A new medicinal mushroom from Korea is gaining reputation around the world at record
pace. Most commonly known by its Latin name as Phellinus linteus, it is also
sometimes referred to as Mesima (Japanese), and rarely by its English name, Black Hoof
Fungus.
Common to southern United States and Southeast Asia, Phellinus linteus is a
polypore on hardwood trees such as poplar, oak and mulberry. [1]
Unlike most medicinal mushroom species, which were originally used in China or Japan, Phellinus
linteus first became popular in Korea as a complement to traditional cancer therapies
such as radiation and chemotherapy.
The reputation of Phellinus linteus as a powerful medicinal mushroom has rapidly
spread across the world and today it is increasingly popular with medical professionals
from the U.S. and Japan to Turkey and Israel as an immune booster [2-11], especially for
the prevention of cancer metastasis. [5,10,12-17]
Word of Phellinus linteus caught on in 1996 when a Korean paper got published,
which credited it with the widest range of anti-tumor and immune-enhancing properties of
any medicinal mushroom extract. [4]
World renown American mycologist Paul Stamets took this a step further when he
published research in 2003 which compared seven of the world's most popular medicinal
mushroom species, including Reishi, Cordyceps, Maitake, Chaga, Lion's Mane and Agaricus
blazei. [18]
In this study, Phellinus linteus turned out to have the most powerful effect on
enhancing the activity of macrophages, a type of white blood cell that's an important part
of the immune system. Macrophage activity was increased 5,700% by the Phellinus linteus
extract. The dose used was equivalent to 3,750 mg for an average (165 lbs) adult. [18]
It should be noted that macrophages may promote cancer growth as well as fight cancer.
The research that has been published about Phellinus linteus extract indicates that
it enhances the anti-cancer properties of macrophages. [8,14,19,20]
Additional reports have been published on cases of "spontaneously" regressed
cancers, where the patients reported having used Phellinus linteus by their own
choice:
1. A 2004 paper out of Japan reported "a hormone refractory prostate cancer
patient with rapidly progressive bone metastasis who showed dramatic response to intake of
an extract from the mushroom, Phellinus linteus." [15]
2. In 2005, a Korean paper related the case of a 65-year-old patient with liver cancer
and skull metastasis who experienced "spontaneous regression" after one and a
half years of using Phellinus linteus. [17]
3. And then one year later, in 2006, another Japanese article was published on "a
case of spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma with multiple lung
metastases." The 79-year-old patient had been taking an extract of Phellinus
linteus Mycelium for a month. When examined by his doctor 6 months later, his tumors
had disappeared. [16]
Note: This article is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose any disease. It is
intended for informational purposes only. Phellinus linteus is not approved by the
FDA. Never use any herb or mushroom for medicinal purposes without first consulting a
licensed medical professional.
