Cloud Mushroom

[Guest Vlad]

In one of the Guill's articles they praise the medicinal properties of the Turkey-tail Mushroom. I like the name Cloud Mushroom, which is what the Chinese name translates to. I have not found it growing in quantity in my neck of the woods but have tried it. I think it has a pleasant aroma and flavor when used to brew a tea. I air dry the mushroom then keep it an air tight container. I hand crush some caps and brew a tea. Here is an excerpt from one of Guill’s articles:

Coriolus versicolor (formerly Trametes versicolor, Polyporus versicolor) is a mushroom which grows on tree trunks. This mushroom has long been treasured in the East; in Japan it is known as kawaratake (“mushroom by the river bank”), and in China it is called Yun Zhi or “cloud fungus.”

In Japan around 1965 a chemical engineer investigated Coriolus versicolor for its anticancer constituents after observing his neighbor’s life-threatening cancer was cured after taking Yun Zhi.

[Guill the Chagafan]

One of the best know of the medicinal mushroom (and one of the best studies), the sources of PSK, krestin, coriolan and PSP. Well know for it anti-cancer properties and immune stimulating properties...

-Effective against a broad spectrum of cancer... some direct cytotoxicity against neoplasia, strong inhibitor of metastasis and angiogenesis, inhibit tumors growth and proliferation

-work in synergy with chemo or radiotherapy

-Antiviral (reduce Hiv binding and stimulate interferon production)

-prolong antibiotics effect and reduce antibiotic resistance( MRSA)

-inhibit blood platelet aggregation, reduce inflammation of blood vessels and favorise vasodilatation

-kidney stimulation ( reverse nephron problem and regulate prostaglandin)

-regulate auto-immune disease(lupus, rheumatiod arthritis, sclerosis...)

-antioxidant properties

... from fungal pharmacy by Rogers

[DLB]

Were can I get some?

[vitog]

Do you want to collect them in the wild?  They are a very common polypore on dead hardwoods.  If you want to buy some, they are available on line from Amazon and other sources.  You should also be able to get extracts of Turkey Tail at many health food stores. 

[Lily]

A month ago, I saw some of this type mushrooms on my friend's property. I saw it a lot. I never intended to pick it up. Thanks for your post! It is good to know that YunZhi (云芝）has  anti-cancer properties,  immune stimulating properties, and other valuable benefits. IF I read your post before I saw YunZhi, I could pick some and brew YunZhi tea to my father. He has lung cancer hospitalized almost one year.