Oetzi the Iceman Used Birch Polypore for Intestinal Parasites
Birch Polypore, as the name suggests, grows on dead or dying birch trees. It can be found in birch forests around the world.
Birch Polypore’s 15 minutes of fame came when it was discovered among the remains of Oetzi the Iceman, whose 5,300 year old mummified body was found 1991 at the border of Austria and Italy in a glacial ice cave.
It is believed that Oetzi used Birch Polypore as a remedy against intestinal parasites, in particular Trichuris trichuria. [190]
The traditional use of Birch Polypore extract does indeed include use as an anti-parasitic agent, as well as to stop bleeding, and as an antimicrobial agent in general. [25]
Two studies from 1997 found that certain Birch Polypore extracted compounds were anti-inflammatory, [192] and that they specifically helped reduce skin inflammation. [191]
It was found effective against Bacillus megateterium, [194] and a study in 2000 found it to contain an antibiotic compound named Piptamine. [193] Paul Stamets suggests that it be studied for effectiveness against Bacillus anthracis, more commonly known as anthrax. [134]
Another potent compound isolated from Birch Polypore is Betulinic Acid, which is produced by birch trees and then extracted and concentrated by the Birch Polypores. A study on melanoma in 1995 found that Betulinic Acid exhibited toxicity against melanoma cells while having no adverse effect on healthy cells. [195] A later study, in 2002, may have discovered the mechanism behind Betulinic Acid’s cancer toxicity when it found that it inhibits certain enzymes involved in the growth and development of tumors. [196]
A 2001 study of Betulinic Acid derivatives from Birch Polypore also reported anti-viral properties. In a study on HIV, these compounds were found to block the reproduction of HIV. [197]
In 2004, medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets filed a patent on an extraction method of Birch Polypore after researchers at USAMRIID (U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease) and NIH (National Institute of Health) published findings that Stamets’ Birch Polypore extract effectively killed vaccinia and cowpox viruses while not harming human tissue. [134]
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 medicinal mushroom or herb without prior approval by medical doctor.
Dr. Markho Rafael has worked with natural health since Chiropractic College in 1996. His current focus is research and writing about medicinal mushrooms, specifically working with the MycoMedicinals of Paul Stamets, whose Birch Polypore extract is part of the synergistic blend Paul Stamets Host Defense for Travelers. For research references to this article, visit the Piptoporus betulinus page.