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Focus on 3 Wild-Harvested Superherbs!

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At African Forest Medicinals, we pride ourselves on using wild-harvested herbs and mushrooms as much as we possibly can.

For the consumer of these products, what this guarantees is:-

  • In a nutshell – the super-high potency of the mushrooms’/herbs’ medicines. When a plant grows wild, without help in terms of additional water (other than natural rainfall), growth potentiators (fertiliser and the like) or any added protection against insects or parasites, it develops a very strong defence system in terms of alkaloid content – and it is this same “botanical defence” medicine that is transferred to us when we ingest these plants.
  • It also means that we know, without doubt, that the material that goes into our products is 100% pure – unlike other powders on the market that are (usually) imported from China, where there is little quality control – there is no question as to the quality and composition of the raw mushrooms and herbs that we use.
  • And that you can also enjoy the fact that these mushrooms and herbs grow in the pristine environment of our Knysna Forest farm, that we are so blessed to live upon. Anyone who has spent even the briefest amount of time in this forest will be able to attest to the incredible energy that this environment holds.

Everything on this planet is energy – including ourselves – and so it stands to reason that anything growing or living within the incredible energy of this beautiful forest absorbs and becomes imbued with that same energy.   This is priceless body-and-soul medicine – and so important for the challenging times we are living in  – and this is the reason why we are so dedicated to bringing that same medicine to as many people, who don’t have the benefit of living here, as possible.  It is a truly magical environment, with so much holistic benefit to be gained from the herbs that live and grow within it.

To focus on just 3 of these wild-harvested tinctures, being promoted via our South African distributor, Earthshine, during October 2023, here is some additional information about the 3 mushroom/herbs that go into them – and the incredibly healing properties they can bring to our lives…

  • Artemisia (Artemisia afra) is a potent herb that has long been used throughout Africa as an anti-parasitic herb for treating blood and liver parasites such as malaria, as well as for intestinal worms.  It is also widely known amongst the Black population of South Africa as a trusted remedy for coughs, colds and flu.  African Forest Medicinals’ Artemisia tincture uses Artemisia afra – indigenous to South Africa, that is both potent and wild-harvested too!  Super powerful for treating symptoms of lingering colds and flu – as well as serving to protect you against them.
  • Red Reishi (Ganoderm lucidum) is known as the Supreme Protector in Traditional Chinese Medicine and helps build natural immunity against all types of disease – both acute and chronic. Reishi that grows in the wild – as African Forest Medicinals’ does – has to develop Superpowers of protection against insects, parasites and other fungi that would otherwise attack it – and nothing beats this for strengthening our health at the deepest possible level.
  • Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) holds particular significance for October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month – as this incredible medicinal mushroom has already proven to be super-effective in fighting breast cancer – as well as prostate cancer and cancer in general. For all of you women out there, it is also an incredibly powerful treatment for stubborn/recurring UTI’s, as well as being effective against HPV (which can possibly lead to cervical cancer) – making this “magic” mushroom a certain “Woman’s Best Friend”!  And is another of AFM’s, super-potent, Wild-Harvested treasures too.  Also assists in combating side-effects of chemotherapy treatment too.

All of our mushroom tinctures are dual-extracted tinctures, that make both the water- and alcohol-soluble medicinal components of these mushrooms bio-available to us.

TESTIMONIALS FOR OUR WILD TURKEY TAIL TINCTURE

 

Highly Recommended For Female Organ-Related Infections
After experiencing good results using this for chronic thrush infection, recommended & purchased for friends suffering from very bad UTI and other female organ related infections. Helped them heal completely and even gave them a boost of energy.   (Aysha)

Sorts Thrush & UTI Symptoms Right Out!
Cannot not have this in my pantry!  Gals – let me tell you – this stuff is OUT OF THIS WORLD for making a potential UTI go nuts.  I haven’t ever had to take it with a full blown one – although I’m sure it would work – it would just take longer. But the minute I feel symptoms coming on – these drops every morning for a few days sort it right out and restore my body back to my normal. I wouldn’t go travelling without it – that’s for sure!   (Andrea)

Chronic Candida Totally Healed
I’m a heterosexual male and I have suffered with chronic candida for almost 20 years – being sexually intimate had become so difficult, with a constant candida breakout. I’ve consulted doctors so often, was given diflucan; antifungal creams etc and, per chance, I came across this product, tried it and it didn’t just suppress the condition but completely healed me…  I’m so grateful and definitely recommend it to anyone having issues with chronic candida. It also sorted my tummy issues out, feel less bloated and crampy in my stomach with an added peak in my energy levels!   (Zo)

Keeps The Gut Microbiome In Shape
One of the major benefits of Turkey Tail is it’s ability to beneficially alter the gut microbiome by purging out bad bacteria and pathogens in the gut, giving the upper hand to the good bacteria. I’ve been using it for only a week now and have noticed a major difference compared to other herbal remedies I’ve tried. I’m sure they all help, but it’s only after introducing Turkey Tail that I’ve noticed such an amazing improvement in such a short time.  As a bonus, I have my energy back.  (Rayno)

Goodbye Candida & UTI
Cannot believe I forgot to review this product!  I bought it based on its very first review. It definitely cleared my chronic candida – I used apple cider, colloidal silver, different types of anti-fungals and tablets previously – but nothing removed it completely!!! It started affecting my sex life, as it was just painful and unpleasant to be intimate. Thank goodness for Turkey Tail tincture, by Day 3 I even noticed I could hold my wee longer ( I usually go every hour as I have a weak bladder and drink 2-3 litres of water per day) – which was an added bonus. I highly recommend this – also noticed an increase in energy.  I used it as directed, full dropper in hot water (cooled after boiling), 3 times a day.  Worth the buy!  (Happy V)

 TESTIMONIALS FOR OUR WILD RED REISH TINCTURE

 

Blessings Abound!

Blessings abound! I am so delighted that wild Knysna forest medicinal mushrooms are now available. Being a mushroom hunter I know how massively RARE these Reishi are, and having used them how powerfully nourishing to the immune system they are. This is one of the most unique and exciting products available in the world!
(Peter Daniel, Author – Rawlicious & The Magic of Superfoods, Cape Town)

Super-powerful Immune-Booster

I have found your Wild Red Reishi Tincture to be one of the most powerful immune boosters I have ever used – both for myself and for my kids! If I feel a cold coming on I take a dose of tincture and within hours I can honestly say I am symptom-free!  I also dose my kids if they complain of a sore throat or have a runny nose and find that they also recover super-fast!
(Rosemarie Langley-Moodley, Harkerville)

Say What?!

What WAS that stuff that you gave me?!  I had never heard of reishi, but I took this tincture when I was feeling very run-down due to overwork and lack of sleep (I am a new Dad!)  I took it every morning in my cup of tea and it set me up for the day – I felt energised, clear and all my symptoms of low immunity have just disappeared.
(Rion Merryweather, Knysna)

Help With Compromised Immune System… & Eyesight!

This is a powerful product.
 I had glandular fever some years ago which has left my immune system very compromised. 
Since using this tincture I have been fighting off infections within hours, not days!
 My energy levels have increased radically and (remarkably) so has the visual quality of my eye sight (colours are brighter and more saturated). 
I can feel how my body responds to this medicine in no uncertain terms, and I believe that we have a powerful ally in this sacred mushroom.
(Kirsten Tilley, Cape Town)

Profound Immune Support

African Forest Medicinals’ Reishi mushroom tincture is my ‘desert island’  supplement, the number one herbal product I prioritize for my travel survival kit.   I feel my immune system being supported on a profound level and am extremely grateful to have this powerful medicine wild harvested from our own forests!  It’s a very rare blessing!  Extracted using mountain spring water and tested pesticide-free alcohol this product ticks all the boxes and rivals the best products endorsed by the likes of David Wolfe and Daniel Vitalis.
(Devin Howell, Plettenberg Bay)

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7997252/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6044372/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/turkey-tail-mushroom#cancer-and-immunity

https://www.uclahealth.org/news/turkey-tail-mushrooms-act-as-nonspecific-immune-modulators

https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/cancer/turkey-tail-mushrooms-for-cancer-treatment/

https://www.healthline.com/health/cancer/turkey-tail-mushroom-cancer#risks-and-side-effects

 

 

 

Turkey Tail for Prostate and Breast Cancers

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As we have already mentioned on this site, Turkey Tail is THE most common medicinal mushroom you will find growing on dead hardwood trees.

Polysaccharide-K

Trametes versicolor - Turkey TailsTurkey Tail has also been long studied as an anti-cancer medicine as it contains Polysaccharide-K, or PSK – which is sold commercially as anti-cancer drug “Krestin” in Asia.  It has been used to treat a variety of different cancers but I am going to concentrate here on its effectiveness against 2 very common ones – namely prostate and breast cancers.

Curing Stage 4 breast cancer

Mycology expert, Paul Stamets’ 86-year old mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer – the 2nd worst case of breast cancer her oncologist had ever seen.  It had already metastasized to her liver and sternum and she was too old to be operated on or given radiation or chemo.

Fortunately she had a forward-thinking doctor, who told her about a medicinal mushroom that had been proving to be very successful in treating cancer patients – Turkey Tail!  Patti Stamets was, of course, already familiar with these – and she started taking the Turkey Tail capsules that her son produced, along with 2 conventional anti-cancer drugs.

Within 7 months there was hardly a sign of any cancer and within a year, Patti was completely cancer-free.  Quite some recovery!

As with Patti, many patients take Turkey Tail alongside conventional or other alternative cancer treatments – depending on the individual’s choice – with much success.

PSK works by arresting the growth of tumours and preventing them from metastasizing and stimulating the production of the body’s own Natural Killer (NK) cells, thereby fortifying and “kick-starting” the immune system.  This can be particularly useful when the patient is undergoing chemotherapy, when the NK cells plummet due to the toxicity of the treatment.

National Institute of Health study

Towards the end of 2012, a study was approved by the National Institute of Health in the States, regarding the effect of Turkey Tail on the immune systems of patients with breast cancer or prostate cancer.  It took a while to get approval as the FDA wanted to know what the “mechanism of action” in the Turkey Tail mushroom was – a difficult thing to quantify when working with a natural herb made up of many different chemicals and with its own intelligence and multiple “mechanisms of action”!

The study, using mushrooms provided by Paul Stamets’ company, Fungi Perfecti – concluded that Turkey Tail definitely does stimulate the immune system and can certainly boost a severely depleted immune system of a chemo patient.

Polysaccharopeptide and prostate cancer stem cells

Turkey Tail - destroyer of prostate cancer stem cells??

Turkey Tail – destroyer of prostate stem cells??

Another study, carried out by the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, has shown Turkey Tail to be effective on prostate cancer stem cells in mice.  Whilst I have yet to find anyone able to give me a sound scientific or humanitarian reason as to why mice (or any other animals for that matter) should be used to find a cure for human diseases, one has to hope that now that the mice have suffered enough they might have the guts to try this out on an actual prostate cancer patient and see if it does the same thing!  Apparently it was another polysaccharide – Polysaccharopeptide (PSP) that particularly targeted the prostate cancer stem cells in question.

All in all things are looking good for the use of Turkey Tail in cancer treatments.  Known as Yun Zhi in Chinese medicine and being a substance with such a long history of traditional use (this is a 5000 year old system of medicine!) it will also be very hard for Big Pharma to patent it.

And if they do, then that’s nothing that a quick forage in your nearby forest can’t sort out!

Would love to hear about your experiences with Turkey Tail mushroom.  Please leave a comment below – thanks!

 

 

 

 

How to avoid the coffee “jitters” by using Superherbs

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If you’re an avid coffee drinker, you will probably be all too familiar with the “jittery” feeling you can get after drinking that one cup too many…

Toxic coffee

Coffee beans - GuatemalaThere are many theories for this – often related to coffee’s effects on the adrenal glands, but also possibly dependent on the toxicity of the coffee being consumed.  Conventionally-grown coffee is one of the most widely-sprayed crops in the world and, contrary to what conventional coffee suppliers may have you believe, these are not destroyed by the heating process.

So, surely the answer then is to buy organic coffee?  Unfortunately, organic coffee, not being covered in toxic, mould-resistant chemicals, has no defence against developing mycotoxins (moulds) during the drying process – resulting in a toxic mix of  T2 toxins, ochratoxins, vomitotoxins and rubratoxins.

There are certain coffee suppliers that now promise to have processed an organic coffee bean in such a way that it is free of such mycotoxins as well as, of course, chemical pesticides.  There are also ways of adding beneficial fats to your coffee such as grass-fed butter and coconut oil, that also reduce coffee jitters and anxiety, as they coat the myelin sheaths of the nervous system, vital for strong nerves (and therefore less anxiety).

Building your stress defence shield

hand with pen drawing the chemical formula of DopamineBut there is something further you can do in order to build a strong stress defence shield, rather than break it down – as all stimulants are wont to do.

If taking in any stimulants such as coffee or cacao, it is vitally important to also take an anti-stimulant at the same time.

To fully understand why this is necessary, and the role anti-stimulants play in the body, we need to look at neurotransmitters and how healthy levels of these “push” the stress away from the body.  This then makes it impossible for the body to succumb to that stress, which in turn leads to disease.

Healthy levels of serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline/norepinephrine and adrenaline/epinephrine are needed in order to build such a stress defence mechanism.  Stimulants deplete these levels, whilst anti-stimulants build them up, thereby eliminating the adrenal “hit” normally associated with coffee and cacao, as well as neutralising the acids in such substances.

Make friends with these superherbs

There are several superherbs that act as anti-stimulants:-

1)  Mucuna – this is a legume and is possibly the fastest-growing plant on earth – maybe the original inspiration for Jack and The Beanstalk?!  It is an incredibly vital plant and contains every single neurotransmitter – but is especially rich in L-dopa, the precursor to dopamine.  Dopamine gets worn down by overuse of stimulants such as coffee, cacao, alcohol and marijuana.  Mucuna has a delicious toffee-like flavour when added to hot coffee or a warm cacao drink and is a very potent anti-stimulant.

2)  Ho Sho Wu – or Fo-Ti – a Chinese tonic herb, is another anti-stimulant.  Best added to coffee or cacao and blended well together, Ho Sho Wu is one of the most well-known longevity and youthfulness herbs and can increase sperm count, benefit the lower back and knees, stimulate the thymus gland and increase the production of superoxide dismutase – one of the body’s most potent antioxidant enzymes.

Wild Red Reishi on our doorstep!

3) Reishi – wonderful reishi also has strong anti-stimulant qualities, possibly connected to its “Shen”-building properties, which bring calmness and tranquility to those who consume it regularly.

4) Chaga – can be added to any stimulant, but chaga goes particularly well with cacao.  They complement each other perfectly and Chaga, as well as being an incredibly potent superherb in its own right, will also act as a very powerful anti-stimulant as well.  Personally, we prefer to use the Reishi that grows on our doorstep, however – because it makes more sense to us to take the mushrooms and the unique medicine they offer that is tailor-made for those living in its local environment, than one that is far more suitable for those living in its unique part of the world.

So… enjoy that cup of coffee or cacao smoothie by all means… but be sure to remember to add an anti-stimulant too!

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