Medicinal Uses
Edible polypores are commonly found in nature and according to mycologist Steve Brill, there are no reports of poisonous species. Some polypores have been used in ritual and for utilitarian purposes for ages; the famous Ötzi the Iceman was found carrying two different polypore species, Piptoporus betulinus which was notable for its antibacterial properties, and Fomes fomentarius, which, although also having medicinal properties, was likely used for starting fires.
Two medicinal mushroom polypores in use today are Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi or Lingzhi) and Trametes versicolor. Beyond their traditional use in herbal medicine, contemporary research has suggested many applications of polypores for the treatment of illnesses related to the immune system and cancer recovery.
Read more about this topic: Polypore
Famous quotes containing the word medicinal:
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