I recently watched a new film "Fantastic Fungi" which is all about the amazing world of Mushrooms and Mycelium and the role they play in our own health and also that of the necessity they offer to sustain the health of our planet.
Mushrooms are miniature pharmaceutical factories, and of the thousands of mushroom species in nature, our ancestors and modern scientists have identified several dozen that have a unique combination of talents - Paul Stamets
The age of the Earth is about 4.54 billion years and the earliest known life forms are microfossils of bacteria which first appeared over 3.4 billion years ago. Did you know that the discovery of these microbial fossils were actually found in sandstone right here, in Western Australia!
We have evidence of these microbial life forms dating back and subsequently surviving through all that happened over time, including ice ages, dark ages and extinction of other life forms. This is further evidence that Fungi can survive through the ability to adapt to its environment and alter its ways that ensure it can not only live but flourish and help the environment to benefit from its presence.
The awareness of how this bacteria helped the health of its own environment transcended into the recent history on earth dating back to around 3 - 7 thousand years ago. This evolved fungi was put to use in the treatment of what we now know as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and used to improve the health of us, humans!
TCM has been used for thousands of years and the use of medicinal mushrooms has been a big part of this. There was an ancient manuscript discovered around 5000 years ago that details the use of Reishi. It's no wonder why we are now seeing further evidence of the benefits of having medicinal mushrooms daily. Even studies in western medicine are now reporting benefits of certain varieties! The extensive list of benefits is incredible and range from anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, improved cognitive function, immunity support, organ health, improved energy, reducing anxiety and stress, and so much more. One major area of attention is its use against tumors and cancer cells.
Turkey Tail is one of the varieties that is getting a lot of attention and recognition as a genuine medicinal mushroom. This wonderful fungi has a long list of medicinal properties and we love this variety. Now back to the amazing movie we recently watched. Fantastic Fungi had the incredibly talented Mycologist, Paul Stamets, sharing his endless wisdom and knowledge on all things fungi! There was one part of the movie that really grabbed me, and that was his video about his elderly mother who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. I wont go into any more detail, so please click on the below link and see for yourself!
Hope you enjoy and share the benefits of what these timeless microbial marvels can do for not only us, but the planet!
We just saw this movie too! It was fantastic, so interesting