Health Benefits of Carrots

by Jason Jones

There are more than 600 known carotenoids. Carotenoids are
naturally occurring plant pigments that provide the orange
and yellow colors we see in plants and their produce. The
vibrant orange color of carrot is provided by its high
carotenoid content, in fact carrots are the biggest known
source of carotenoids. Of the 600 known carotenoids, about
50 of them can also be converted to vitamin A by the liver.

The most famous of these carotenoids is beta-carotene, which
is also the most abundant carotenoid found in carrots.
Beta-carotene is also the most common carotenoid that is
turned into vitamin A. As vitamin A is only found in animal
products, particularly dairy, carotenoids can be an
essential source of vitamin A for vegans.

A deficiency in vitamin A is actually the root cause of
night blindness. Vitamin A is needed to create another
substance in the body called rhodopsin. Rhodopsin is a
purple colored substance that allows the eye to see at
night; without it we become night blind.

As antioxidants, beta-carotene and other carotenoids in
carrots help protect the eyes from harmful oxygen molecules
in UV light. These harmful molecules, also known as free
radicals, attack healthy cells in the eyes. This damage is
one major risk factor for the development of glaucoma,
cataracts and macular degeneration.

Carotenoids are also strongly associated with cancer
prevention. As antioxidants, they can protect DNA cells from
oxidation damage, which is one cause of cancer. Many studies
show that a high carotenoid diet can reduce the risk of
getting cancer of the lungs, colon, esophagus and the
prostate by up to 50%.

An abundance of carotenoids in the diet are also associated
with reduced risk of developing cancers. A vast amount of
research suggests that eating just one carrot a day can cut
the likelihood of developing lung cancer in half. Research
also provides evidence that a high consumption of
carotenoids reduces the risk of developing bladder, colon,
esophagus and prostate cancers by up to 50%.

Carotenoids also protect us from becoming night blind when
they are transformed into vitamin A. Some of this Vitamin A
in turn is converted into rhodopsin, a purple plant pigment
needed in the eye to see at night. Vitamin A deficiency will
inevitably lead to night blindness and eventually complete
blindness if not supplied in the diet.

To increase your daily intake of carotenoids, I recommend
making your own homemade carrot juice. Carotenoids, like
other nutrients, always work best when taken naturally in a
food source. Juicing also makes carotenoids more easily
available for digestion.

Jason Jones enjoys writing about health and well being,
particlarly about food, nutrition and natural healing. He is
also an advocate of 'going green' to ensure the well being
of this planet. You can visit his health website
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Make An Old Fashion Pancake Recipe And More

by Andrew Cook

The pancakes eaten today come from an ancient pancake recipe
used by the Romans. In any Roman home you could find a flat
bread made of some flour, milk and eggs with some spices or
honey that was called Alita Dolcia. They topped them with
fruits but there were also some that were filled with meats
and cheese. The pancake that is more similar to the one we
have today was first made during the medieval times in
Europe. The first printed recipe was found in 1430 in an
early cook book in England.

Pancakes are a popular as a breakfast food today and have a
special day all to themselves before the religious season of
Lent starts. It is traditional on Shrove Tuesday, also
called Fat Tuesday, that one stuffs themselves with as many
pancakes as they possibly can because the next day is the
first day of Lent, a solemn time when sacrifices are made
and gluttony is forbidden.

The German people have a pancake recipe that incorporates
potatoes in as do the Jews who make latke from potatoes.
Crepes are a type of pancake but are very thin and are
usually topped with fruits and rolled over in half. In
Indonesia they make dadar gutung, from India comes the
poori, and in China families enjoy bao bing. Panekoeken,
pancakes made from buckwheat, are made by the Dutch. Recipes
for pancakes that puff up very high and are enhanced by
fruit and sprinkled with powdered sugar, are plentiful and
delicious.

Americans are quite fond of pancakes and they are usually
found on every breakfast menu. The following is an old
recipe that does not fade with age. It is light and sweet
and once you pour the syrup on it can't be beat for lunch or
breakfast. You can even serve this old fashion variety with
sausage for dinner and make your family happy. In a large
bowl sift 1 and one half cup of flour, 3 and one half
teaspoons of baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt, and 1
tablespoon of granulated sugar. Mix well and pull the
ingredients away from the center leaving a hole in the
middle of the bottom of the bowl. Into this hole you will
place 1 and one fourth cup of milk and one egg. In a pan
melt 3 tablespoons butter and add it to the liquid
ingredients. Take a fork and beat the eggs into the milk and
butter then start to pull in a little of the flour mixture
and keep going until all of it is incorporated into a
batter.

Place a frying pan or griddle on the stove over medium high
heat and spread a little vegetable oil on top. With a ladle
scoop some batter out of the bowl and place it on the
griddle. When you notice little bubbles all around the edge
of the pancake it is time to turn it over to cook on the
other side. When the bubbles form again you can take it out
and place it on a plate buttering the top. Syrup can be
served over top.

You can change the recipe in order to provide your family
with a little bit of variety. Buttermilk pancakes can be
made by using the recipe above and instead of milk use
buttermilk. Orange flavored pancakes can be made by using
orange juice instead of milk and adding some orange zest to
the batter. Almond flavored pancakes are luscious with a
little honey on top and they are easily made by adding 1
teaspoon of almond extract to the batter. Make blueberry
pancakes by added three fourths of a cup of blueberries to
the batter. Strawberry pancakes are made similarly by adding
three fourths a cup of sliced strawberries to the batter. If
you love chocolate just add to the batter a half cup
chocolate chips. These should be served with whipped cream
on top.

If you love chocolate you might want to try chocolate
pancakes. You can't beat them for flavor and uniqueness.
Chocolate pancakes should be a dessert instead of a main
dish. Combine 2 cups flour with 3 teaspoons of baking powder
and one fourth of a teaspoon of salt. Add three fourths of a
cup of granulated sugar and combine well. Pour in a cup of
milk and 4 teaspoons butter that has been melted. Mix to
combine and add two whole eggs and mix. The last ingredient
is 6 teaspoons of cocoa. Mix it all well.

Next scoop up some of the batter in a ladle and place it on
a frying pan that has been drizzled with some vegetable oil.
Watch for bubbles at the edges and when you see them turn
the pancake over and transfer to a plate once the bubbles
are seen around the edges again. Put a pat of butter on top
and then some whipped cream. To make it even better place
some chocolate chips over top and allow them to melt before
eating.

Serve pancakes for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Your family's
eyes will light up and you will not have to beg them to eat.
The Old fashion pancake recipe can be altered to make
different flavors or the chocolate ones can be served up for
a real treat.

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Banana Bread

Ingredients

1/4 c Sugar; 1 ts Baking soda;
3/4 c Sugar Twin; 2 c Flour;
1/3 c Margarine; 4 tb Milk;
1 Egg; 3/4 ts Vinegar;
2 Egg whites; 3 Bananas; ripe, mashed
Preparation

Blend sugar, Sugar Twin, and margarine. Add eggs and
mix well. Sift flour and soda into bowl and stir. Mix
milk and vinegar together, then add to mixture.

Fold in bananas.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees in greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.

Let cool and cut into 20 slices.

Bean & Rice Burgers

Ingredients

1 c Cooked brown rice
1 1/2 c Cooked beans -- pink,
-kidney, navy,
1/2 c Wheat flour (or white)
1 tb Margarine or butter
1 md Onion -- diced
1 Clove garlic -- mashed
1 tb Spike or seasoning salt
-----OPTIONAL-----
1 c Cooked mashed potatoes
1/2 c Cornmeal
1/2 c Bran
1/2 c Cracked wheat
1 sm Pepper -- diced
1 Grated carrot
Preparation

Heat greased (I use cooking spray) grill or
electric frypan on med heat. ***Or, you can

grease a 13"x9" glass baking pan and bake at
350* for 30 Min. Just spread mix in pan and

cook uncovered. Use a pancake turner to cut
and remove cooked 'burger'.*** Mash beans. Add

all ingredients and mix well. (If you use all
of the ingredients listed your mix may be a

bit dry. You might want to add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup
of soy, nut, or rice milk. Of coarse you also
could use whole milk. Be sure you don't thin it
too much or it will be mushy. Look for a 'hamburger'
consistency.) Spoon about 2 heaping Tablespoons of
mix onto grill or frypan for each burger and flatten
with greased pancake turner. Turn several times rather
than just once on each side like conventional burgers,
they have a better texture that way.

Cooking: Five Tips

by Owen Jones

There can not be a lot of individuals who do not enjoy their
food, but the human race, being what it is, I suppose that
there are a few of them. However, for the rest of us, food
is a font of daily enjoyment and, like a beverage, it is
frequently employed to denote a happy event. not only that,
but various foods are used for the different meals or
distinct events. Celebratory meals were indubitably planned
around the seasonal foodstuffs available, but some
foodstuffs were transported huge distances for the benefit
of those who could afford them. For example, my Dad
considered it a grand treat to be given an orange in his
stocking on Christmas Day 60 years past. How the times have
changed! Very few children would judge an orange a present,
special or not, any day of the year nowadays.

Yet, the storage of food is still a daily affair and so, I
have listed a couple of good tips on preserving foodstuff
below, so that you will get the best from that which you
have purchased or grown in your garden even a long time
later.

Chicken Stuffed With Spoons: a great way of preparing
chicken to be eaten at a cold buffet or in sandwiches, is to
put as many spoons as possible into the cavity of the
chicken (not silver or plated ones though). Then, place the
chicken in a large saucepan or pot and bring the water to
the boil slowly. Simmer for 10 minutes, cover and leave
until the water is room temperature. The spoons will retain
the heat and cook the chicken from the inside out. it will
be one of the most succulent chickens you have ever eaten.

Roasted Crisp And Light: if you like crisp-skinned roasties,
it is best to parboil them first, but that is only half the
story. so, boil the potatoes for five minutes and drain
thoroughly. Put the lid on the pan and shake it about
violently. Bang it hard on the chopping block several times.
The harder the better. Then put the parboiled potatoes in
the baking tray with the meat or fowl to cook as you would
normally.

Salad Soup: Do not throw away salad that has been soaked in
salad dressing. Whisk it up in a food processor with a can
of tomatoes of tinned soup. Add lots of garlic to taste and
adjust the thickness to suit your taste. Chill it down and
you will have one of the most delicious summer soups ever.

Curdling Cure: if your mayonnaise has curdled there is one
sure fire way to bring it back to life. stir in a couple of
tablespoons of Hellmann's mayonnaise and your problem will
be over.

Simply Scrumptious Topping: a really, quick, delicious and
almost infinitely variable topping for a savory pie can be
made in seconds. Choose the flavour you want from the crisp
rack; puncture the bag to let our the air and then crush the
contents in the gag. it really adds something to a pie. The
same trick can be used on the bottom of a potato pie a Texan
housewife told me.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many
subjects, but is currently involved with researching the
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Preparing And Storing Food - A few Handy Tips

by Owen Jones

In these times of superior alertness of the shortages in the
world and the recent economic problems in the whole world,
but especially in the wealthy Western countries, which are
the powerhouses of most Third World countries' expansion,
people are more aware of waste. It is a sin again to throw
away food, like it was 50 years ago.

This can only be a good thing although it is a disgrace that
it took an international financial crisis to make us recall
the lesson. Nowadays, waste of any kind is greeted with
public censure and so it is at home too. Most people spend a
very high percentage of their outgoings on food and so
anyone who wants to cut back, has to first look to this
quarter to make a saving.

However, saving does not inevitably mean 'not buying', it
can and should mean 'not throwing away'. In other words,
prepare your food and do not let your food go off.
Preparation and storage are the major words. With that
thought in mind, here are a few of my tips for preparing and
storing food properly.

Bread - tons of bread is thrown away every day, because it
has gone stale or mouldy and yet it is totally unnecessary.
Keep your bread in the deep freezer and not in the bread
bin. A whole loaf will slice frozen with the proper knife
and sliced bread will come away slice by slice. There is no
requirement to defrost as it only takes a minute or two at
room temperature.

Bananas - most people understand that banana skins go black
if stored in the fridge, but most people do not know that
bananas can be frozen solid. Yes, the skins will still turn
black, but the fruit will be unharmed.

Cake - to stop cake from going stale, store it in a tin with
an apple. The moisture in the apple will stop the cake from
going hard.

Watercress - to prevent watercress from wilting, store it
upside down in water, that is stalks up.

Salt - salt often gets damp, especially if stored in a
steamy kitchen without sufficient ventilation, but you do
not have to worry about that if you put two or three grains
of rice in the salt cellar. They will soak up the moisture
before the salt.

Cereal - stop cereal from going soft by resealing the bag
with a few clothes pegs. Your cereal will last weeks more.

Jam - boiling jam produces a scum which has to be skimmed
off and thrown away. This wastes jam, goodness and flavour.
However, if you whisk a knob of butter into the mixture at
the last minute the scum will not appear, saving time and
goodness.

Funnel - you always seem to need a funnel when you do not
have one. Then you promise to get a funnel for the next
time. Do not bother. Just cut the top nine inches off a
plastic bottle of cola. It makes an excellent throw-away
funnel. Some of the larger bottles even have a handle on
them which is even better.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics,
but is currently involved with researching the
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Create Healthy, Delicious Meals with a Rotisserie

by Stephen Daniels

If you've ever eaten rotisserie cooked foods, you already
know that healthy doesn't have to mean a salad for every
meal, and delicious doesn't have to mean high fat.
Rotisserie cooking results in tender, juicy meat and
flavorful vegetables that have been slow cooked to
perfection... without the added fat and calories of frying,
or the potentially dangerous consequences of grilling.

Most people are aware of the cholesterol-raising and
artery-clogging side effects of deep-frying. However,
grilling is generally seen as a healthy way to cook. While
this method of food preparation is certainly lower fat than
frying, recent studies showed that particles called benz
pyrenes found in charred food might lead to cancer. In
other words, if you like your steak or hotdogs charbroiled
black, beware. Carcinogens could very well be hidden in
those crusty black bits.

Using lighter fluid and some charcoal additives to help
start the fire could be a health hazard in grilling as well.
Overuse could make these unhealthy chemicals end up in the
meal. Grease dripping down into grills can also cause
dangerous flare-ups that burn food (or even the cook).

Rotisserie cooked food does not suffer from any of these
problems. When meat is cooked on a rotisserie, the fat and
drippings from the meat baste the meat, while the excess is
collected in a pan on the bottom of the rotisserie unit.
The result is delicious, moist meat with less fat than other
cooking methods. (You can also choose to make a wonderful
sauce or gravy out of the pan drippings if the fat isn't a
concern.)

Chicken, turkeys and Cornish hens, as well as various beef,
pork and even lamb roasts, are not difficult to prepare on
the rotisserie. However, kitchen product innovations can
allow you to cook a much wider variety of foods than you
might expect using this delightful method. Rotisserie
baskets can be used to cook store bought or freshly caught
fish to add more variety to your meals.

Fruits and vegetables can be easily skewered on a rotisserie
as well. They can be cooked alone or in a combination with
meats as a part of delectable kabobs. Peppers and onions
are only the beginning of the many healthful, scrumptious
vegetables that can be cooked in a rotisserie oven. Even
vegetables that don't skewer well, such as Brussels sprouts,
are not difficult to cook in rotisserie baskets.

Conventional rotisserie ovens are designed to cook turkeys
and other large roasts. By necessity, they take up quite a
bit of space. However, this is not the only option.
Counter-top rotisseries enable single people and small
families to enjoy the benefits of this wonderful cooking
method, while taking up very little space in your kitchen.
These smaller models are more energy efficient, and more
affordable, than conventional size rotisseries, but it is
important to recognize that most of them can't accommodate
the larger roasts that their bigger cousins handle.

If you or your loved ones feel that the majority of healthy
cooking methods are flavorless and boring, a rotisserie
could very well be the ideal solution. No matter if you are
cooking for twenty people or just one, rotisserie cooking
will assist you in preparing delicious, healthy foods.

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For Better Flavor Off The Grill, Try Barbeque Woodchips

by Ashley King

You might not be aware that barbeque can take on a whole new
aspect if you use woodchips. If you are an avid griller then
you already know the reason for utilizing woodchips.
However, many people have no idea what the big deal is about
this product. Woodchips are small bits of wood used in your
charcoal or gas grill. If you are not already making use of
wood to grill your meal, the only way you are going to get
that true smoky flavor is to add wood.

Using woodchips can send your grilling into the clouds.
Whether you have an electric, gas or charcoal barbeque, you
can add BBQ chips to get authentic barbeque flavor. A
typical means to add them to your barbeque is with a smoker
box that can be put directly in the grill to add that
distinctive wood smoke taste. Read the directions for your
particular grill before you try doing this.

When you use BBQ chips, be careful to keep them burning
comparatively slowly. Otherwise, the resulting heavy smoke
will ruin your food with an unpleasant taste. By soaking
them in water for around 15 minutes you can hold back the
combustion and increase the time in which the smoke is
produced. Make sure you let the wood drip dry for a few
minutes before you add it to the fire. Ideally, your wood
will be moist yet not waterlogged. If you are making use of
a smoker in your grill, it is probably not necessary to soak
the chips prior to using them. Although soaked wood burns
longer, if you're grilling a steak you might not need them
to burn for that long.

Smoking chips can be found in a large range of flavors. They
go from mesquite and hickory all the way to cabernet. The
retailers that sell these woodchips will have flavor guides
so that you can choose the one that will give you the taste
you prefer. By and large, if your meat is lighter, you'll
use a milder wood flavor. You could also try "heavier"
flavors with lighter meats, still, such as utilizing
mesquite with chicken; but start with less chips.

With its more delicate aroma, alder go best with lighter
meats like poultry and fish. Fruitwoods are also mild and
are best partnered with pork, veal and poultry. Fruitwoods
include apple and cherry. Maple or hickory woodchips are
intensely flavored and ought to be used with beef, poultry
and pork. Beef, duck and lamb go well with the strong
mesquite, and oak, another intense flavor, is good with beef
and ham.

When you barbeque, your first focus ought to be the meat,
not the wood. If you do not have a great piece of meat,
there's no woodchip around that will make your meat taste
any better. Make sure you have a great cut that is fresh and
well prepared.

If you want to grill a great piece of meat, then try using
BBQ woodchips to enhance the flavor and aroma that
accompanies barbeque.

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Marinated Super Steak

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (10 oz.) beef sirloin steak

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients except steak. Place steak in
the mixture. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 12 hours, or
overnight. Turn the steak once during marination.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium to high heat and lightly oil
grate. Cook steak on the prepared grill 5 to 7 minutes per side, or
to desired doneness.

Mixed Grill

6 beef sausages
6 loin or shoulder lamb chops
6 small sirloin or filet steaks (about 4 ounces each)
6 pieces Canadian bacon, grilled to crispy
6 large white mushrooms, grilled
3 lamb kidneys, halved, cored and trimmed, grilled
3 large firm tomatoes, halved and grilled 2-3 minutes per side
salt and fresh black pepper to taste
1-1/4 cups cream
1/2 cup canned beef bouillon
2 tablespoons Dijon or wholegrain prepared mustard

Season chops, steaks, kidneys, tomatoes and mushrooms well with salt
and pepper. Lightly oil a medium-hot barbecue.

Grill ingredients as follows: sausages, 10-15 minutes or until done;
lamb chops, 5-7 minutes per side; steaks, 3-4 minutes per side;
Canadian bacon, grilled to crispy; mushrooms, 3 minutes per side;
kidneys, 2-3 minutes per side; tomatoes, 2-3 minutes per side. Total
cooking time should be about 15 minutes. Set grilled meats and
vegetables aside in a warm place while you make the sauce.

In a clean saucepan, boil the canned beef bouillon until reduced to
about 1/4 cup. Add the cream and bring to a boil over medium heat,
simmering for 2-3 minutes to thicken slightly. Stir in the mustard
and remove from the heat. Divide the ingredients into equal portions
and serve with the sauce. Servings: 6

Grilled Salmon Fillets with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Sauce:

3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared white horseradish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Salmon:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
6 (1-inch-thick) salmon fillets (each about 6 ounces)

For sauce: Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt and
pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

For salmon: Spray grill rack generously with nonstick spray. Prepare
barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk oil, horseradish, soy sauce,
garlic, salt, and pepper in another small bowl. Brush oil mixture
over both sides of salmon fillets. Grill salmon just until opaque in
center, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to plates. Serve
with sauce.

Ground Beef Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 (15 oz.) can tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 (8 oz.) can mushrooms
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese
1 (6 oz.) package angel hair pasta, cooked
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
salt and pepper

Brown meat in large skillet or Dutch oven. Add onions, pepper and
celery and simmer for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce,
mushrooms, brown sugar and Worchestershire Sauce. Add salt and pepper
to taste. Cook in skillet for 1 hour.

Place cooked pasta in bottom of large casserole dish. Spoon mushroom
soup over pasta. Pour meat mixture over the soup and top with cheese.
Bake in 350F oven for 30-45 minutes.

New Flavor Trends Spark New Flavor Concentrates With 0 Carbs For Beverages And Food

by George Napoli

Flavor trends bring new flavors to the market. What was once
an unfamiliar flavor like pomegranate becomes mainstream as
restaurant owners add them to their menus to bring fresh new
tastes to hot new recipes. The more the new flavor is seen
and used, the more familiar it becomes. Suddenly, or so it
seems, it plays second fiddle to the next most popular
flavor.

Leading companies are always looking ahead. These companies
are trying to anticipate the next big break through in
flavorings that we will like, while others are hoping to
establish a favorable pattern that will ignite the
popularity of a fresh new flavor.

The sequence is not very easy nor exact; however, it is
right on! Predicting the future for what's coming next
requires a systematic process that uses sources from the
food, beverage and restaurant industry just to mention a few
of resources. New flavors are continually reviewed until
patterns develop.

Here's how new flavors transition from being a new flavor to
developing into a mass appeal. As a new flavor becomes more
popular in a wide range of industry vehicles, like being
used on menus, in cocktails, in beverages and foods, its use
is varied slightly to help each new product deliver a unique
taste. That promotes the flavoring ingredient into the
public's attention.

The more desirable attributes of the ingredient are
highlighted, the more they will peak interests. Let's look
at the pomegranate, a food that recently made the transition
from an unfamiliar ingredient to a popular flavoring. Until
2002, pomegranate was relatively unfamiliar and not
available in typical markets. Pomegranate was mainly for its
functional properties in dietary supplements as well as hair
and skin care products.

Pomegranate then began to gain visibility as an ingredient
in popular beverages, juices and cocktails. From there, it
began its growth to a more popular accepted flavoring. It
appeared in cocktails, on menus and in specialty sauces. It
was usually mixed with more traditional flavors such as
blueberry. Using the new flavor with the old allows
consumers to build experiences with a new flavor and develop
a comfort level with it.

What's next on the screen for new flavor trends? Next is
"yumberry", to mention just 1 that will be showing its new
face in flavoring.

For now, all the hot flavors like pomegranate, acai and
blueberry are available in flavor concentrates that you can
use to flavor water, beverages, foods and cocktails. One day
soon yumberry will be popular in demand, and it will develop
into a favorite flavor concentrate.

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Selecting the Best Reishi Extract

by Dr. Markho Rafael

For two millennia, medicinal mushrooms have been mainstream
in Asia. Now, America is taking notice and interest is
rapidly "mushrooming." With the sprouting of this new
industry follows issues of ethical quality claims between
competing brands.

This information applies to all species of medicinal
mushrooms. For practical purposes, this article will focus
on the most popular medicinal mushroom species, red reishi
(Ganoderma lucidum), over which the most intense battle of
conflicting claims is being fought.

First off, stay clear of cheap, mass-produced medicinal
mushrooms. If they are just dried and pulverized, then the
medicinal compounds are still inaccessible behind the
mushrooms' cell-walls. You'll be wasting your money on inert
matter.

There are many real therapeutic brands on the market,
though. But even among them, there are significant
differences. They all claim to be the best, naturally,
because they all want to sell their particular brand. So
let's sift the data, get the facts straight, and clear up
misleading information that is out there.

Following are the three primary ways of creating reishi
extracts. Each method yields different medicinal compounds,
all of which are shown in scientific studies to have
important properties.

1. Water Extraction, Hot (polysaccharides and more)

2. Alcohol/Ethanol Extraction (triterpenoids, etc.)

3. Fermenting (arabinoxylanes, etc.)

The most important hot water extracted compounds are the
polysaccharides. Studies have shown them to possess strong
anti-tumor properties, help boost immune system and be
powerful antioxidants. [1]

Triterpenoids include a large number of related medicinal
compounds whose proven effects include stabilization of
blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood clotting. But most
importantly, the triterpenoids are the anti-inflammatory
compounds of reishi. [1] Inflammation is a serious component
in asthma, allergies, arthritis and many more conditions.

And then there are the new and unique medicinal compounds
that get created when reishi is fermented. These "secondary
metabolites" have their own therapeutic properties,
different from the first two groups, including anti-tumor,
immune support and blood-sugar balance. [2]

Since this article is not intended to elevate any one brand
over another, no brand names will be mentioned.
Nevertheless, the author does know of two highly reputed
brands (American and Japanese) that claim only hot water
extracted red reishi is of any value and that alcohol
extracts are useless.

Of course they do that to promote their own brand. In
reality both hot water extract and alcohol extract contain
unique medicinal compounds that are all very important.

To find the best red reishi products, look for those brands
that use at least the first two extraction methods in
combination: Hot Water Extraction and Alcohol Extraction.
Better yet would be brands that incorporate all three
extraction methods, including Fermentation.

Last but not least, remember to look at the form the reishi
comes in. If the reishi is able to dissolve completely in
water-based drinks like coffee, it's a safe bet that it only
contains the water-soluble polysaccharides. An excellent
choice as far as coffee goes but an incomplete reishi
supplement because it does not include the anti-inflammatory
triterpenoid compounds.

Surprisingly, though, alcohol tinctures may include both hot
water extract and alcohol extract. You will know if the
alcohol tincture contains polysaccharides because when the
alcohol and hot water extracts are blended, the
polysaccharides fall out of solution and the tincture
becomes cloudy. (Just shake it before you take it.) A cloudy
medicinal mushroom tincture is an indication of high
polysaccharide content. Capsules and tablets may be either
hot water extract or alcohol extract or both.

[1] Boh B, Berovic M, Zhang J, Zhi-Bin L. "Ganoderma lucidum
and its pharmaceutically active compounds." Biotechnol Annu
Rev. 2007;13:265-301.

[2] Tang YJ, Zhang W, Zhong JJ. "Performance analyses of a
pH-shift and DOT-shift integrated fed-batch fermentation
process for the production of ganoderic acid and Ganoderma
polysaccharides by medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum."
Bioresource Technology 2009 Mar;100(5):1852-9.

Dr. Markho Rafael has worked with natural health since
the'90's, recently focusing on medicinal mushrooms. He
partners with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC on
(http://tinyurl.com/p7g2n7) premium reishi extract and
cordyceps extract plus the increasingly popular
(http://tinyurl.com/ntldqu) mesima mushroom and more.