20. The Future Of Fungi: Medicinal Mushrooms & Mycelium Biotechnology | Julian Mitchell
In this episode we discuss:
- Julian’s journey from physiotherapist to oyster mushroom farmer
- The process of setting up urban mushroom farms using coffee waste
- Key medicinal mushrooms [AKA functional mushrooms] including chaga, turkey tail, lions mane and reishi
- How medicinal mushrooms can be used to support the immune system
- The research showing psilocybin [“magic mushrooms”] may help reduce depression and anxiety in terminally-ill cancer patients
- Mushrooms as a planet-friendly meat replacement
- The importance of soil health and regenerative agriculture
- Mycelium biotechnology and the circular economy business model
- The ethos behind Life Cykel and advice for would-be business owners
- And so much more…
Please note: Where possible I advocate for a whole-foods diet rather than using supplements. Mushrooms are among the few natural sources of dietary vitamin D - essential for maintaining overall health, especially for bones, teeth and muscle. A simple hack for increasing the vitamin D content in your culinary mushrooms is to place them on a windowsill in the sunshine for 15 minute before cooking. Culinary mushrooms like shiitake are nutritionally rich and may support the immune system but mushrooms alone are not a cure-all . Instead, they should be included as a vital part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. With regards to COVID, several fungi experts, including Paul Stamets, suggest that you might want to stop using medicinal mushrooms if you get a fever and show symptoms of COVID-19. Some mushrooms may increase the production of inflammatory compounds in the lungs. These compounds are called cytokines, and the body may release them as a natural response to some polysaccharides found in fungi. Please consult a medical professional to discuss this fully if you become unwell. One last thing, please avoid eating foraged mushrooms unless they can be properly identified - some mushrooms are poisonous.
Find out more about Life Cykle: https://lifecykel.com
Connect with Life Cycle on Instagram @LifeCykel
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