Agarikon Mushroom Extract: Part of Our Immune Support Kit

Agarikon mushroom extract (Laricifomes officinalis) can provide immune system support and help to protect against viral infections.

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ShieldsUp! herbal extract kits contain 5 powerful super-botanicals and 1 amino acid: Rosa rugosa, Cistus incanus, Phyllanthus niruri, Laricifomes officinalis (Agarikon mushroom), Torilis japonica, and L-lysine. Agarikon mushroom is a key ingredient because it may enhance the immune system and protect against viral infections.

What Is Agarikon?

Agarikon is a wood decay fungus that grows to resemble a very large beehive. It grows like a fruit hanging from the places where branches connect to trunks on old tall trees.

The word “Agarikon” comes from the name of an ancient Scythian people (ancient tribes of nomadic warriors who originally lived in what is now southern Siberia). The mushroom was so important to these people that they took it as a totem and named themselves after the fungus.

Early Europeans and Central Asians traditionally used this species for treatment of many ailments and infectious diseases, including coughing illnesses, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, bleeding, and infected wounds.

Mythic, Ritual, and Therapeutic Benefits

Agarikon extract shows evidence of a broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral activity. A recent article in Mycology states that Agarikon mushroom is “recognised as medicinal for millennia all over its distribution range, particularly against pulmonary diseases. The first written report about the so-called Agarikon is by the protopharmacologist Dioscorides Pedanios (I century AD), but [its] use has thereafter been documented on Alps, Central and Eastern Europe, Urals, Siberia and North America, where it sometimes acquired mythic and ritual significance. Far beyond the folk superstition, bioactive molecules have been recently isolated from this fungus and proved to show remarkable antimicrobial effect.”

In a Huffington Post article called “Agarikon: Ancient Mushroom for Modern Medicine,” mycologist Paul Stamets wrote, “I am convinced Agarikon and other polypore mushrooms hold yet-undiscovered medicines of incalculable value. If Agarikon’s antivirals prove to be effective in clinical trials, I do not think it is an exaggeration to say we should save our old growth forests as a matter of national defense.”

Agarikon — The Elixir of Long Life

Greek physician Dioscorides described Agarikon as “elixirium ad longam vitam” (“the elixir of long life”) in 65 A.D. in Materia Medica. His encyclopedia of diseases, medicines, and plant-based remedies was possibly the first herbal medical manual. In ancient Greece, it was used to treat respiratory illnesses, night sweats, and consumption — later known as tuberculosis.

Agarikon is a strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent, and it has demonstrated antiviral properties. Inflammation helps to protect the body against different harmful stimuli, such as infection, chemical exposure, tissue damage, trauma, and bacteria exposure. However, excessive inflammation may harm tissues and organisms and has been associated with the development and onset of such inflammation-related diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, and cancer.

It has shown to be active against viruses and bacteria, suggesting that it may provide a natural bioshield against potential infection and disease transmission. 

Immune Support Kits: Powerhouse Herbal Extracts

ShieldsUp! Immune Support Kits are a proprietary collection of six extracts, including Agarikon mushroom, Cistus incanus, Phyllanthus niruri, Rose Hips (Rosa rugosa), and Torilis japonica (Japanese Hedge Parsley). Each ingredient in the kit was specifically chosen to help fight colds, flus, coughs, and invading pathogens so you can harness the power of nature to support your immune system.

Agarikon extract is also available for individual purchase. You can learn more by reviewing its benefits and the Agarikon FAQ.

Read the FAQ Buy Agarikon Buy ShieldsUp!