Ep. 44: Medicinal Mushrooms - The Human Clinical Trials (feat. Robert Rogers)

Robert Dale Rogers has been an herbalist for over forty-five years, and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, where he is presently an assistant clinical professor in Family Medicine. He teaches plant medicine, including plant and mushroom medicine, aromatherapy and flower essences in the Earth Spirit Medicine faculty at the Northern Star College in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is a Fellow of the International College of Nutrition, past chair of the medicinal mushroom committee of the North American Mycological Association, and previously served on the editorial board of the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms.

Robert Rogers discovered herbalism and the power of plant medicines as an enthusiastic botanist living in a hippy enclave in Alberta, Canada. He was struck with how little he knew about the plants and fungi he was discovering in the Great White North. He was blessed to learn from indigenous experts about the medicinal properties of these plants and mushrooms in the boreal forest. He then took this knowledge and applied it to family medicine, running a clinical practice for over 20 years.

In the effort to share knowledge of herbalism with the masses, he has published 56 books, including the incredible "Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America". In our chat, Robert demystifies the medicinal powers of fungi and lays out the facts about specific medicinal mushrooms and their properties. We've all heard about immune-boosting properties and anti-cancer properties in medicinal mushroom varieties, but what does that really mean? What are the compounds that are responsible for these properties? How do these compounds like beta glucans and triterpenes actually work in our bodies? In our explorations, we even enter the mycelium vs. fruit-body debate and reach insights that are different than you might expect.

Learning about emerging models of holistic medicine, we dive into Robert's newest book, "Medicinal Mushrooms: The Human Clinical Trials". His impetus for writing the book was simple - provide the facts and information about the research on medicinal mushrooms. Both for consumers and for medical professionals who may have dismissed the actual potential of medicinal fungi without examining the full body of double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, human clinical trials. The evidence in this book is extremely compelling and offers hope for a future where these medicines are more thoroughly understood so as to be formulated into more potent natural medicines and applied for the highest good.

Directed, Recorded, Produced by: Mushroom Hour
(@welcome_to_mushroom_hour)

Music by: Ancient Baby (https://peckthetowncrier.bandcamp.com/)
Art by: Wyn Di Stefano (http://www.wyndistefano.com/)

Episode Resources
Robert Rogers Website: https://selfhealdistributing.com/
Medicinal Mushrooms - The Human Clinical Trials (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Medicinal-Mushrooms-Human-Clinical-Trials/dp/B088W2458G
Wolfiporia extensa (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfiporia_extensa
Antrodia (Mushroom): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antrodia
Tarnished Gold (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Tarnished-Gold-Sickness-Evidence-based-Medicine/dp/1466397292