Hen of the Woods

So cordyceps, very important.

Maitake stimulates the immune system.

Several other mushrooms are antioxidant rich, anti-inflammatory, and immune supportive, such as chaga.

Oyster mushrooms, another one you can find in most stores these days.

These are the cells of your immune system.

By interacting with them, Maytake can help your body defend itself against illness.

Traditional Chinese medicine has known this for centuries.

It called Maytake the hen of the woods or the dancing mushroom.

It recognised that the mushroom supported the spleen and benefited Qi, the vital life force.

Modern immunology now understands the mechanisms.

Yeah, depending on the baseline state of the patient's immune system.

The Maytake extract acted as an immune stimulator in some patients and an immune suppressor in others whose systems were actually overactive.

That is fascinating.

So based on that dual effect, it sounds less like a gas pedal that just revs the engine blindly and more like a smart thermostat.

No. Watson's eyes moved along the labels.

Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, Hen of the Woods, Porcini, drived in jars like old treasures.

Everything was labeled with scientific names alongside common ones.

Olivia had insisted on precision down to taxonomy.

So it's a really good point you make because, yeah, the couple that we've pulled out to talk about today as immunomodulators, we could have talked about 10, 12 more that are just as significant, but for a different patient type.

So if we're staying on this train, I will just talk about maitake, I think.

Maitake is an amazing medicinal mushroom, but particularly for fortifying the body's defences against foreign invasions or foreign cells.

So when I say that, then I'm automatically thinking for oncology realm, survivorship realm, and also that viral, post-viral kind of immune dysregulation.

maitake really has the research behind it, the clinical use behind it, and also the traditional use to keep it in this area.

A walk through the forest.

Maitake, hummus, and leek.

A salad with heirloom tomato, cherry tomato.

Brioche.