Medicinal Mushrooms have incredible health benefits of various forms on our bodies. They can increase mental focus, strengthen our immune systems, fire up our libido and even fight cancer growth. Ancient traditions and medicine practices have integrated fungi for centuries, so it is time for us to rediscover their healing powers. 

Did you know that mushrooms are more closely related to humans than to plants? Not when it comes to their behaviour of course (they don’t move or reproduce sexually etc.) but when we look at genetic components – mushrooms have some significant similarities to animals. This is probably also the reason why medicinal mushrooms have so many incredible health advantages on our bodies – from strengthening our immune system to increasing mental clarity and focus to even fighting cancer cells. For those who want to know more about genetic similarities: mushrooms have a lack of chlorophyll (which animals have as well opposed to plants), mushrooms cell walls are constituted of chitin – a component found in insects outer shells, their protein is closer to animal than it is to plant protein, and lastly a component called lanesterol – which both animals and funghi contain but plants lack.

Mycologist Paul Stamets says in an interview:

“We separated from fungi 615 million years ago… Basically we are descendants of fungi…We share more common ancestors with fungi than we do with any other kingdom…We exhale carbon dioxide and inhale oxygen, as a fungus does.”