One of the varieties of wood mushrooms is a varnished tinder fungus, which for many thousands of years has been popular in folk medicine due to its medicinal properties.
Description
Representatives of this species of fungi are found mainly on dead wood of deciduous trees. Often they can be found on old stumps near the surface of the soil. The kidney-shaped dense hat is covered with shiny wavy skin, on which concentric growth rings, which differ in shade from each other, are clearly visible. A reddish, chestnut-brown or almost black color may have a varnish tinder fungus. Photos surprise him with a variety of colors.
The tinder fungus consists of a very hard cork-like fabric, which when dried becomes spongy-fibrous and very light. Spore powder is yellowish, sometimes brown. The spores are quite stiff and cling well to the bark of trees. But they germinate only under certain conditions.
Useful for health, but inedible is considered to be a varnish tinder. Photos of these mushrooms can often be found only in reference books on traditional medicine, where many recommendations are given on its use for health purposes.
Origin history
The first mention of this fungus was recorded in an ancient Chinese treatise written more than two millennia ago. Thanks to its healing effects, the tinder fungus was of high value in Central Asia, since this capricious mushroom was very difficult to find in the wild, only wealthy people could use it. The court doctors in China used it to treat the emperor himself. Until now, they consider it a panacea for all diseases, a varnished tinder fungus (Reishi, as it is called in the East), attributing to it the most miraculous healing properties.
Only in 1972, a Japanese farmer managed to cultivate a mushroom and grow it on his farm. Since that time, they began to use it for the production of medicines.
Today, the pharmaceutical market offers a huge number of preparations based on the Chinese tinder fungus, which is grown on special artificial plantations on an industrial scale.
In Russia, this mushroom is also not spared popularity. It is widely used in folk medicine, where it is also known as the longevity mushroom, or sacred mushroom.
Places of distribution
It is also found in our country, the varnished tinder. Where this mushroom grows in Russia is well known to people involved in healing. Most often it is collected in the southern regions - in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, in the North Caucasus. It is less common in temperate latitudes. Widely distributed in Altai after poaching deforestation.
Tinder fungus is a saprophyte that destroys wood. The mushroom prefers to settle on weakened and dying trees. Sometimes it grows on the roots of trees, absorbing leaves, twigs, and various debris during growth in its hat.
Advantages of the Altai tinder
In the course of research conducted by the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, testing was carried out on tinderpipers from China and collected in Altai. It turned out that they are somewhat different from each other in their healing properties. Altai mushroom affects the liver more effectively. Due to the more complex chemical composition, the degree of extraction is twice as high as varnished in the Altai, where it grows in more severe climatic conditions.
Biologically active substances
The composition of the fruit body of this fungus is rich in amino acids, polysaccharides, organic acids, peptides, triterpenoids, phytocins, vitamins B 3, B 5, C, D, alkaloids and a large number of various trace elements. Among them are potassium, sodium, germanium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, silver and others.
Healing properties
The varnished tinder fungus has a known therapeutic effect, mainly due to the presence in the composition of a high content of polysaccharides, triterpenoids and germanium. These substances cause the antitumor effect of the fungus, the ability to reduce blood pressure, improve blood composition, strengthen immunity.
Drugs created on the basis of this fungus have a fairly broad pharmacological effect. They significantly increase the body's resistance to various diseases, improve the functioning of the heart and liver, have a calming effect on the nervous system, and have a pronounced antifungal and antiviral effect.
Biologically active substances present in the fungus have a hypoglycemic, gene-protective and anti-allergic effect. In the fight against benign and malignant formations, the varnished fungus is successfully used. Properties that contribute to an increase in white blood cells in the blood help restore the body after chemotherapy.
Medical use
The composition of the fungus provides its sufficiently broad therapeutic effect. It is used for gastritis, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, diseases associated with the cardiovascular system, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, diabetes and various problems caused by allergies.
In the East, Reishi extract is used in almost all diseases, adjusting only the dosage. First of all, the tincture of varnished finds use as an antitumor agent, affecting both benign and malignant neoplasms. It is also used to treat mental illness.
As a result of research, the National Cancer Institute in the USA found in the composition of Reishi the substance linostan, which blocks the formation of antibodies, which is very important in allergic reactions. This allows you to use the fungus tinder fungus varnished to get rid of diseases such as chronic asthma, atopic dermatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, hay fever, neurodermatitis, etc. To achieve the result, it takes time, sometimes it may even take a year or two, but a huge plus of such treatment in that an effective result is achieved in the absence of any side effects.
Clinical studies conducted by the All-Union Cardiology Center found that the varnished fungus, recommended for use in cardiovascular diseases, is able to lower cholesterol levels already 5 hours after administration, ensuring its further decrease for more than two weeks. In addition, it was proved that the components that are in the reishi stabilize blood pressure, leading it to normal.
The varnished polypore, whose photo is given in this article, has an almost mystical ability to raise the emotional mood of a person, strength of mind, creating a positive perception of the world. This is explained by the ability of the fungus to cleanse the liver, which leads to getting rid of unpleasant sensations in the right side, excellent health, vitality, and, consequently, good mood.
Tinder fungus in cosmetology
Cleansing the liver does not only improve overall well-being. As a rule, this also affects the appearance of a person, because most skin diseases are associated with problems of internal organs, mainly the liver. The effect of the use of tinder funnel can not but rejoice. The skin is simply rejuvenated, acquiring elasticity, silkiness and even shade. In addition, the condition of the nail plate improves - the problem of its fragility and stratification, which suffers a lot of people, is solved.
The varnished tinder fungus is able to exert a moisturizing and healing effect on the skin, preventing its aging. A mushroom extract is added to masks and creams. There are a lot of recipes for their preparation. An example of one of them: aloe juice (teaspoon), extract of reishi mushroom (also a teaspoon), any vegetable oil and licorice extract (half a spoon), green tea powder on the tip of the knife, 10-12 drops of vitamin E. Mix everything thoroughly, apply to skin and after 20 minutes rinse with warm water.
Tinder fungus varnished for weight loss
Reish mushroom promotes the production of an enzyme called lanophil, which accelerates the breakdown of fatty deposits. The tangible results of weight loss are given by the use of tinder-based products in combination with a diet. It is only necessary to tune in for a long period (at least six months) in order to achieve a positive effect.
There are several ways how you can use varnished tinder for this purpose. Reviews of people who have achieved good results in losing weight are numerous, and many of them recommend such recipes:
- Pour dried mushroom powder with vodka (in a 1: 1 ratio) and refrigerate for 3 days. Every day after six in the evening, take a tablespoon.
- Pour a tablespoon of chopped mushroom with two glasses of water and boil over low heat for 20 minutes. After the broth has cooled, it must be filtered and taken 15 ml three times a day.
- Lacquered tinder fungus in the amount of 25 grams is poured with water (300 ml) in the evening, the mushroom is taken out in the morning, and the remaining water is heated to 55 ° C. After this, the tinder fungus is placed in a thermos and filled with the resulting warm infusion with the addition of water to the original volume. After 12 hours, it should be filtered and drunk a little during the day.
The use of tinder fungus for therapeutic purposes
Preparations based on this fungus can be purchased at the nearest pharmacy, but if it is possible to independently prepare a varnished tart, preparation of funds on its basis is easy to carry out using time-tested recipes.
- Grind the dried mushroom into powder, add vodka and put in a dark place for 7-8 weeks. 0.5 g of vodka is taken per 10 g of mushroom. Take one spoon in the morning, diluting with water.
- Water decoction can be used for two days from the date of manufacture. A spoonful of chopped mushroom is poured with water in an amount of 0.5 liters and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. Then it is poured into a thermos. Drink a teaspoon 3 times a day.
- Adding dry mushroom in the form of a powder by a pinch into various dishes (for example, in soup) also gives its health results.
