I buy my Host Defense® Turkey Tail Capsules, Immune Support from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Host-Defense%C2%AE-Turkey-Capsules-Support/dp/B00WGROQIM
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-superior-herbs-turkey-tail-mushroom-500-mg-120-caps Turkey Tail Mushroom Extract, standardized to 30% polysaccharides, 500 mg 120 Caps $10.99 I don't have any relationship with Swanson, except as a consumer.
Although authentic PSK (polysaccharide Kureha, now called polysaccharide Krestin) is a hot-water extract of the mycelia (not the fruiting bodies) of a particular strain of Coriolus (turkey tail) fungus, if the statements at mushroomscience are accurate, what is more important is the actual extraction method.
"This was to be expected; the researchers used data from studies on hot water extracts to get the NIH grant money to begin with. It was surprising that the researchers chose to study unextracted mushroom powder at all. There is no data on unextracted mushroom or mycelium powder in the scientific literature and unextracted medicinal mushrooms have never been used in traditional herbal practice. Mushroom Science’s Coriolus Super Strength formula is carefully prepared with a multistep hot water extraction process, and delivers the same concentration of immune supporting polyscaccharides as the PSK tested in the highly regarded Japanese research (also known as Krestin, or Polysaccharide K).*"
"There are some companies claiming that PSK and PSP can only be extracted from the mycelium (the vegetative stage), and not from the mushroom (the fruit body), however, this is not true. In the original U.S. Patent filed on the extraction process for making PSK (now expired), the inventors make the following statement; “The term “fungus belonging to the Coriolus genus” used herein is to be understood as referring to the fruit bodies and/or mycelia of the above mentioned species of fungi” (U.S. Patent 4,229,570, Oct. 21, 1980)."
The above quotes from http://mushroomscience.com/coriolus-super-strength/
A short review of the history of PSK and PSP found here:
I'm not implying that only Mushroom Science provides a high quality PSK product outside of Japan, just pointing out the importance of the actual extraction process.
Thanks, Stephen. Who knew mushrooms could be so complicated? I found this link on the Oriveda site helpful: https://oriveda.wordpress.com/what-you-should-know-before-buying-mushroom-supplements/ It's quite descriptive and makes sense to me. Pretty clearly, when buying mushroom products for therapeutic effect, one wants dried extract, not ground whole mushroom. The Swanson product seems quite like the MushroomScience "Coriolus PSP" product, but the MushroomScience "Coriolus Super Strength" may be more carefully crafted, with a higher polysaccharide concentration. Interestingly, the Oriveda product impressed me with the details of its manufacture, seems to have the highest concentration of polysaccharides, with both hot water and alcohol extract, possibly the most "genuine" PSP formulation readily available: http://www.oriveda.com/coriolus_psp.php We'll probably do the Oriveda brand after the Swanson is consumed.
Interesting, after reading the article on the oriveda site saying that therapeutic mushroom products should be an extract rather than whole powder, I checked the Host Defense website, and it appears they have a Turkey tail product consisting of freeze-dried mycelia (http://www.hostdefense.com/turkey-tail) as well as a Turkey tail extract product (http://www.hostdefense.com/turkey-tail-extract)
The polysaccharide content is not listed on the label for either of these products.
because ordering mushroom science products to Europe is really expensive I found another supplier from Czech Republic (MycoMedica) that uses hot water extraction and has information about polysaccharides.
Coriolus: http://www.mycomedica.eu/eshop-coriolus.html "The content of polysaccharides in MycoMedica Coriolus extract is at least 25 % (250 mg/g)."
Reishi: http://www.mycomedica.eu/eshop-reishi.html "The content of polysaccharides in MycoMedica Reishi extract is at least 30 % (300 mg/g). Triterpenes content in MycoMedica Reishi is at least 3 %."
Maitake: http://www.mycomedica.eu/eshop-maitake.html "The content of polysaccharides in MycoMedica Maitake extract is at least 30 % (300 mg/g)."
I only ordered Maitake and Reishi because I still have some Coriolus from Mushroom science left, they both cost 29eur per bottle (90 caps) - so a lot cheaper if you are from Europe, compared to Mushroom Science and I think even Oriveda product.
I am a bit confused. In looking at these brands, it seems that one must choose a bottle that provides PSK or one that provides PSP, but none have both, mixed. Or am I misunderstanding?
My husband has a 97% unmethylated MGMT promoter gene...would this affect which one I'd choose? I seem to recall reading about MGMT status vs. PSP/PSK but can't find it when I go back and search.
That's correct, depending on the brand it will either be PSK or PSP. No need to do both. They are both extracted from Turkey Tail mycelia, using a different extraction method and from a different strain of the Turkey tail. Historically, PSK was developed in Japan and PSP was developed later in China.
MGMT is a DNA repair enzyme that undoes the damage done by alkylating chemotherapy (Temodar, CCNU, BCNU). It would likely have no bearing on the efficacy of PSP or PSK.
Thanks for your quick answer! We are preparing for a consult in two days with Husband's NO and this is one of several things we want to add to the arsenal.
Does anyone know why people mostly use PSP / PSK and not other types of mushrooms? I think I read somewhere that after Ben's tumor regressed he cycled between maitake, reishi and PSK for some time
I think the main reason is because of the quantity and quality of clinical evidence supporting PSK compared to the other mushrooms. There have been numerous randomized clinical trials of PSK in Japan for various types of cancer.
Ben didn't cycle back and forth between these mushrooms but switched over, serially:
"I used PSK for about three years and then switched to Maitake D-fraction for a while and then Reishi."
On the other hand, I believe Rich was using PSK, Maitake, and Reishi extracts simultaneously.
Hello guys! Did anyone research into taking higher doses than 3g per day? I did some quick search and in some studies the effect on immune cells was dose dependent.
Also I wish everybody a happy and most of all healthy new year :)
I've seen this study before too. Sounds to me like the product used wasn't technically PSK/PSP.
"Trametes versicolor freeze- dried mycelial powder was obtained from Paul Stamets at Fungi Perfecti, Inc., Olympia, WA"
If this was simply whole mycelia powder (was it?) it would be different from PSK and PSP, which are hot water extracts of specific strains of Trametes (aka Coriolus) versicolor, using specific extraction methods. This doesn't mean it's ineffective, just that the dosing wouldn't necessarily be comparable to PSK/PSP.
On Oriveda information leaflet that came with the order, one option of dosing suggestion was 20-40 PSP capsules per day for (I think) around 9 weeks. I asked if they have any studies to back this up, will let you know what they answer.
I got the reply: " The reports we are referring to in our leaflet are anecdotal, empirical reports, mainly available in Russian and Chinese. They are not scientific. AFAIK they have not been published in the digital domain and are not represented in databases such as PubMed.
The high doses are meant for people that do not want regular treatment, only mushrooms. (We are not recommending this - a combi of e.g. chemo/radiation and mushrooms is what we recommend and this usually is successful in several aspects).
Actual research about dosing is very limited. We wrote an article about that - see here."
I get mine here: www.mushroomscience.com
ReplyDeleteI also get mine from mushroomscience.com
ReplyDeleteI buy my Host Defense® Turkey Tail Capsules, Immune Support from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Host-Defense%C2%AE-Turkey-Capsules-Support/dp/B00WGROQIM
ReplyDeletehttp://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-superior-herbs-turkey-tail-mushroom-500-mg-120-caps
ReplyDeleteTurkey Tail Mushroom Extract, standardized to 30% polysaccharides,
500 mg 120 Caps $10.99
I don't have any relationship with Swanson, except as a consumer.
Although authentic PSK (polysaccharide Kureha, now called polysaccharide Krestin) is a hot-water extract of the mycelia (not the fruiting bodies) of a particular strain of Coriolus (turkey tail) fungus, if the statements at mushroomscience are accurate, what is more important is the actual extraction method.
ReplyDelete"This was to be expected; the researchers used data from studies on hot water extracts to get the NIH grant money to begin with. It was surprising that the researchers chose to study unextracted mushroom powder at all. There is no data on unextracted mushroom or mycelium powder in the scientific literature and unextracted medicinal mushrooms have never been used in traditional herbal practice.
Mushroom Science’s Coriolus Super Strength formula is carefully prepared with a multistep hot water extraction process, and delivers the same concentration of immune supporting polyscaccharides as the PSK tested in the highly regarded Japanese research (also known as Krestin, or Polysaccharide K).*"
"There are some companies claiming that PSK and PSP can only be extracted from the mycelium (the vegetative stage), and not from the mushroom (the fruit body), however, this is not true. In the original U.S. Patent filed on the extraction process for making PSK (now expired), the inventors make the following statement; “The term “fungus belonging to the Coriolus genus” used herein is to be understood as referring to the fruit bodies and/or mycelia of the above mentioned species of fungi” (U.S. Patent 4,229,570, Oct. 21, 1980)."
The above quotes from
http://mushroomscience.com/coriolus-super-strength/
A short review of the history of PSK and PSP found here:
https://oriveda.wordpress.com/coriolus-versicolor-turkey-tail-the-facts/
I'm not implying that only Mushroom Science provides a high quality PSK product outside of Japan, just pointing out the importance of the actual extraction process.
DeleteThanks, Stephen. Who knew mushrooms could be so complicated? I found this link on the Oriveda site helpful:
Deletehttps://oriveda.wordpress.com/what-you-should-know-before-buying-mushroom-supplements/
It's quite descriptive and makes sense to me. Pretty clearly, when buying mushroom products for therapeutic effect, one wants dried extract, not ground whole mushroom. The Swanson product seems quite like the MushroomScience "Coriolus PSP" product, but the MushroomScience "Coriolus Super Strength" may be more carefully crafted, with a higher polysaccharide concentration.
Interestingly, the Oriveda product impressed me with the details of its manufacture, seems to have the highest concentration of polysaccharides, with both hot water and alcohol extract, possibly the most "genuine" PSP formulation readily available:
http://www.oriveda.com/coriolus_psp.php
We'll probably do the Oriveda brand after the Swanson is consumed.
Thanks for the link - I hadn't read much on the oriveda site yet, but will do so. Sounds like a high quality product.
DeleteInteresting, after reading the article on the oriveda site saying that therapeutic mushroom products should be an extract rather than whole powder, I checked the Host Defense website, and it appears they have a Turkey tail product consisting of freeze-dried mycelia (http://www.hostdefense.com/turkey-tail) as well as a Turkey tail extract product (http://www.hostdefense.com/turkey-tail-extract)
DeleteThe polysaccharide content is not listed on the label for either of these products.
Hello guys,
ReplyDeletebecause ordering mushroom science products to Europe is really expensive I found another supplier from Czech Republic (MycoMedica) that uses hot water extraction and has information about polysaccharides.
Coriolus: http://www.mycomedica.eu/eshop-coriolus.html
"The content of polysaccharides in MycoMedica Coriolus extract is at least 25 % (250 mg/g)."
Reishi: http://www.mycomedica.eu/eshop-reishi.html
"The content of polysaccharides in MycoMedica Reishi extract is at least 30 % (300 mg/g).
Triterpenes content in MycoMedica Reishi is at least 3 %."
Maitake: http://www.mycomedica.eu/eshop-maitake.html
"The content of polysaccharides in MycoMedica Maitake extract is at least 30 % (300 mg/g)."
I only ordered Maitake and Reishi because I still have some Coriolus from Mushroom science left, they both cost 29eur per bottle (90 caps) - so a lot cheaper if you are from Europe, compared to Mushroom Science and I think even Oriveda product.
Sorry, forgot to add - 90 caps 500mg each per bottle
DeleteI am a bit confused. In looking at these brands, it seems that one must choose a bottle that provides PSK or one that provides PSP, but none have both, mixed. Or am I misunderstanding?
ReplyDeleteMy husband has a 97% unmethylated MGMT promoter gene...would this affect which one I'd choose? I seem to recall reading about MGMT status vs. PSP/PSK but can't find it when I go back and search.
That's correct, depending on the brand it will either be PSK or PSP. No need to do both. They are both extracted from Turkey Tail mycelia, using a different extraction method and from a different strain of the Turkey tail. Historically, PSK was developed in Japan and PSP was developed later in China.
DeleteMGMT is a DNA repair enzyme that undoes the damage done by alkylating chemotherapy (Temodar, CCNU, BCNU). It would likely have no bearing on the efficacy of PSP or PSK.
Thanks for your quick answer! We are preparing for a consult in two days with Husband's NO and this is one of several things we want to add to the arsenal.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know why people mostly use PSP / PSK and not other types of mushrooms? I think I read somewhere that after Ben's tumor regressed he cycled between maitake, reishi and PSK for some time
ReplyDeleteI think the main reason is because of the quantity and quality of clinical evidence supporting PSK compared to the other mushrooms. There have been numerous randomized clinical trials of PSK in Japan for various types of cancer.
DeleteBen didn't cycle back and forth between these mushrooms but switched over, serially:
"I used PSK for about three years and then switched to Maitake D-fraction for a while and then Reishi."
On the other hand, I believe Rich was using PSK, Maitake, and Reishi extracts simultaneously.
Hello guys!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone research into taking higher doses than 3g per day? I did some quick search and in some studies the effect on immune cells was dose dependent.
Also I wish everybody a happy and most of all healthy new year :)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3369477/
DeleteI've seen this study before too. Sounds to me like the product used wasn't technically PSK/PSP.
Delete"Trametes versicolor freeze-
dried mycelial powder was obtained from Paul Stamets at
Fungi Perfecti, Inc., Olympia, WA"
If this was simply whole mycelia powder (was it?) it would be different from PSK and PSP, which are hot water extracts of specific strains of Trametes (aka Coriolus) versicolor, using specific extraction methods. This doesn't mean it's ineffective, just that the dosing wouldn't necessarily be comparable to PSK/PSP.
On Oriveda information leaflet that came with the order, one option of dosing suggestion was 20-40 PSP capsules per day for (I think) around 9 weeks. I asked if they have any studies to back this up, will let you know what they answer.
DeleteI got the reply:
Delete"
The reports we are referring to in our leaflet are anecdotal, empirical reports, mainly available in Russian and Chinese. They are not scientific. AFAIK they have not been published in the digital domain and are not represented in databases such as PubMed.
The high doses are meant for people that do not want regular treatment, only mushrooms. (We are not recommending this - a combi of e.g. chemo/radiation and mushrooms is what we recommend and this usually is successful in several aspects).
Actual research about dosing is very limited. We wrote an article about that - see here."