Mushrooms were known and consumed as food in ceremonies as far back as prehistoric times. Throughout the history, mushrooms were used in different cultures for their medicinal and tonic properties (Gunde-Cimerman, 1999). The longest tradition of using edible mushrooms for medicinal purposes is in China. Mushrooms represent a major and as yet largely untapped source of powerful new pharmaceutical products. The most significant medicinal effect of mushrooms and their metabolites that attracted the attention of the public in the recent years is their antitumour property. Many pharmaceutical substances with potent and unique properties were isolated from mushrooms and distributed worldwide. Many of them are not strictly pharmaceutical products but represent the novel class of dietary supplements of approximately 10,000 known species of mushrooms, 2000 are safe and 300 have significant pharmacological properties (Hobbs, 1995, Miles and Chang, 1997). Mushrooms are nutritional functional food and as a source of physiologically beneficial and nontoxic medicines. They have been reported to have significant pharmacological effects or physiological properties such as bio regulation, maintenance of homeostasis, regulation of biorhythm, cure of various diseases, and prevention and improvement of life threatening diseases such as cancer, cerebral stroke and heart disease. They have been also demonstrated to have effective substances for decreasing blood cholesterol, hypolipidemic,
In personal health, there is a big lifetime decision to be made. Presented with two basic options, pharmaceutical medicines and herbal medicines, the choice must be made when the situation of illness arrives, which form of medication will be taken? First, the differences between the two types of medicines must be studies and understood by the user. According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration, a drug is defined as, “A substance (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body” (Center…). With this in mind, both herbs and scientifically produced medications are to be considered ‘drugs’.
Along with the history of these mushrooms, there are other interesting facts about these hallucinogens. At least 144 species
In 1958, Albert Hoffman, the famous scientist to first isolate lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, took on the feat of isolating psilocybin, a compound found in mushrooms ingested in spiritual rituals in Oaxaca, Mexico. There are over 200 mushrooms with the compound called psilocybin, 4-phosphoryloxy- N,N –dimethyltryptamine, commonly known as “magic mushrooms”. In early history around the
The Latin word for mushroom is fungus (plural, fungi). The word fungus has come to stand for a whole group of simple plants that contain no chlorophyll and lack such complex plant structures as roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. Included among the fungi, along with mushrooms, are molds, mildews, rusts, smuts, truffles, and yeasts. Toadstool is another name for mushroom. Some people use the name toadstool only when referring to poisonous mushrooms, but botanists make no such distinction. A general scientific term for fungi is mycota, from the Greek word for mushroom, mykes, and the study of these organisms is called mycology.
Psilocybin, also called magic mushroom is actually produce by mushrooms. Indeed, the drug called Psilocybin is mostly extracted from the Mexican mushrooms and other different species of mushrooms. It was first discovered in several countries in Central America and was first used for religion ceremonies more than thousand years ago. Nowadays, the psilocybin is used as a recreational drug which can be injected or swallowed because it is accessible in different forms such as dried mushrooms, powder in capsules or can even be brewed in tea. The powder in capsule is the most commonly abused because it is easy access and use. Thus, these recreational users are taking them as hallucinogens because it considerate
For most people, when the phrase psychedelic mushroom is thrown out, the first thing that comes to mind is hallucination. Some people think of LSD or the 60s, others may think more specifically to personal experiences they have had with the drug. Some may have used them recreationally as a teen, some may have had a single awful experience with them, or some may totally resent the idea of psychedelic mushrooms. No matter what someone may think of them, there is not a stranger thought process than Terence McKenna’s. When psychedelic mushrooms are brought up around him, there are much stranger things than a memory of seeing God or a condescending idea of recreational fun going through his mind. McKenna’s thought process is best explained in his
Hallucinogenic mushrooms are fungi that contain psychedelic substances that make the user hallucinate. The substance in these mushrooms is psilocybin, which is hallucinogenic. The mushrooms can be eaten either fresh or dried. They can also be used to make a tea(Drugs p.24). Either way
The death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides, is responsible for about 90 percent of mushroom ingestion fatalities. While initially people may feel fine after eating the mushrooms, within 12-24 hours they will feel gastrointestinal distress, and then within two days start to show decline in liver function as evidenced by deterioration of liver enzyme tests and jaundice. Acute liver failure follows and renal function also deteriorates. Within one to three weeks, patients die from multiple organ failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, mesenteric thrombosis, and convulsions. There is no antidote. Treatment consists of detoxification, chemotherapies, and liver transplant. (Santi, Maggioli, Mastroroberto,Tufoni, Napoli,Caraceni 2012)
The article that I have chosen is called “Furniture Of The Future May Be Grown From Mushrooms” by Sarah Benton Feitlinger. The article states that our future furniture may be made out of mushrooms. This all started when an Ecovative team in New York, was making an eco-friendly wrapping for a package, out of mushrooms in 2009. Now the company wants to make the wrapping material into furniture. They are thinking to make furniture out of mushrooms. I was reading the article and I think that this will negatively affect the environment and us humans because some people don't like the fact that mushrooms are in there furniture. Why I think this, is because some people might be allergic to mushrooms, mushrooms
It is just the perfect day to gorge on the yummy mushrooms that are stuffed with almost anything. Be it the cheesy jalapeno stuffed mushrooms or the bacon stuffed one, you have all the reason to try making stuffed mushrooms at home or ordering some while you dine out.
The distinctive and tasty mushrooms are prized among wild food gatherers but are rare. According to information online, they are very difficult to cultivate, making them even more prized.
Unfortunately very little science has gone behind the modern day claims about medicinal benefits of this herb. It seems like today's opportunistic marketers do not care about thorough research but start drumming up their campaigns at slightest hints of what may be remotely effective.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) is one of the nine species in the Asteraceae/Compositae family, related to the daisy. The North American origin gives insight to its first use in Native American herbal medicine. The plant is commonly used in minor respiratory infection remedies and labeled as a functional food for its properties in increasing antibodies when served in as an herbal drink or pill. Further analysis of this functional food will give light to the common sources, clinical description and side effects drawn from studies to date.
Lion's Mane has been categrozed as being a nootropic mushroom that also goes bythe name of Bear's Head, Sheep's Head, Hericium Erinaceus and Yamabushitake. The mushroom is dintinct in its physical apperanxe from a typical mushroom due ot the fact that it consist of cascadng teeth0like spins as opposed to the classic stem and cap appearance. It has been used in tradional Chinese mediine for over several hundred years as a potent way to enahcne mood and to improve memeorty retention. Emerging studies indicate that it does have the ability to improve an dndaiuls memeory if they consume it on a regular basis. In this artcle we're goin to take a look at prominent study that validates this claim.
Herbal medicines are great alternative for commercially manufactured medicines available in the market. The major reason why herbal medicine differ from modern medicine is because they are produced with 100% natural content. Therefore the plant extract has all the medicinal values that are as effective as modern medicine. Commercially prepared drugs show results quickly but have numerous side effects. However herbal medicines don’t show any side