Out of Korea comes a new and increasingly popular medicinal mushroom known as Phellinus linteus. It does have a rarely used English common name, Black Hoof Fungus. But you are more likely to hear it referred to by its Japanese name as Mesima.
Phellinus linteus grows on hardwood trees such as oak, poplar and mulberry. The species is common in Southeast Asia and southern parts of the United States. [1]
Most medicinal mushroom species used today in America came to us via China or Japan. Phellinus linteus is a break from this trend, as it first became popular in Korea where it’s commonly used to complement traditional cancer treatment.
From Korea, its reputation has spread like wildfire around the world. Doctors across the globe are now beginning to use it as an immune booster [2-11], and especially for preventing cancer metastasis. [5,10,12-17] Apart from Korea, Phellinus linteus is particularly popular in Japan, the U.S., and the Middle East from Israel to Turkey.
Perhaps it all got started when one of the first Korean studies on Phellinus linteus in’96 reported that it exhibited a wider range of immunostimulation and antitumor activity than polysaccharides isolated from other medicinal mushroom species. [4]
Seven year later, in confirmation of the Korean finding, America’s best known mycologist Paul Stamets published a paper which compared Phellinus linteus to several of the most highly regarded species of medicinal mushrooms: Cordyceps, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Maitake and Agaricus blazei. [18]
Among the seven species of medicinal mushrooms compared in this study, Phellinus linteus had the most powerful effect on enhancing macrophage activity, by 5,700%. Macrophages are an important part of the immune system’s cancer fighting arsenal. The amount of Phellinus linteus extract used was equal to 3,750 mg for an adult of average weight (165 lbs). [18]
Macrophages as part of the human immune system can be a two-edged sword. They may devour cancer cells, but can also stimulate cancer growth. The published research on Phellinus linteus indicates that it activates the cancer-fighting properties of macrophages, not the cancer-stimulating properties. [8,14,19,20]
In addition to these studies, there are at least three published cases of spontaneous regression of cancers after patients of their own accord used Phellinus linteus extract:
1. A Japanese article from 2004 reported a “dramatic remission of hormone refractory prostate cancer achieved with extract of the mushroom, Phellinus linteus.” [15]
2. Next out was a Korean article published in 2005, which reported on a patient who “ingested mushroom called Phellinus linteus for one and a half years” before exhibiting “spontaneous regression” of liver cancer and skull metastasis. [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.
Dr. Rafael currently specializes in research on medicinal mushrooms, after working with natural health since the mid-90’s. He partners with Cordyceps Reishi Extract, LLC, a business offering premium quality medicinal mushroom products including Phellinus linteus extract. For references to this article, go the Phellinus linteus reference page.
