Fans of Super Mario play with them. Doctors examine them. Chefs around the world prepare meals using them. They appear overnight, disappear quickly and do not leave any trace of their presence. Students of this world are called mycologists and currently, the mycobacterium is being studied as a possibility of treatment for cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other psychological disorders.
Mushrooms, also known as toadstools are fleshy, spongy bodies of fungi that are found above ground on soil or on a food source. They are distinct from the world of plants within a kingdom all their own known as Myceteae since they do not contain chlorophyll as green plants do.
In the absence of the photosynthesis process, some mushrooms obtain nutrients by breaking down organic matter or by taking nutrients from higher plants. These are known as decomposers. Another type of plant attack is in order to kill and consume their food, and is referred to as parasites. Both poisonous and edible species are mycorrhizal, and they are found on or near tree roots like oaks, pines and firs.
For humans, the mushrooms can be able to do three things: nourish heal, nourish or poison. Some are harmless. The three most popular edible versions of this'meat from the world of vegetables' are the oyster the morel, chanterelles, and the oyster.
They are widely used in cuisine from China, Korea, Japan and India. In fact, China is the world's largest producer , generating more than 50% of the mushrooms consumed globally. The majority of the edible mushrooms we find that we buy in supermarkets are grown commercially on farms and include portobello, shiitake, and the enoki.
Eastern medicine, particularly conventional Chinese techniques, has been using mushrooms for long periods of time. In the U.S., studies were conducted in the early '60s for ways to improve the immune system and to reduce the growth of tumors using extracts that were used in cancer research.
Mushrooms were also used ritually by the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica for many thousands of years. The 'flesh' was referred to as gods' by Aztecs, mushrooms were widely consumed during religious ceremonies of societies across the Americas. Cave paintings in Spain and Algeria depict ritualized consumption that dates to as early as 9000 years ago. Inquired by Christian authorities from each side of the Atlantic The use of psilocybin was suppressed until Western psychiatry rediscovered it after World War II.
An article published that appeared in Life Magazine titled "Seeking the Magic Mushroom" brought about the interest of America. The next year an Swiss scientist named Albert Hofman, identified psilocybin and psilocin as active compounds in the 'magic' mushrooms. This led to the formation of the Harvard Psilocybin Project led by American psychologist Timothy Leary at Harvard University to study the effects of the compound on humans.
In the following quarter century in the following quarter century, more than 40,000 patients received Psilocybin, as well as other hallucinogens, like LSD as well as mescaline. There were more than 1000 research articles produced. Once the government took notice of the growing subculture that was open to adopting the use and enacted regulations.
The Nixon Administration began regulations, that comprised regulations pertaining to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. The law established five schedules of increasing intensity under which drugs were classifiable. Psilocybin was placed in the most strict schedule I along with cannabis and MDMA. Each was classified as having a "high potential for abuse, no currently acceptable medical use and a lack of accepted safety."
The study was ended after nearly 25 years until recently when studies opened up for potential use in dealing with or solving PTSD-post-traumatic anxiety disorder as well as stress issues. As of June 2014 whole or extracted mushrooms have been investigated in 32 clinical trials registered with the U.S. National Institutes of Health to determine their impacts on a range of diseases and conditions. The diseases being studied include glaucoma, cancer immune functions and inflammatory bowel diseases.
The most controversial research area involves the study of psilocybin which is the chemical that occurs naturally in certain mushrooms. Its ability to help sufferers of psychological disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder PTSD as well as anxiety is currently being studied. Psilocybin has been proven to be effective in treating addiction issues to cigarettes and alcohol in a few studies.
Although fungus has been a fascination for the public for centuries now, it might finally be coming into a new era where its healing properties and undiscovered qualities are being discovered. It is possible that the fungus could be the answer to some long ago locked mysteries and ailments.
A lot of people love mushrooms, especially when sauteed in a nice steak. But did you know that there are certain kinds of mushrooms that can infect nasal passages?
The mushrooms we're discussing here aren't the kind used as food, however they are part of the genus known as fungi, including certain types of molds. Fungi are organisms that are similar to plants, but unlike true plants, they can't create their own food via the process of photosynthesis. Usually these types of fungi reside in our humid, warm nasal passages without causing any difficulties. If however, the body's resistance to these fungi is low, the organisms can cause harm.
Fungi typically feed on dead organic matter. This is the reason why they are found living at the roots of trees and in the leaves' carpet composting on a forest floor. Fungi prefer cold, dim, wet areas, similar to nasal passages. Sometimes, fungi feed on living organisms like the mucus membranes in the sinus and nasal passages. When that happens, these membranes get inflamed and become infected.
Molds are a kind of micro-sized fungi that are related to mushrooms. To reproduce they release spores which can sail through the air like pollen. The type of fungi that they are can be found all year long across a variety of regions. They're affected by weather - when's warm and humid, or warm and humid it's possible to see more growth of mold. This is among the reasons why it can be essential to manage the humidity of a home, to reduce the possibility of mold growing within the walls, specifically on building materials that contain lots of cellulose (once again, this is a product that is derived from wood, the kind which outdoor fungi are fond of eating).
Common types of mold found indoors are Aspergillus and its subspecies (A. Flavus, A. Versicolor) Cladosporium, Penicillium; Alternaria and the harmful "Black Mold, " Stachybotrys Atra (S. Atra). Any of these indoor molds could be tiny fungi that can infect the sinuses. Sometimes , they cause symptoms which are extremely harmful for the human body. The best way to avoid such an infection is by taking steps to stop their development in the home, and also by practicing good health practices, including regular hand washing as well as other forms of hygiene.
If you do become infected, see your doctor immediately. If you suspect that the fungus has invaded your home, you should consult an expert in building to conduct tests. It's safer instead of suffering from a fungal infection.
Disclaimer This article is intended meant to be used for information only and is not intended to diagnose, advise or address any issue at all. If you think or suspect you might have a health condition, contact your primary physician to seek diagnosis, advice and treatment. This article is not a medical advice. USFDA has not reviewed statements regarding any products mentioned in this article. |What would you ever have believed that certain kinds of mushrooms have magical health benefits? Studies conducted by Associate Professor Min Zhang, School of Population Health at the University of Western Australia on the beneficial effects of eating mushrooms for women in China, proves that they do, The Agaricus mushroom family has a special magic, which has been largely ignored, that could provide us with a healthy high.
Current Research
Research conducted jointly by Zhang from The University of Western Australia http://ukmagicmushroomsdispensary.co.uk/ and Zhejiang university in China, found that eating mushrooms and drinking green tea may protect against breast cancer. Zhang said that cancer of the breast was among the frequent form of cancer that women suffer from worldwide and that its rate increased in both developing and developed countries. Interestingly, the incidence for cancers in China was four or five times lower than advanced countries. The study hoped to show if this could be due to the use fresh and dried mushrooms and green leaf tea as part of China's traditional Chinese diet. Mushrooms, mushroom extracts and green tea have been shown to possess anti-carcinogenic properties that were thought to boost immune response against breast cancer.
The consumption of mushrooms and green tea by more than 2,000 women aged from 20 to 87 in the relatively wealthy southeast of China, was monitored. Half of the women were healthy and the rest had been diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time of interview, it was found that fresh white button mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus, and aromatic dried mushrooms, like Lentinula edodes were the most commonly eaten species of mushroom. Some of the women in the study consumed neither mushrooms nor green tea . However, others consumed both three times a day.
The study's results demonstrated that the combination of dietary intake of mushrooms as well as green tea reduced the risk of developing breast cancer, with the additional benefit of lessening