Nature kicks some serious virus ass (Why I’m not afraid of Ebola part 2)
JPW Design Team
Last week you learned why I’m not afraid of Ebola, and how the CDC should be including earth-based medicines in their trials of Ebola treatments. This lack of fear on my part multiplied exponentially on Friday, when I had the good fortune of attending the Bioneers conference in San Rafael, CA. One of the speakers there, Paul Stamets, is THE expert on the healing properties of mushrooms. To quote my 14-year old daughter: OMG.
Mushrooms became an integral part of my earth-based medicine toolbox, right then and there.
I knew that certain species of mushrooms have been used for millennia to help strengthen the immune system, and a good portion of the 20th and 21st century research focuses on their ability to shrink tumors. (A PubMed search using the keywords “mushrooms” and “tumor” came up with 829 results.) However, the brand new research Stamets presented at the conference concentrated on the anti-viral properties of fungi for bees. Conducted at Washington State University, the study, found that the mycelium on which the worker bees fed stimulated their immune systems, reduced their viral load, and lengthened their lives.
Yup. Ingesting honey made from mushrooms lengthened their lives.
I won’t go into what this means with regards to the collapse of bee colonies on a global perspective, which is huge all on its own.
For now, let’s just imagine how it might impact patient outcomes, not only with annoying viruses like Herpes simplex but also diseases like measles, AIDS, and yes, Ebola. Imagine, instead of taking an expensive anti-viral medication toxic to your liver, your kidneys, your digestive system and your skin, you got to lick a spoonful of “mycohoney” made from polypore mushrooms,with no side effects, and you healed.
We owe it to patients and health care workers to dive into this research. These products exist now as food supplements – no need for complex drug development, expensive or lengthy trials, or FDA lobbying for approval. Stamets has developed his own standardized product line that has already been used in research. I’ve started to incorporate a product with organic Agaricus for my clients. (It’s important to go organic, since non-organic mushrooms and mushrooms grown in industrials areas can have high concentrations of heavy metals and pollutants.) Holistic practitioners around the world are nourishing their patients with fungi.
There is no reason why we should live in fear of viruses like Ebola. Nature has her own medicines, and they kick some serious virus ass.
Remember, no medicine – whether earth-based or pharmaceutical – is a good fit for everyone, and not all products are created equally, so be sure to see your holistic health provider before starting something new.