Phellinus linteus – Medicinal Mushroom’s Popularity Exploding World-wide

There’s a new star on the medicinal mushroom sky. It goes by Phellinus linteus in Latin. The little known English common name is Black Hoof Fungus. It’s far more common, even in America, to hear it referred to by its Japanese name as Mesima.

Phellinus linteus is common in Southeast Asia as well as the southern United States. It grows on hardwood species of oak, mulberries and poplar, and sometimes on pines. [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 there, the fame of Phellinus linteus has spread across the globe. Doctors all over the world now use it as an immune enhancer [2-11], particularly to prevent cancer metastasis. [5,10,12-17] In addition to Korea, Phellinus linteus is today also increasingly popular in the U.S., Japan, and the Middle East from Turkey to Israel.

It may have all began when a’96 Korean study reported that Phellinus linteus extract exhibited a broader range of immune enhancing and anti-cancer properties than the extracts from other species of medicinal mushrooms. [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]

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]

Three additional papers have been published with reports of patients using Phellinus linteus extract and experiencing “spontaneous” regression:

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: The information in this article is not intended to cure, treat, or diagnose any illness. The article is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The fungus Phellinus linteus has not been approved in the United States for use as a pharmaceutical. Always ask a licensed medical practitioner before using any substance as medicine.

Dr. Rafael currently specializes in medicinal mushrooms research, 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 mushroom extract. For article references, go the Phellinus linteus reference page.