Fungi are responsible for one of the greatest revolutions in medical technology which saved the lives of BILLIONS so far. Antibiotics. Many species of fungi produce a variety of powerful antibiotics, some yet to be discovered and synthesized.
Many species of fungi also contain POWERFUL anti-cancer compounds. They are eukaryotic organisms and have developed potent chemicals to defend against other eukaryotic parasites. Cancer cells which contain many abnormalties which set them apart chemically from normal healthy cells happen to be susceptible to many of these compounds.
Some of the most powerful anti-cancer and active tumor-fighting compounds are found in
xingbaogu mushrooms AKA king oyster mushrooms.
Xingbaogu stir fried by itself with light seasoning is already very potent. However, when stir fried along with asparagus and ginger, a compound from each of them reacts with each other during cooking to produce an even more powerful cancer fighting concoction.
Xingbaogu:
Xingbaogu and asparagus stir fried with ginger slivers and lightly salted:
Another species of fungi which yields powerful anti-cancer compounds and is actually used as first line treatment in China for recurring and metatastic tumors is cordyceps. There are two types of cordyceps.
Jingcongcao (Golden weed cordyceps) thrives on the Mongolian and Manchurian steppes and is commonly harvested for adding into ANY stir fry and soup dishes. The other, far more rare and expensive type is
Dongcongxiacao (Winter insect summer weed cordyceps).
Dongcongxiacao can ONLY be found on the Tibetan highlands, most particularly the Tanggula Plateau between Qinghai and Lhasa. The weather on the Tanggula is extreme and many have perished in order to build the China National Highway 1 and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway which connects Beijing to Lhasa and now extends to the Pakistani side of Kashmir.
Dongcongxiacao contains the highest amount of active anti-cancer agents and it is processed into powder form to be administered by IV in a medical setting or pill / elixir as an outpatient prescription. Many Chinatown vendors outside of China claim to sell
Dongcongxiacao but these are almost ALL scams. The only places that sell and prescribe the actual product are officially designated by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Regulation Agency and the products bear their official seals. In Shanghai, that would be the Zhonghua Apothecary on Nanjing Road, and in Beijing, it is the pharmacy and oncology division of the People's Liberation Army 2nd Artillery Corps. Hospital (301 Hospital). The facility is designated by the 2nd Artillery Corps. of the PLA and is the official hospital of the Beijing air defense garrison but it is also public and treats everyone.