Natural Sweeteners: Don't Be Fooled, Find The Natural Sweetener That Works Best For You

By Jamis Hartley

The idea of consuming less sugar and replacing it with an all natural sweetener is becoming more available and quite popular. Many are looking for alternatives to sugar to help them lose weight, for some it's very important because of a medical condition and for others it's just a smart thing to do because of the health benefits. Whatever the reason, everyone should do some basic study to help determine how natural sweeteners will affect their body and which of the many choices is best for them. Here are some basics and recommendations to consider in your decision.

* Sugar: Has a Glycemic Index of 60 and 4 calories per gram

* Xylitol: Has a Glycemic Index of 13 and 2 and a half calories per gram

* Sorbitol: Has a Glycemic Index of 9 and 2 and a half calories per gram

* Isomalt: Has a Glycemic Index of 8 and 2.1 calories per gram

* Maltitol Syrup: Has a Glycemic Index of 52 and 3 calories per gram

* Lactitol: Has a Glycemic Index of 6 and 3 calories per gram

* Erythritol: Has a Glycemic Index of 0 and .2 calories per gram

Of the available natural sweeteners recognized as safe to consume there is really only one that stands above the rest. When comparing the Glycemic Index and carbohydrate levels (not listed) Erythritol seems to be the clear choice. It is interesting to note that the only two that do not cause tooth decay is Xylitol and Erythritol. Flavor would obviously be a very determining factor, but that is based only on personal preference as each will pass the test of being pleasingly sweet. The biggest and most important factor to separate Erythritol as the preferred natural sweetener is the method by which the body digests the sweetener. Erythritol is digested mostly in the small intestine and excreted through the bladder saving you the discomfort of the digestive issues caused by the other sweeteners.

In addition, if you have diabetes, Erythritol is the better choice as it does not affect blood sugar. Its sweetness is 70% to that of sugar, but it is better for your body than sugar and it does not promote tooth decay. Erythritol is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits like melons, pears and grapes. It can be used in recipes, on foods and in cold or hot drinks just like sugar. When it comes to natural sweeteners Erythritol is becoming more popular for people that are dieting and those with diabetes. You can find more information on natural sweeteners online in order to make the best choice for you. - 17274

About the Author:

Jamis Hartley has been searching for sugar reducing and nutrient rich foods for years as an athlete and health conscious human being. Jamis has since discovered Erythritol as the preferred of all Natural Sweeteners for its taste, digestive and physical properties. Visit DoctorGrands.com to discover more about Natural Sweeteners and other sugar free healthy whole foods.

Exercise Journals: The Key to Bodybuilding Over Forty

By Scott Fisher

Competitive bodybuilders and other fitness experts know that keeping an exercise journal is an important part of their success. An exercise journal allows you to analyze and track your progress. If you are able to analyze how you achieve both forward progress and set backs, you will know how to adjust your training to make yourself stronger, healthier, and better.

Essentially, when you are journaling make sure you create a detailed record of the muscle group trained, each movement used in that training, and how many reps you performed of each movement. For example, assume one day of your cycle focuses on triceps using arm extensions and dips. Your journal entry would be similar to this: Triceps- Dips (8 reps), Arm extensions (12 reps). Also, note the total time you trained and the time spent on each movement.

The more information you include, the more you will be able to analyze your progress. If you are just beginning with fitness over 40, there is no such thing as too many details. Eventually, you learn how you body responds to strength training and will be able to recognize which information is most helpful to modify your entries accordingly.

Another benefit to journaling is to be able to quickly identify when you overwork a muscle group and correct it. If you overwork a muscle group, especially in the beginning of a session, you will notice that you are unable to do as many reps later in the session. Also, if you notice unusual pain or need an unusual amount of rest you should be able to pinpoint the aspects of your training session that caused the injury. Therefore, you can keep yourself from repeating the injury or causing more damage.

Make sure you include your warm-up stretches, cardio, and weights in your journal. If you are not getting your desired muscle gain or if you feel pain afterwards, this could be from a lack of adequate warm up. You will be able to compare the warm up of periods when you saw positive results to the warm up of periods when you made no progress. Analysis of these two periods should help you adapt your workout accordingly.

Expert bodybuilders also chronicle their nutrition, such as their daily intake of proteins, carbs, and fat. If you are bodybuilding over 40 then you will need to pay special attention to your nutritional intake because of your changing metabolism. You will also track the number of calories you consume and when. If you are having difficulty building muscle, you may not be consuming enough calories to counteract your training. If you are putting on unwanted weight, you may have to consume fewer calories or do more cardio.

Additionally, there is other information that would be helpful to include. Some experts recommend establishing a numbered rating system to describe your energy level and mental outlook. The morning after you train, record your number. Track how you are feeling so that you can analyze which training methods give you the most energy and motivation. Change those methods which overly exhaust you. As an example, if you find you are too sore the days following a change to your cycle, you may have to lower the intensity of your workout.

No matter how much they have researched, no one ever starts with a perfect program for bodybuilding over 40. Champion bodybuilders know that they have to track their progress and adjust their training in order to get maximum results. Exercise journals are one of the best tools you can use to create a winning fitness plan tailored to your body, your lifestyle, and your fitness goals. - 17274

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The Very Healthy Acai Berry Supplements And Their Benefits

By Janet P Phillips

If you are a health aware individual and you are concerned with supplements that can assist you to lose fat, put off aging, and uphold great fitness, you have most likely seen ads for acai berry products. There are some extreme claims out there about this diminutive little berry but it is accurate that the acai berry is one of the most nutritious foods ever grown in nature.

If you were to look at some of the advertisements, you may be tempted to consider that the acai berry is a miraculous key for everything from fat loss, to preventing wrinkles and other problems of aging and even a answer for male impotence. This little berry is particularly healthful but it is not a magic solution. It is a natural occurring berry and in order to be the most helpful it must be combined with an already good for your health life including a nutritious nutritional regime and a unfailing exercise agenda.

A big part of the attraction of the acai berry is that it is only found in the rainforest of Brazil on the acai palm tree. Because it is very perishable it must be processed within 24 hours of being plucked from the tree in order to uphold its necessary nutrients. It is only in the past few years and because of excellent processing methods that the acai berry has been offered in other parts of the globe at all.

Akin to a lot of other berries, this berry is burdened with a store of nutrients. It has a higher antioxidant content than any other singular food and it even comprises a healthful fat content related to olives. Startlingly enough, it also comprises 19 amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein in our bodies.

All of these dietary factors merge to present exceptional nourishment to our bodies. When our bodies are provided outstanding nutrition, we are better able to drop the surplus weight, defend against aging tribulations and even fight off illness. Our bodies are designed to work at the uppermost capacities when we provide superb nutrients.

The rich antioxidant matter of the acai berry is unusually valuable. When our bodies employ oxygen, we make unstable molecules in our bodies called free radicals. A free radical is basically a molecule that is deficient an electron. These free radical molecules create turmoil in our bodies, which makes us grow old sooner, hold glut weight and even form sickness in our bodies.

Antioxidants are vital because they come in and bequeath the omitted electron to the unstable molecule. This is important to good health and antioxidants can be located in lots of the most nutritious foods located in the world. The acai berry actually has a higher antioxidant content than any other singular food and that is why an acai berry enhancement can be so advantageous and beneficial for so many people.

Offering your body with superb nutrients can aid you to drop fat, thwart aging deterioration and even stop sickness. Supplementing with the acai berry can help to offer this tremendous nutrition. - 17274

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Proper Foods Can Keep Disease Away

By Dr. Lorna Mistranski

Mediterranean diet provides substantial protection against type 2 diabetes, according to published studies.

The composites of what make the Mediterranean diet so perfect against type 2 is it is robust in olive oil, grains, nuts vegetables, and fish yet it is low in meat, alcohol, and dairy products.

Studies hint that such a diet plays a major role in cardiovascular disease, however, there are not any current studies in how this diet effects the diabetic population.

Researchers gathered 13,000 graduates from the University of Navarra in Spain with no history of diabetes and recruited between December 1999 and November 2007; each graduate had their dietary habits and health were subsequently tracked.

Developers of the study arranged to have a questionnaire that was designed to measure each participants eating habits. The test totaled 136 questions that asked the participants specifically about their cooking methods, types of oils they use, and their overall dietary supplements.

The 13,000 participants were tracked by a questionnaire that was administered every two years and asked questions about thier lifestyle, eating habits, and overall medical conditions. From this, researchers were able to pick up new cases of diabetes.

The average follow up period turned out to be 4 years and researchers found that the subjects who stuck closely to the diet had a lower risk of diabetes. The diet was associated with an 83% relative reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.

An important thing to note is that participants who stuck strictly to the diet were thought to have the highest prevalence of risk factors for diabetes such as older age, a family history of diabetes, and a higher proportion of ex-smokers.

This was not the case. In fact, they had a lower risk of diabetes, suggesting that the diet might provide substantial protection.

The primary compounds of the diet include a high intake of fiber, vegetable fat, trans fatty acids, and a moderate intake of alcohol.

A key element of the diet is the abundant use of virgin oil for cooking, frying, spreading on bread, and dressing salads.

The scientist finished by calling for larger cohorts and trials to confirm their findings. - 17274

About the Author:

For the past thirty years, Dr. Lorna Mistranski has studied extracts that offer the best results in diet pills. She has a free diet pillsinformation site that offers sound advice when looking for which diet solution is right for you. She also has an informative blog that looks at the best free diet pillstrials available and which ones to avoid.

Natural Herbs for Impotence: Improve Your Health

By Pierre Federkeil

If you want to boost your sex drive and last longer in bed you can do so with some powerful natural herbs which if taken in sufficient dosage can super charge your libido and do it safely and naturally. Before we look at the herbs to increase libido lets look at some of the problems men have in getting strong erections and maintaining them.

In fact, there are certain foods found to contain important substances that can alter the way couples and partners enjoy their intimate experiences together. In the past, people would choose to remedy their concerns with herbs known to have potency in sexual urges.

One of the more common libido enhancing herbs are found in various spices. Although these are known to lend more flavours to dishes, these spices can also be used to increase sexual desire. For many generations and established in many countries around the world, spices are one of the strongest aphrodisiacs.

Now how do we correct the above conditions and supercharge libido? We can take some natural herbs which have been proven and used for centuries, to combat low libido and achieve increased sex drive and stronger erections. One of the best is Horny Goat Weed a great name and a great herb! It helps increase testosterone and nitric oxide, as well as increasing energy and decreasing stress.

Next the most famous Chinese herb Ginseng which is a great tonic herb and helps sex drive in several ways. Chemicals in Ginseng are thought to stimulate the production of hormones that stimulate cell growth and natural healing in the sex organs. It also promotes better blood circulation within the body as a whole and the genitals and finally, enhances mood and energy levels.

Bananas, which have compounds that increase libido, can be representative of the male organ, penis. The common aphrodisiac, oysters, are believed to resemble the female genitalia or the vagina. Foods that have physical semblances to certain human parts are believed to help individuals attain better sexual lives.

Kava Kava: apart from increasing the male libido this herb can also be used to treat nervousness and depression because it is known to contain compounds called "pyrones". Pyrones contain sedative and tranquilizing effects on its users and because depression is one of the major causes of low sex drive, this herb extract is sure to get you back in the mood for love.

The above combination of herbs, will if taken in sufficient strength give you stronger erections for longer naturally by, increasing testosterone, nitric oxide realize, encourage stronger blood flow and lift overall sexual stamina. So if your libido is a bit low and you want a boost and a stronger erection for longer try the above combination and you maybe glad you did. - 17274

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Buy Pau D'arco Bark: Increase Your Immune System

By Kelvin Hall

Right there in the forests of South America is a herb known for its many healing qualities, particularly its curative effects on cancer patients and other diseases. This herb is what we call Pau darco, derived from the inner bark of the Taheebo tree, scientifically known as Tabebuia Avellanedae or Tabebuia Impetiginosa.

The Pau d'arco tree is a broad-leaf evergreen that grows to a height of 125 feet and produces violet colored flowers which accounts for it's often being called the "trumpet tree". It grows well in Peru and Argentina high in the Andes. It can be found growing in the low-lying areas of Paraguay and Brazil.

It's use goes back in history to before the Incas. Pau d'arco tree was used to make hunting bows and as a medicine. It was observed by indigenous people that when the tree was alive and even after it was cut down, it never developed growth of mold, mildew, or fungi.

The Guarani and Topi Indians refer to the tree as "tajy, which means "to have strength and vigor" i.e. good health. Tribal medicine people peeled off the tree's bark in long strips. They then separated the inner and outer layers and used the inner bark to make healing teas.

In controlled doses its active chemicals are said to invigorate the immune system. Too much Pau darco could lead to a weak immune system. At present, scientists are still perplexed by the healing qualities of this herb. More research has yet to be done about this.

Pau darco has been found more effective that pharmaceutical medication by many people. Not only does the herb have antifungal, antiprotozoal, antibacterial and antiviral properties, it has also been a cure for inflammations, skin injuries, psoriasis, and even vaginal yeast infections. In some parts of South America, it is even used as a mouthwash, again, because of its antibacterial quality.

Lapachol, which is a photochemical, is present in the inner bark of pau d'arco trees has been documented as an effective natural medicine for use in treating abscesses and tumors. However, for it to be used to treat conditions such as cancer, the amount of lapachol, found in pau d' arco, required to provide and effective dosage, would be toxic if used as the exclusive treatment.

What does this mean? Testimonies that seem to confirm the effectiveness of a herb should also be taken together with the knowledge on how it will work in the body. For best results, always consult your doctor. - 17274

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Cat's Claw Extract Supplement: Tired of Being Sick? Try Herbs Natural Herbal Support

By Matt Foster

Cat's Claw is a tropical vine that grows in rainforest and jungle areas in South America and Asia. Some cultures refer to the plant as the "Sacred Herb of the Rain Forest". This vine gets its name from the small thorns at the base of the leaves, which looks like a cat's claw. These claws enable the vine to attach itself around trees climbing to a heights up to 100 feet.

Rendered into liquid form, however, extracts of cat's claw have been found to have potent adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, and these are therefore used by herbal therapists to tackle a wide variety of common ailments. The anti-inflammatory qualities of the herb indicate potential benefits in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and bursitis; as well as digestive problems and ulcers, whilst as an adaptogen and anti-oxidant cat's claw is believed to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and even help in the fight against cancer.

Current studies show it may have positive effects on, and can boost the body's immune system. With recent fear of HIV, studies on cat's claw have started to move quickly.

Why they started to move that fast? Because the recent studies about this herb extract shows that its effects are huge. The change of a patient who is taking cat's claw could be notorious.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), there are 3000 plant extracts that can kill cancer cells, 70 percent of these plants being found only in the rain forest. The fertile environment provided by the rain forest, due to the constant rain from January to December and the 75-80 degree Fahrenheit temperatures, allows the plants grown to be amazingly rich in alkaloids and other medicinal compounds. When the Ashaninka harvest the plant, they work intelligently to keep it perpetually healthy.

Individual plants are never completely harvested. Only one third of their roots are collected at any time and then no more root is harvested from that plant for the next ten years, allowing re-growth in the remaining root. Because the Ashaninka are a generous people, they see no benefit in hoarding the cat's claw for themselves. As their homelands continue to be destroyed by deforestation, they want to make sure that the plant's healing properties continue on.

But in the case of cat's claw the only contraindications for its use appear to for pregnant women and those suffering from disorders of the immune system. For all others, the herb appears to be completely safe, although very rare cases of minor gastric upsets and headaches have been reported.

European clinical studies have used the extract from the bark in combination with AZT in the treatment of AIDS. It is also used in the treatment and prevention of arthritis and rheumatism, as well as diabetes, PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, and prostrate conditions. - 17274

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Keep Your Body Young By Finding the Right Nutrition

By Dr. Jerimiah Crossderd

The mouth-watering, unsullied, organically grown fruit known as the acai berry, is also a perfect choice to ensure your body is full of antioxidants. Antioxidants are the number one fighter of free radicals which are the primary culprits in aging and damaging the body.

The process of the body's cells consuming oxygen, creates a by-product known as a free radical that can do lots of harm to the body. Antioxidants play a huge role in preventing and repairing the damage done by these free radicals. Adding antioxidants to your daily diet is the best way to protect yourself from these free radicals.

The breaking down of the body's DNA and causes of cancer have been linked to Free radicals. They can wreak havoc on the body when left unchecked. The damage can be so severe to the cells that at times free radicals are responsible for them not working at all.

The types of damage these free radicals can do range neurological damage down to hormonal problems. A perfect food with just the right amount of antioxidants to fight these free radicals is found in the acai fruit.

Antioxidants have shown for years that they are the optimal way to maintain, repair, and strengthen the body from free radicals.

A book entitled the Perricone Promise was written by Dr. Perricone who is generally regarded as the person responsible for introducing the fruit to the mainstream audience. In this book he describes the acai berry as being the most perfect food known on the planet today.

In this book, Dr. Perricone also states that the acai fruit berry has every ingredient needed to look and feel younger. Also, according to Dr. Perricone the fruit contains everything needed to revitalize your health and hinder the process of aging.

The acai berry is categorized as a super food that gives you all of the nutrients needed when eradicating, preventing, and fighting harmful radicals. This fruit is defiantly worth researching if your goal is improving your overall health and well being

The acai berry is the perfect food to improve overall health, reduce aging, and fighting free radicals and could be just the missing supplement your body needs to creating the new you. - 17274

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To look further into theamazing benefits ofacai fruit,you can look on Dr. Jerimiah Crossderd's web site which provides a wealth of knowledge pertaining to this subject as well as an acai fruit of the most reputable on the market and which ones to avoid as there are many companies that have been found to be fraudulent as a result of acai fruit berrys popularity.

13 Interesting Facts You Should Know About Water

By Harvey Kent

Water is the founder of life. Scientist have long proven that all life forms on earth have originated from the ocean, namely from water. Without it life would be nonexistent. We depend on it for almost all our bodily needs. So the water we drink, its contents, purity the way we drink it dramatically affects our very existence. Here are 13 interesting facts about water:

1) Specialist have all agreed that the best drinking water is the one with a balanced mineral content. A good mineral spring water, sparkling or not, from a trustworthy source is the best choice you can make.

2) Alcoholic drinks and beverages aren't the best options for quenching your thirst, far from it. Actually, they have a diuretic effect upon your body and thus they dehydrate you.

3) The cheap solution to bottled mineral spring water would be a water filter. The easiest way to chose the best water filter for you is to make a chemical analysis on your home water. Always remember to change your filter with regularity so that they always achieve the best results.

4) Ice can be dangerous for you if you have heart issues. The difference in temperature can have a damaging effect on your body.

5) While eating please refrain yourself from drinking water because you tend to forget to chew your food properly. Proper mastication is necessary for a healthy diet.

6) Hot tap water corrodes the metal pipes it comes from and can harm your health. If you must drink tap water do so only after you boiled cold tap water or filtered it properly.

7) On average 3 liters of water is wasted by every human by just brushing his teeth once. If you brush 3 times a day that's almost 10 liters of wasted water per day. You can avoid this problem simply by closing the tap when brushing and by using a cup for rinsing.

8) The carrot is 90% water. The watermelon, as his name implies, is about 95% water. Other water rich fruits are apples, citrus fruits, grapes and pares.

9) During his entire lifespan an average person drinks about 60 000 liters of water. That's about 180000 12 ounce coke cans

10) Although mineral water, as the name implies, contains minerals they are, for the most part, inorganic minerals. Don't confuse them with organic mineral such as those found in whole wheat products. These inorganic minerals can be harmful and can cause serious problems such as arthritis and kidney stones.

11) Humans can only drink fresh water. Only 3% of all the Earth's water is fresh and 3/4 of that is made up of glaciers. The rest of 97% is located in the earth's oceans.

12) 270 liters. That is the amount used and usually wasted each day by each of us. The most wasteful daily act is showering, totaling in 140 liters of wasted water. Submarine crew members on the other hand are trained to take short 2 minute showers that only us about 6 liters of water.

13) Water, no matter how clean it may seem, contains impurities such as minerals for example. The only pure H2O is distilled water. - 17274

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Find out why pink grapefruits are healthy and read the 5 reasons to workout in the morning.

Caution: If You Want To Lose Arm Flab Don't Go High Carb

By Katherine Crawford M.S.

Picking the right diet for losing arm flab can be extremely frustrating. Why? Because there is so much marketing hype that the truth has become hidden amongst all the lies.

I'm pretty sure you're having a challenge finding the perfect diet

If so, you're not alone. I suspect that most women are utterly lost when it comes to solid nutrition for arm flab loss. I know I was.

So here are 4 reasons why you shouldn't go on a high carb diet for arm flab loss:

1. Excess sugar intakes. This can be a very serious issue is you have a sugar addiction. After all, once you start having even a small amount of sugar it will be very hard to stop. Don't forget that sugar triggers the same receptors as drugs.

2. Can increase insulin resistance. The research has shown time and again that those with insulin resistance do far better with lower carb diets. So if you're insulin resistant, high carb dieting is not for you.

3. Hunger swings. Lots of carbs translates into fluctuating levels of blood sugar. And once your blood sugar goes down, you'll be very very hungry. The key here is to have massive amounts of vegetables with EVERY high carb meal. Only then will blood sugar be somewhat stabilized.

4. Sluggish arm fat loss. If you're looking for fast results this probably isn't the diet for you. When cranking up the carb intake, fat loss comes at a very slow rate.

Do you want to lose that arm flab ASAP? If so, high carb is not for you. In my experience, moderate to low carb intakes are best. Going low carb, however, isn't necessary unless you are insulin resistant. How can you tell? If you have a relatively large abdomen, then you could be insulin resistant. Ignore all the marketing hype and stick to what has been proven by research. Only then will you achieve sexy arm success! - 17274

About the Author:

Writer Katherine Crawford, a Harvard exercise physiologist and former arm fat sufferer, teaches women how to get rid of bingo wings. Discover how to get sexy arms by visiting her blog about how to get rid of arm flab now!

Agarikon (Fomes officinalis) - A Native American Miracle Mushroom?

By Dr. Markho Rafael

The medicinal mushroom Agarikon (Fomes officinalis) can live for 50 years or more, making it one of the longest living perennial mushrooms in the world. This is even more impressive in light of the fact that it starts growing on trees that are already old to begin with. In other words, Fomes officinalis can only survive in old growth forests.

The earliest written record of any mushroom used medicinally can be found in the Materia Medica from 65 B.C., where Fomes officinalis was listed by Greek physician Dioscorides as a tuberculosis remedy. [25] Other oral and written traditions from Poland and elsewhere in Europe indicate that Fomes officinalis was the most important medicinal mushroom in ancient Europe.

It may be a species of a bygone era. Agarikon is practically extinct in Europe. [146] Most remaining Agarikon mushrooms are now found in the moist old growth rain forests of western North America. Fortunately, it can be cultivated, so there is no immediate risk of losing the genetic material. Paul Stamets business Fungi Perfecti based in Washington State grows it, as does the company Mushroom Harvest out of Ohio.

There is little modern research on the medicinal use of Agarikon extract but traditional use of this medicinal mushroom included tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and pneumonia (Bacillus pneumoniae and others). It's also been used topically as a poultice to relieve muscle and skeletal pain.

In 2002, an article by K. Grzywnowics was published in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms supporting this information. Titled Medicinal mushrooms in Polish folk medicine, it states that Fomes officinalis was indeed used to treat lung conditions, including asthma and coughing, as well as painful skeletal conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Polish healers considered it an elixir for long life. In addition to lung and musculoskeletal conditions, it was also used to treat infected wounds and open bleeding. [147]

Native Americans were also aware of the medicinal properties of Fomes officinalis. Oral traditions among certain tribes hold that it was used as a remedy against diseases brought by the Europeans, including smallpox. One such tribe was the Haida of the American Northwest, who even incorporated Agarikon into their spirituality where it was associated with the female creator spirit Raven, and by extension to female sexuality and fertility.

Two mentions in modern scientific literature include Agarikon extract with other mushrooms that elicit a strong immune enhancing effect in subjects. [148, 149]

Finally, it should be noted that in spite of its common name synonyms "Quinine Fungus" or "Quinine Conk," Agarikon does not contain the compound quinine and is not effective in the use against malaria.

Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any herb (or mushroom) except as advised by a licensed medical practitioner.

Credit to Paul Stamets for research and source material. - 17274

About the Author:

Dr. Markho Rafael, an avid mushroomer since youth, has worked for his entire professional career in the area of natural health. He currently focuses on medicinal mushrooms, working in particular with the certified organic line of Paul Stamets Fungi Perfecti. For scientific references to this article, please visit the Fomes officinalis extract (Stamets) page and click on any number indicating a reference.