Guest Speaker 2018: All About Mushrooms….

Although we have a number of tutors on our books, at the end of Easter School every year we like to give the students a breath of fresh air and provide them with a guest speaker who will bring new insights on a particular area of herbal medicine, or being in practice. Last year it was Joe Nasr with his enthusiastic approach to Pharmacy, this year we were very fortunate to acquire the expertise of another very busy man: Stuart FitzSimons. Stuart has studied medicinal mushrooms in great depth, and continues to do so. He gave an overview of –

1. how mushrooms have been cultivated and used throughout history

2. the value of beta glucans

3. the unique qualities of polysaccharides and how they ‘work’

4. how mushroom extracts have shown to work in cancer

5. and how valuable scientific research in mushroom therapy

6. how effective natural was sidelined as chemotherapy was introduced

We banged a Ganoderma lucidum [reishi] on the table; it had been made as hard as plastic by the beta glucans present:

Depending on the environmental or cultivation conditions the reishi can lose its umbrella shape and resemble antlers instead. These were also as hard as plastic:

Yes, this also is reishi.

We chewed our way through some soft Cordyceps militaris, 

This wasn’t the Ophiocordyceps sinensis [Cordyceps] which grows by parasitizing insect hosts, but the Cordyceps militaris instead.

These two have been used as food and medicine throughout recorded history, especially in the East, but the Trametes/Coriolus versicolor [Turkey Tail] is not really a chosen species for food. Although it has much orthodox clinical research behind it and is a common fungi, it remains one of the least known in medicinal herbal circles.

If you want to know about the extensive scientific research and trials that have been carried out on medicinal fungi, the many effective ways you can use them, and if you want to be informed of the contraindications for use, then book Stuart to talk to you too. You won’t regret it…