Medicinal Properties of fungi

[jonbem]

Sat here with a very heavy head cold and streaming nose, contracted from who knows where. I hope it runs it's course by the weekend when i will be checking if my local St Gorges are up, but just thought I would ask if anyone has any pointers to medicinal benefits of any particular fungi?
Over to you

thanks
Jon

[FungiJus]

Sorry to hear that Jon.

Is this of any interest?
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Nepal storm traps fungus hunters

Not sure if you class this particular cordyceps as medicinal

[Leif]

The Chinese make a lot of claims about the medicinal benefits of many fungi. Some are said to fight cancer, to prolong life, and so on. I think even the Penny Bun, Boletus edulis, was said to fight cancer. Ganoderma lucidum is sold in Chinese herbalists (I've seen some in a window), along with Cordyceps species. I wouldn't dismiss the claims, though I know that some research has found some of them appear not to stand up to scrutiny. Some probably do have a pharmacological effect, just as Camomile tea is calmative, and mint tea gets the bowels moving.

Try Wikipedia just take the information with a pinch of salt, but not too much, you don't want high blood pressure ...