One of the varieties of tree mushrooms is varnished tinder fungus, which has been popular in folk medicine for thousands of years due to its medicinal properties.
Description
Representatives of this type of mushroom are found mainly on dead wood of deciduous trees. Often they can be found on old stumps near the soil surface. The dense kidney-shaped cap is covered with a shiny wavy skin, on which concentric growth rings are clearly visible, differing in shade from each other. A reddish, chestnut-brown or almost black color can have a fungus tinder fungus varnished. Photos of him surprise with a variety of colors.
Tinder fungus consists of a very tough cork-like tissue, which, when dried, becomes spongy-fibrous and very light. Spore powder is yellowish, sometimes brown. The spores are quite tough and cling well to the bark of trees. But they germinate only under certain conditions.
He althy, but inedible is the lacquered tinder fungus. Photos of these mushrooms can often be found only in reference books on folkmedicine, where many recommendations are given for its use for he alth purposes.
Origin story
The first mention of this mushroom is recorded in an ancient Chinese treatise written more than two millennia ago. Due to its healing effects, the tinder fungus was of high value in Central Asia, and since this capricious mushroom was very difficult to find in the wild, only we althy people could use it. Court doctors in China used it to treat the emperor himself. Until now, they consider varnished tinder (reishi, as it is called in the East) a panacea for all diseases, attributing to it the most miraculous healing properties.
It wasn't until 1972 that a Japanese farmer managed to cultivate the mushroom and grow it on his farm. Since that time, it has been used for the production of medicines.
Today, the pharmaceutical market offers a huge number of drugs based on Chinese tinder fungus, which is grown on special artificial plantations on an industrial scale.
In Russia, this mushroom is also popular. It is widely used in folk medicine, where it is also known as the longevity mushroom, or sacred mushroom.
Distribution locations
It is also found in our country varnished tinder fungus. Where this mushroom grows in Russia is well known to people involved in healing. Most often it is collected in the southern regions - in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, in the North Caucasus. It is less common intemperate latitudes. Widespread in Altai after poaching deforestation.
Tinder fungus is a saprophyte that destroys wood. The fungus prefers to settle on weakened and dying trees. Sometimes it sprouts on the roots of trees, absorbing leaves, twigs and various debris into its hat during growth.
Benefits of the Altai tinder fungus
In the course of research work carried out by the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, testing of tinder fungi from China and collected in Altai was carried out. It turned out that they are somewhat different from each other in their medicinal properties. Altai mushroom more effectively affects the liver. Due to the more complex chemical composition, the degree of extractivity is twice as high for the lacquered tinder fungus collected in Altai, where it grows in more severe climatic conditions.
Biologically active substances
The composition of the fruiting body of this fungus is rich in amino acids, polysaccharides, organic acids, peptides, triterpenoids, phytocins, vitamins B3, B5, C, D, alkaloids and a large number of various trace elements. Among them are potassium, sodium, germanium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, silver and others.
Healing properties
Lacquered tinder fungus has a well-known healing effect, mainly due to the presence of a high content of polysaccharides, triterpenoids and germanium in the composition. These substances determine the antitumor effect of the fungus, the ability to lower blood pressure, improve the compositionblood, strengthen immunity.
Drugs based on this fungus have a fairly broad pharmacological action. They significantly increase the body's resistance to various diseases, improve the functioning of the heart and liver, have a calming effect on the nervous system, and have a pronounced antifungal and antiviral effect.
Biologically active substances present in the fungus have hypoglycemic, gene-protective and anti-allergic effects. In the fight against benign and malignant tumors, the varnished fungus is successfully used. Properties that increase white blood cells in the blood, help the recovery of the body after chemotherapy.
Medical applications
The composition of the fungus provides its sufficient broad therapeutic effect. It is used for gastritis, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, diseases associated with the cardiovascular system, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, diabetes and various problems caused by allergies.
In the East, Reishi extract is used for almost all diseases, adjusting only the dosage. First of all, varnished tinder finds use as an antitumor agent, affecting both benign and malignant neoplasms. It is also used to treat mental illness.
The National Cancer Institute in the United States as a result of research found in the composition of reishi the substance linostane,blocking the formation of antibodies, which is very important in allergic reactions. This allows you to use the varnished tinder fungus to get rid of diseases such as chronic asthma, atopic dermatitis, systemic lupus, hay fever, neurodermatitis, etc. It takes time to achieve a result, sometimes it may even take a year or two, but a huge plus of such treatment that an effective result is achieved in the absence of any side effects.
Clinical studies conducted by the All-Union Cardiology Center found that varnished tinder fungus, the use of which is recommended for cardiovascular diseases, is able to lower cholesterol levels within 5 hours after ingestion, ensuring its further reduction for more than two weeks. In addition, the components found in reishi have been proven to stabilize blood pressure, bringing it back to normal.
Lacquered polypore, the photo of which is given in this article, has an almost mystical ability to raise a person's emotional mood, fortitude, creating a positive perception of the world. This is due to the ability of the fungus to cleanse the liver, which leads to getting rid of discomfort in the right side, excellent he alth, vigor, and therefore a good mood.
Tinder fungus in cosmetology
Liver cleansing does more than just make you feel better. As a rule, this is reflected in the appearance of a person, because mostskin diseases are associated with problems of internal organs, mainly the liver. The effect of the use of tinder fungus cannot but please. The skin is simply rejuvenated, acquiring elasticity, silkiness and an even tone. In addition, the condition of the nail plate is also improving - the problem of its fragility and delamination, which affects quite a lot of people, is being solved.
Lacquered tinder fungus is able to have a moisturizing and healing effect on the skin, preventing its aging. Mushroom extract is added to masks and creams. There are a lot of recipes for their preparation. An example of one of them: aloe juice (a teaspoon), reishi mushroom extract (also a teaspoon), any vegetable oil and licorice extract (half a spoon), green tea powder on the tip of a knife, 10-12 drops of vitamin E. Mix everything thoroughly, apply to the skin and rinse with warm water after 20 minutes.
Tinder varnished for weight loss
Reisha mushroom promotes the production of an enzyme called lanofil, which accelerates the breakdown of body fat. Tangible weight loss results are obtained by using tinder fungus products in combination with a diet. You just need to tune in for a long period (at least six months) to achieve a positive effect.
There are several ways how varnished tinder fungus can be used for this purpose. Reviews of people who have achieved good results in losing weight are numerous, and many of them recommend these recipes:
- Pour dried mushroom powder with vodka (1:1 ratio) andrefrigerate for 3 days. Every day after six o'clock in the evening, take a tablespoon.
- Pour a tablespoon of chopped mushroom with two glasses of water and boil over low heat for 20 minutes. After the broth has cooled, it must be filtered and taken 15 ml three times a day.
- Varnished tinder fungus in the amount of 25 grams is poured with water (300 ml) in the evening, the mushroom is removed in the morning, and the remaining water is heated to 55 ⁰С. After that, the tinder fungus is placed in a thermos and filled with the resulting warm infusion with the addition of water to the original volume. After a 12-hour exposure, it should be strained and drunk little by little throughout the day.
The use of tinder for medicinal purposes
Preparations based on this fungus can be purchased at the nearest pharmacy, but if it is possible to prepare lacquered tinder fungus yourself, it is easy to prepare products based on it using time-tested recipes.
- Dried mushroom grind into powder, pour vodka and put in a dark place for 7-8 weeks. For 10 g of mushroom, 0.5 liters of vodka is taken. Take one spoon in the morning, diluted with water.
- Water decoction can be used within two days from the date of manufacture. A spoonful of chopped mushroom is poured with water in an amount of 0.5 liters and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. Then poured into a thermos. Drink a teaspoon 3 times a day.
- Adding a pinch of dry mushroom powder to various dishes (for example, soup) also gives its healing results.
Mushroom cultivation
Lacquered tinder fungus is grown exclusively for medical purposes. The proven technology of mushroom cultivation with pressing into blocks infected with mycelium makes it possible to produce 15 tons of raw materials per year. In order to preserve the diversity of the species, a whole collection of different mushroom populations is being created today.
In the conditions of the Siberian region, artificial cultivation is not yet necessary, there are enough forest areas for such a fungus as lacquered tinder fungus, where it grows in large quantities. Human activities leading to massive deforestation, abandoned trees and deadwood contribute to an increase in its numbers.
