Birch Polypore - A Mushroom for Immunity, Gut Health and More

Birch Polypore - A Mushroom for Immunity, Gut Health and More

In 1991, scientists discovered a 5,300-year-old mummy named Ӧtzi the Iceman in the Italian Alps. Amazingly, some of Ӧtzi's possessions were kept with him, including a leather bag containing supplies for his mountain journey. What was in the bag? Tools, weapons and pieces of a birch polypore mushroom. ((Link removed), (Link removed))

Why did this fungus last more than five millennia? Far from being a tasty ingredient in your favorite recipe, edible mushrooms like the birch polypore mushroom offer a variety of health benefits - from boosting the immune system to calming the gut to boosting energy. Let's explore some ways this fantastic mushroom can improve your health and well-being.

What is the birch polypore fungus?

The birch polypore mushroom, also known as birch holder or razor, got its name because it grows from dead birch wood, but not on living trees. It's called scientific Fomitopsis betulina (earlier Piptoporus betulinus). The mushroom's tough and woody fruiting body - the pillow-like looking part of the mushroom that grows like a pancake out of wood - is usually brownish or gray-brown in color. ((link removed))

Like other bracket fungi, the fruiting body of the birch polypore is kidney-shaped, like a shelf or bracket. Its mycelium, the threadlike tubes that branch out on a mushroom, are white and fluffy. They are called “polypore” mushrooms because they have many small pores on the white underside from which the spores come. After the fungus releases its spores, the underside turns black and is no longer good to use or eat. ((link removed))

You can find these unique mushrooms in northern temperate forests throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Cultures around the world value them as both a food source and an herbal medicine. Some believe that tea made with the fruit bodies can strengthen the weak and relieve stress. ((Link removed), (Link removed))

The birch polypore also contains essential fatty acids, including alpha-linoleic, oleic and palmitooleic acids, as well as agaric acid, which has traditionally been used to stop harmful organisms. Mushrooms, including this one, are some of the few natural plant-based sources of vitamin D. ((link removed))

Modern science supports the traditional use of the birch polypore mushroom to promote well-being.

Benefits of Birch Polypore

The birch polypore mushroom contains bioactive substances that can provide benefits throughout the body. Here are some of those benefits.

Boosts the immune system

If you're looking to add an immune-boosting diet to your wellness plan, mushrooms like Birch Polypore are a great place to start. Like many other mushrooms, birch polypore has a long history of use to improve immunity. ((link removed))

Birch polypore mushroom extract can greatly increase the release of interferon-gamma (IFNγ), a cytokine that helps your immune system respond to invaders. Birch polypores also protect monocytes, white blood cells in the bone marrow. ((link removed))

Birch polypore extract appears to promote the secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8), a substance that promotes the growth of immune cells. The bottom line is that the birch polypore can support a healthy immune system.

Soothes the intestines

A healthy digestive system is key to overall well-being. Therefore, it is important to support your diet. People have long used birch polypore fungus as an herbal remedy for gastrointestinal problems. It promotes regular bowel movements and can even relieve stomach discomfort. ((link removed))

Mushrooms generally help keep your gastrointestinal system balanced. They can act as prebiotics and provide fuel and nutrition to beneficial bacteria in your gut. When you have enough of the right types of good bacteria, other microbes like Candida albicans yeast and harmful bacteria can't go overboard. This maintains intestinal balance and protects against disease. ((link removed))

Deters harmful organisms

Birch polypores not only promote the health of your microbiome, but can also deter the harmful organisms in the gut – and elsewhere in the body. Birch polypores and other basidiomycete fungi can potentially slow or stop the growth of many harmful organisms under laboratory conditions, although further research into how they work in the body is needed. ((link removed))

What gives the birch polypore fungus the ability to deter harmful organisms? This mushroom is so rich in bioactive substances that it is difficult to determine which one is behind this particular health-promoting power, but experts believe it could be its triterpenoids. ((link removed))

Prevents overactive cell proliferation

When harmful cells begin to grow in the body, they can be difficult to stop. Studies suggest that the birch polypore fungus contains substances that may help prevent the proliferation of these harmful cells, namely its triterpenes. ((link removed))

Birch polypore mushroom extracts can stop the proliferation of harmful or irregular cells. This can prevent them from multiplying and spreading. These extracts appear to counteract harmful cells affecting the skin, colon, and prostate. ((link removed))

Reduces redness and swelling

Birch polypore mushrooms promote a normal response to inflammation in the body. While temporary redness and swelling are a normal part of the body's immune response, the long-term effects of inflammation can lead to health problems. Anti-inflammatory substances can help if redness and swelling are chronic.

Birch polypore fungus can inhibit enzymes that contribute to systemic redness and swelling. Compounds called phenolic acids in the fruiting bodies and mycelium of birch polypore mushrooms may also reduce redness and swelling due to their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants prevent oxidative damage that causes redness and swelling throughout the body—not to mention aging and disease. ((Link removed), (Link removed))

Use of the birch polypore fungus

There are several ways to take advantage of the nutritional and health benefits of birch polypore mushroom. Here are some of them.

Fresh mushrooms

While you can harvest fresh mushrooms from the wild, we recommend never attempting this unless you are accompanied by an experienced mushroom hunter and taxonomist who can identify them for you. Many edible mushrooms bear a strong resemblance to other poisonous varieties, and harvesting the wrong ones can be fatal.

Dried mushrooms, powder and capsules

Dried birch polypore mushrooms are another option. The dried mushrooms can also be made into a powder that can be dissolved in liquid or filled into empty vegetarian capsules. Make sure you buy organic supplements from reputable companies that care about their supply chain and production process.

Mushroom tea

You can make immune-boosting birch polypore tea by placing fresh or dried mushrooms in hot water. You can also dissolve mushroom powder in water to make tea.

Herbal extracts

In the tradition of infusions, herbal extracts from birch polypores provide healing benefits in a concentrated form. You can find extracts or infusions of birch polypore alone or an extract with other ingredients.

Points to remember

Ӧtzi, the Iceman, knew what he was doing when he packed his bag full of birch polypore mushroom pieces. This fantastic mushroom grows on birch trees and has been used to support wellbeing for thousands of years.

The birch polypore fungus can strengthen the immune system and relieve gastrointestinal problems. It can also deter harmful organisms and prevent harmful cells from proliferation. And birch polypore mushrooms can potentially reduce redness and swelling throughout the body, promoting a normal response to inflammation.

You can use the birch polypore mushroom in different ways. It can be harvested in the wild (under expert guidance), dried and pulverized, or brewed into a tea or as an herbal extract.