Natural Pet Care (ganoderma: reshi mushroom)

The following excerpt, from the book Why Cancer is Killing Our Pets, permission to post was granted to Marie Gunther from Author Deborah Straw on April 15, 2005:

Mushrooms (Page 132)
One herb Cheryl Schwartz mentions is ganoderma mushrooms, which appear to stop the spread of some tumors.42 The ganoderma mushroom, or reishi, is a medicinal mushroom from Asia. It meets all the qualifications of being both a tonic and an adaptogen - - - strengthening and invigorating organs, and helping the body adapt to stress. Chinese scientists have conducted many studies of reishi. It appears to strengthen the immune system by preventing a variety of diseases and conditions. Including but not limited to allergies, insomnia, and some cancers. Reishi and other mushrooms such as shiitake and maitake can significantly lower cholesterol and thin the blood, much as aspirin does. Reishi has also been studied for its ability to curtail high blood pressure in the human animal. Even when taken in large quantities by humans (350 grams per day for thirty days), it is unlikely to have a toxic effect. 43

These mushrooms are also considered to “calm the spirit”, protect and clear heat from the central nervous system, open the heart … lower blood pressure, [they] are antioxidants, antiviral and antibacterial.” 44

Reishi is currently being used in combination with vitamin C to shrink human tumors. In Japan, Fukumi Morishige, M.D., uses large dose vitamin C to make polysaccharides more “bioavailable.” In Thailand Dr. Santi Rosswong studies the same phenomenon, but he adds folic acid and caterpillar fungus to his tumor treatment. 45

According to Dr. Clemmons, mushroom extracts stimulate a patient’s immune system. They “present unique macromolecules to the intestinal tract, where they alter the immune regulation by intestinal antigen processing systems.” Maitake mushroom extracts has also been shown to activate NK killer cells (which attack tumor cells) and to halt the destruction of good, “T-Helper cells.”46

One related supplement that can improve immune system function, writes Russell Swift, D.V.M., is MGN-3. This is a “blend of extracts from shitake, kawaratake, and suehirotake mushrooms and rice bran,” he explains. These extracts are “the leading prescription treatments for cancer in Japan.” Studies on MGN-3 indicate that it can vastly increase natural killer-cell activity. He notes that these cells are necessary for the immune system.” 47

According to Dr. Raditic, while the ganoderma and gynostema mushrooms have “human formulas that we use for animals,” the use of mushrooms in general in animal health is fairly new, without much related research.48 - END OF EXCERPT- - - Taken From:
Why Cancer is killing Our Pets? By Deborah Straw

The first book to examine the environmental, dietary, and lifestyle-related causes of cancer in pets and to assess the full spectrum of treatments--both alternative and conventional. It covers a variety of helpful natural alternatives, beyond cancer, including ways to reverse vaccine cocktails. Click here to purchase ganoderma mushroom to help your cat recover.