Prized for thousands of years for their culinary and medicinal properties, mushrooms are more than just a low kilojoule, low sodium and high-fiber ingredient for pasta and pizzas. One of the many conditions that certain species of mushrooms have been found to heal is human papilloma virus infections, which are feared due to their association with certain cancers.

While mushrooms have been associated with multiple medicinal actions and even immortality since ancient times, today there are volumes of scientific evidence as testimony to the health benefits of mushrooms. Many species of edible mushrooms are high in selenium, vitamin D, and vitamin B3, which partially contribute to their immune boosting, infection-busting abilities.

As recent research points out, multiple studies have shown that some species also specifically act against HPV, as opposed to just an effect on immunity. One study on 61 gingivitis patients who tested positive for HPV found that 88% of the 41 patients receiving a combination of Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail) and Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) tested negative after 2 months of treatment. Only one of the 20 participants receiving Laetiporus sulphureus (Chicken of the Woods) tested negative for HPV after the same period.

Additionally, a small study on 10 HPV-positive women showed that an extract from the mycelia of shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) led to 8 of the 10 women being tested negative for HPV during the first 6 months of treatment. Mycelia are the root-like fingers that weave into the mushroom’s growing medium. For example the rice bran that shiitake mushrooms are cultivated in.

Read: The Mushroom Being Used to Suppress Cancer Tumors

There has also been earlier preclinical research from the author on the same mycelia extract that supports the hypothesis of medicinal mushrooms being able to eliminate HPV. In the in vitro study, it was demonstrated that seven days of treatment with the mycelia extract followed by seven days of no treatment eradicated the HPV.

Then, in the animal study, mice were given 50 milligrams per kilogram of the mycelia extract for 90 days, and then had 30 days of follow up where they were compared to untreated mice. This resulted in the eradication of their HPV infections. Further, there was significant tumor suppression in mice with tumors.

These finding suggest that the inclusion of mushrooms such as reishi into the diet could be beneficial in preventing HPV infections from persisting, as well as their related cancers. This is because 80% of sexually active women in the USA will have acquired a HPV infection by the age of 50; however, over 90% of these do not lead to cancer.

Since reishi mushrooms taste quite bitter, recipes such as Reishi Iced Mocha are an advisable alternative to simply drinking the tea straight. As reishi can improve concentration and energy levels, beverages such as these can be a substitute for coffee. If the taste is not an issue, teas, tinctures, and tonics can be made from medicinal mushrooms.

Regular consumption of medicinal mushrooms could be a favorable alternative to receiving the HPV vaccine, as its effectiveness is dubious and many serious, and often fatal adverse reactions have been reported.

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