Welcome to Wild Branch Medicinal Maple Syrups

Maple Medicinals (aka Medicinal Maple Syrups) are concentrated extractions of medicinal mushrooms and/or herbs in maple syrup.

These extracts are for people who:

•    want to benefit from the healing and strengthening properties of medicinal mushrooms and herbs.
•    want high-quality extracts that are affordable.
•    want an alternative to alcohol-based extracts.
•    want medicinal extracts that taste good to adults and kids.

Why Take Medicinal Mushrooms?

•    They provide support to nearly all the body's systems and regulatory functions.
•    They are veritable powerhouses of pharmaceutical compounds, including an array of water-soluble polysaccharides (complex sugars) that have shown remarkable anti-cancer, immuno-enhancing and overall healing properties.
•    They assist the body in adapting to internal and external stress.
•    They have a very long history of use in Eastern and Western medical traditions.
•    Their medical use has the backing of current, peer-reviewed scientific research.
•    They produce no negative side effects and are proven to be non-toxic.

Why Maple Syrup?
Maple syrup is the ideal medium to carry these extracts because
•    the concentrated sugars act as a natural preservative.
•    it makes the extracts more palatable, especially for kids.
•    the process of extraction can be integrated into the syrup-making process.

What is the extraction process?
Many medicinal mushrooms, and some herbal roots, need to be boiled for a prolonged period of time in order to extract their constituents, particularly the polysaccharides, into the water and make them available for consumption.
This type of boiled extraction is known as a decoction, and it is the traditional method to consume these medicinals.
Furthurmore, current scientific research proves this to be an effective extraction technique, and most published clinical studies, which test the safety and efficacy of medicinal mushrooms, use hot-water extractions.

How is it integrated into syrup-making?
Since it takes about 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, and that extra 39 gallons needs to be boiled off in a large shallow pan, we recognized that we could simply add the dried medicinal mushrooms (or herbal roots) to the sap and boil it for 2-4 hours, before straining it out and continuing with the syrup-making process.  This results in a syrup that is also a concentrated, decocted extract of a medicinal mushroom or plant root.

Can you make it another way?
Yes, I can produce the same extract by making a concentrated decoction, adding maple syrup, and then boiling the extra water off until I am back to syrup. It's just as good, but not as energy efficient.

Is the quality and strength consistent?
Yes, the mushroom decoction is concentrated into the maple syrup at the rate of 960 grams (2.1 lbs.) of dried mushrooms to one gallon, which equals 1250 mg per teaspoon.
Standardized methods of production are followed at every step, from growing and harvesting, to drying and brewing.

What kinds of syrup do you make?
I am currently making extracts from 4 mushrooms and 2 herbal roots: Turkey Tail, Chaga, Reishi, Tsugae Reishi, Echinacea, and Burdock. These extracts are available as singles, and blends.

What’s the source of the medicinals?
All the Turkey Tails used in our products are grown right here at Wild Branch Mushrooms on our certified organic farm.  The Reishi is all American-grown and certified organic. The Tsugae Reishis and the Chaga are wild harvested from northern Vermont forests.
The Echinacea and Burdock root come from certified organic Vermont farms.

How do I use this product?
The syrups can be used like regular syrup, or simply added to hot water or to any hot drink (they are excellent in coffee).
As a daily immune-enhancing tonic, I recommend 1 to 2 teaspoons per day.  For those with cancer, I suggest consulting a Naturopathic physician.  But I will note that clinical studies from Japan indicate that 2500  milligrams (2 tsps.), twice per day, is an effective dose.

Informational Points for Each of Our Medicinal Mushroom Extracts
Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)
AKA Yun Zhi, Kawaratake, Coriolus versicolor
•    Turkey Tails are among the most rigorously studied of the medicinal fungi.  Mild and pleasant tasting, they are a proven immune-enhancing addition to your diet.
•    PSK, a polysaccharide extracted from the Turkey Tail mushroom, recently accounted for 25% of the total Japanese national expenditure for anti-cancer agents.  It is taken in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation to increase cancer survival rates. PSK has also demonstrated the ability to activate interferon production.
•    Turkey Tail extracts inhibit the growth of cancer cells, help protect the liver from the toxic effects of chemotherapy and increase the regeneration rate of healthy cells following radiation.
•    Turkey Tails have also been found to regenerate damaged bone marrow, increase energy levels and offer pain relief to cancer patients.
•    Partially funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, extracts are currently being studied as an enhancement to conventional therapies used to treat breast cancer.  Dr. Standish, a senior physician at University Health Clinic and Director of the Breast Cancer Research Program at Bastyr University in Seattle, is leading the study.  “After a breast cancer patient undergoes traditional therapy, they typically have lower white blood cell counts, lower phagocytes, lower killer cell activity, and lower tumornecrosis factor,” states Dr. Standish. Turkey Tail mushrooms appear to increase all of these.”  Simply put – Turkey Tails may improve immune system function after conventional treat-ment has been completed. This could increase the immune system’s ability to stave off recurrences and increases the likelihood of staying cancer free.

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) AKA Ling Zhi
•    Reishi is highly respected and studied and is used as a daily tonic to balance and maintain health.
•    Reishi is known as the “Mushroom of Immortality” by the Chinese and it is believed to extend life span and increase youthful vigour and vitality.
•    In Japan, the government has officially listed Ganoderma as an adjunct herb for treating cancer.
•    Taken on a daily basis, Reishi helps to eliminate toxins and detoxify the liver, rejuvenate cells, regulate blood sugar imbalances, improve circulation, lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, and act as a superb tonic for those who suffer from allergies. It can also be effective in calming the nerves and reducing stress.
•    Reishi has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties.

Tsugae Reishi (Ganoderma tsugae) AKA Song Shan Ling Zhi
•    Tsugae Reishi is a sister species to Reishi and is almost indistinguishable at the macroscopic level, except that it grows on Hemlock trees in the north.
•    Has a long history of use in the East and shares similar constituents with Reishi.
•    A study of three Ganoderma species, performed at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, comparing the aqueous extracts of G. lucidum, G. sinense, and G. tsugae, reported that G. tsugae was the most potent at inhibiting the proliferation of human breast cancer cells.

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)
•    Extracts of chaga were approved as an anticancer drug (befungin) in Russia as early as 1955, and has been reported to be successful in treating breast, lung, cervical, and stomach cancers.
•    Chaga concentrates betulin from the bark of birch trees, which has shown promise in treating malignant melanoma, completely inhibiting tumors implanted in mice and causing apoptosis of cancerous cells. 
•    Chaga extracts also show antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory activity, and is known to be a liver tonic and an immune enhancer
•    Chaga has recently shown to be a powerful antioxidant.
•    Chaga is dark and rich, almost like molasses.  It makes a great coffee substitute and is delicious on ice cream.
and Our Medicinal Herb Extracts
Echinacea Root (Echinacea pupurea)
•    Herbal support for the immune system.
•    Anti-microbial properties
Burdock Root (Arctium lappa)
•    Traditionally used for liver support and as a blood-purifying tonic.
•    Only common herb used in both the Essiac and Hoxsey anti-cancer formulas.

Go to WildBranchMushrooms.com for more information about the mushrooms, our farm and our business.