natural health products since 1996, specializing in medicinal mushrooms. Click Agarikon Mushroom for agarikon-photo, mushroom products, free mushroom articles, or to request unique copies of medicinal mushroom articles for your own web-site or magazine / ezine. Click Fomitopsis medicinal for scientific references about agarikon.
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