Birch Polypore: A Medicinal Conk

Otzi’s discovery was huge not only for archeologists and historians, but also for mycologists. The mushrooms he was found with were known before then, but their apparent importance to him thrust them further into mainstream view.

The Birch Polypore, also known as Birch Conk, starts as a white ball growing on Birch trees. As it matures, the top darkens and becomes brown, while the bottom stays white. The bottom is very porous, giving it its name.

Since then, the Birch Polypore (Fomitopsis betulina) has been paid a lot more attention, and that’s a good thing for everyone. It has come to be recognized as a medicinal mushroom for several different reasons. There are a few different theories about Otzi’s reasoning for carrying chunks of Birch Polypore with him, based on properties it holds. Attempting to rid himself of his parasites is a big possibility, but he also could have carried it with him for treatment in the case of an injury. The soft insides have a high styptic quality that makes it great for bandaging wounds in a pinch, and the antibacterial properties are helpful in preventing infections.

After the discovery, research efforts increased drastically. It is now thought that the Birch Polypore holds potential for helping to treat more severe ailments like HIV or even cancer. This is due not only to boosting the immune system, but also a possible ability to slow or even stop new tumor growth. The fact that it’s not damaging to healthy cells could lead to it one day become a safe and effective treatment.

There’s a common consensus that while the Birch Polypore is safe to eat, it’s really not great tasting. Because of this, it’s often made into a tea or a tincture. There are also supplements available that combine several different medicinal mushrooms; Birch Polypore, Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Reishi, and more into easy to take capsules.

While we haven’t fully gotten there yet, there are many signs pointing to mushrooms being a huge boon to the future of medicine. The research done so far has been very promising. I’ve already talked about Reishi and Lion’s Mane in the past, but there are many more medicinal mushrooms out there. I think as we come to understand mushrooms more, we’ll see that there’s much more potential there than we’ve ever realized.