MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS IN CANCER THERAPY
~ Profile Reishi Mushroom ~
by Harry Chrissakis Herbalist, M.H.,M.T. Natural Healing
Of all the herbs in the Chinese pharmacopoeia ( est. 5,000 in total ) Reishi is the most studied and researched. Its application in cancer therapy is at least decades old, and it excels in a number of key areas in the assistive treatment of cancer.
In a general way it is protective to the heart, liver, kidneys and lungs. Reishi also strengthens all of these areas. It is a specific in the treatment of chronic bronchitis and will heal and regenerate damaged tissue in that area. It is also a specific for preventing altitude sickness. Reishi both calms and strengthens. When used as a vascular tonic, it excels in lowering cholesterol, reducing hypertension and occupies a firm place in the assistive treatment of angina. It is part of many of my protocols and I use it in a variety of settings.
Let’s watch a short introductory video:
Cancer and cancer treatments cost the body. Modern Asian medicine finds it ludicrous to apply treatments as toxic as chemotherapy and radiation without giving the body something to protect and nourish before, during and after treatment. This makes simple sense and works.
There is a branch of modern Asian medicine, known as Fu Zheng therapy, that applies a range of adaptogenic herbs and a variety of traditional tonic formulas for the purpose of protecting and enhancing function while undergoing treatment for cancer.
One of the big problems patient get while undergoing therapy is a drop in both white and red blood cell count. When this gets too severe therapy must be stopped, often mid stream.
This is a bad scene, because now the cancer has greater capacity to mutate and become chemo and radio resistant. Reishi helps to prevent this by maintaining white blood cell count, helping to allow treatment to go to finish. Reishi is bone marrow protective and enhancing.
When radiation is applied to the left side of the chest ( i.e. breast cancer in the left breast), along with chemo ( Adraimycin), the heart can be severely impacted, enough so that the patient may die within a few years, post treatment, from radiation and/or chemo induced heart disease. Reishi, along with other herbs and supplements, can help to prevent this from happening. Reishi is also a mild anti-anxiety agent, helping to calm and soothe.
In terms of its direct effect on cancer, Reishi has proved itself in many ways.
The growth and spread of cancer is dependent upon a number of things happening in a certain order. One of those things is the ability of the cancer cells to grow microvessel venous like structures that can deliver glucose and oxygen to the cancer cell. This process is called angiogenesis.
Reishi down- regulates and normalizes 3 primary angiogenic growth factors, in turn making it much harder for cancer to do its thing. Reishi is also a good anti inflamatory and cancer initiation and spread is also dependent upon maintaining an inflamatory state.
One of Reishi’s specific targets in working with breast cancer is as an anti- aromatase agent, which helps to balance a women’s estrogen.
In prostate cancer Reishi inhibits the conversion of testosterone to the much stronger form known as DHT.
Abnormally high amounts of DHT are both an initiator and promoter of prostate cancer.
Reishi also has a place in both a preventive and post treatment cancer programs. Reishi has the capacity to deliver total immune enhancement
There is a lot of poor to mediocre Reishi on the market. To be assured of quality, purchase a product that is 10% polysaccharides and 4% triterpenes. Therapeutic dose is high if you are using it as a single agent; 3-6 grams per day, however herbs synergize and work better in formulas.
Harry Chrissakis Herbalist, M.H. M.T. Natural Healing