Out of Korea comes a new and increasingly popular medicinal mushroom known as Phellinus linteus. It does have a rarely used English common name, Black Hoof Fungus. But you are more likely 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.
The reputation of Phellinus linteus as a powerful medicinal mushroom has rapidly spread across the world and today it is increasingly popular with medical professionals from the U.S. and Japan to Turkey and Israel as an immune booster [2-11], especially for the prevention of cancer metastasis. [5,10,12-17]
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]
World renown American mycologist Paul Stamets took this a step further when he published research in 2003 which compared seven of the world’s most popular medicinal mushroom species, including Reishi, Cordyceps, Maitake, Chaga, Lion’s Mane 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]
In addition to these studies, there are at least three published cases of spontaneous regression of cancers after patients of their own accord used Phellinus linteus extract:
1. First out was a Japanese article in 2004 with a case study of a patient with hormone refractory prostate cancer and bone metastasis who exhibited “dramatic remission” after using Phellinus linteus extract. [15]
2. A Korean journal published a paper in 2005 which reported on a “spontaneous regression of a large hepatocellular carcinoma with skull metastasis.” The 65-year-old patient had “ingested mushroom called Phellinus linteus for one and a half years.” [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: This article is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose any disease. It is intended for informational purposes only. Phellinus linteus is not approved by the FDA. Never use any herb or mushroom for medicinal purposes without first consulting a licensed medical professional.
Dr. Markho Rafael currently focuses on research on medicinal mushrooms, having worked with natural health since the mid-90’s. He partners with Cordyceps Reishi Extract, LLC, a business offering premium grade medicinal mushroom products including Phellinus linteus extract. For references to this article, go the Phellinus linteus reference page.