Agarikon (Fomitopsis Officinalis) – Tree Fungus With Medicinal Aspirations

In an interview on National Public Radio, world-renown medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets recounts his discovery of the healing properties of agarikon, a mushroom growing on 500-year-old trees in the old growth rainforests of the northwestern United States.

Stamets knew that fungi (mushrooms) were more closely related to humans than to plants and therefore susceptible to many of the same pathogens (bacteria, molds, viruses). And yet the perennial agarikon mushroom managed to remain disease free in the dripping wet rainforests for up to 50 years without decaying from rot, mold, or bacteria. So therefore it followed, he figured, that it must possess a powerful immune system full of antibiotic compounds that might benefit people.

Stamets describes the agarikon conk as looking like a bee hive when viewed from the ground. Remember, they grow on the trunks of ancient tree giants, sometimes high up. (Use the agarikon-link on this page to view a picture of Paul Stamets holding an agarikon mushroom.) Please be aware that this is a threatened species and should be left alone in most cases. Just get out your digital camera if you are lucky enough to find a specimen. (Otherwise, no one may believe you.)

Paul Stamets now grows his own agarikon, which he uses for his agarikon extract. A sample of this extract was sent to the BIO Shield Program for testing at a top security lab located in Ft. Dietrich, MD. The BIO Shield Program is a division within the Defense Department created to search for remedies against biological warfare agents and bioterrorism threats – e.g. pathogens like smallpox or anthrax.

Within this BIO Shield Program, tens of thousands of natural and manmade compounds have been tested for use against biological warfare pathogens. Drug discovery supervisor John Seacrest was happy to report on the radio show that the agarikon extract provided by Stamets had indeed been one of the few substances tested that had proved effective against smallpox related viruses.

In lieu of this discovery, Stamets has applied for a patent to a mushroom related anti-viral drug. One of his sponsors is Boston investor John Norris. As Mr. Norris so correctly points out, not everybody is willing or able to be vaccinated.

It’s also worth mentioning that Mr. Norris is a former second in command in the FDA hierarchy, and he believes that through his joint venture with Paul Stamets, they could soon be selling several hundred million doses of the Stamets agarikon extract to the armies of the United States, U.K., and Germany.

That may still be a few years into the future, though. Paul Stamets new mushroom related anti-viral medicine first has to stand up to exhaustive testing, and then eventually be approved for release by the FDA.

Note: The above article is intended for informational purposes only. Agarikon has not been approved by the FDA for use as a medicinal. Never use any herbal or mushroom-product for medicinal purposes unless advice to do so by a licensed medical practitioner.

Reference: Banse, T., NPR Morning Edition, Smallpox Defense May Be Found in Mushrooms, August 4, 2005.

About the author: Dr. Rafael has worked with natural health products since the mid-90′s, specializing in mycomedicinals. Click Agarikon Mushrooms for picture of agarikon, mushroom products, free mushroom articles, or to request a unique copy of any mushroom article for your own web-site or magazine / ezine. Click Fomitopsis medicinal for scientific research references about agarikon.