Substance display

Medicinal mushrooms have been used for hundreds of years, mainly in Asian countries, for treatment of infections. More recently, they have also been used in the treatment of pulmonary diseases and cancer. Medicinal mushrooms have been approved adjuncts to standard cancer treatments in Japan and China for more than 30 years and have an extensive clinical history of safe use as single agents or combined with radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

More than 100 species of medicinal mushrooms are used in Asia. Some of the more commonly used species include the following:

• Ganoderma lucidum (reishi).
• Trametes versicolor or Coriolus versicolor (turkey tail).
• Lentinus edodes (shiitake).
• Grifola frondosa (maitake).