A Backyard Recipe For Cancer Prevention

My family and I love foraging for medicinal plants to stash at home for whenever we need a little boost.

But it’s not just the green stuff that can help us heal — there’s another organism packed with mood-lifting and immune system supporting nutrients, so common it grows in your backyard….

Mushrooms!

These fun-guys (mushroom pun) are nutritional powerhouses, but are often thought of only as a food. Did you know though, that mushrooms are also deeply medicinal?

Many mushrooms have incredible healing effects but some can be dangerously potent. Remember — when in doubt about a mushroom in the wild, don’t pick it!

That said, I want to introduce you to one special and safe mushroom whose healing properties shine above the rest: maitake.

You might know maitake as Hen of the Woods or the Dancing Mushroom, coined for the way it grows at the base of oak trees. This little mushroom comes with some big healing abilities.

Nutritionally speaking, maitake packs a powerful punch.

It’s rich in fiber which lowers cholesterol, regulates bathroom trips and can help maintain your body’s insulin response. Maitake’s protein, calcium, and iron content makes for strong bones, muscles and tissues, and its B vitamins and vitamin D2 help your body convert food into energy.

It also supplies the copper, potassium, magnesium and selenium your body needs to keep up communication within your nervous system. 

After years of studies, this VIP mushroom has also proven to be an amazing preventative. 

It’s so powerful, in fact, maitake extract is being tested for its cancer-fighting ability. Early tests have yielded promising results, particularly with breast cancer.

Maitake can slow tumor growth by inhibiting cancerous cells’ ability to produce their own blood vessels, slowly starving and shrinking the tumor. It’s also used to curb the nasty side effects that come with chemotherapy.

But, maitake takes cancer prevention and healing to the next level. 

One of the main healing constituents in maitake is beta-glucan, which regulates your immune system to kill off existing bacteria, viruses and fungi. Beta-glucan, which is usually found in oats and other fibrous foods, is currently being studied as an anti-cancer remedy. Preliminary animal studies show that beta-glucan stops the spread of cancer by triggering an immune response to fight off foreign cells.

Maitake is also a hepatic which detoxifies your body while ensuring that your liver is protected. As the main organ that purifies your blood and detoxifies chemicals and drugs, it’s important for those diagnosed with cancer to keep the liver running in tip top shape. It’s especially beneficial for those who have chosen the chemo route. 

And as a diuretic, maitake helps you pass everything from your system. 

With all these amazing benefits, adding maitake to your regular diet is a no-brainer… at least for me. It’s completely safe to consume, so you can throw it into your dishes whenever you need a boost! 

My family and I love adding this woody, mild taste to our stews and sauces — particularly during flu season. Since maitake literally boosts your immune system, it gives us that extra nutritive push to get better.

For those of you who prefer a cuppa tea, here’s a nourishing (and delicious!) maitake tea recipe:

Maitake Chai Tea

Ingredients:

• maitake strips
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 peppercorns 
• 5-8 cloves
• 10 cardamom pods
• a chunk of ginger
• 3 cups of water
• 3 cups milk or milk substitute
• sweetener if you so choose

Instructions

• Simmer all herbs in a pot
• Strain out the liquid
• Return to the pot
• Add milk and warm to your preference
• Enjoy!

As always, please do not pick mushrooms from your yard or nature trails without a trained guide. If you’re uncertain about a mushroom, leave it be.

You can easily find maitake in most health food stores, either fresh or dried — both forms of this special mushroom have healing benefits that just may improve your life.

Stay curious,

Nick Polizzi
Host of Remedy: Ancient Medicine for Modern Illness 
& Founder of The Sacred Science

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