The Curious Multi-tool Fungus (Fomes fomentarius)

You can't eat it. It's not one of the "superstars" of the medicinal mushroom world. But could this unassuming fungus be hiding superpowers?

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0:00 Intro
0:28 What is Fomes fomentarius?
1:12 Identifying Fomes fomentarius
3:37 Otzi the Iceman
5:05 Medicinal Properties and Research
6:47 Amadou (Fomes material)
7:35 Using It For Tinder
8:39 Outro

Maybe Otzi the Iceman, who had some Fomes fomentarius in his possession when his remains were discovered, could have offered some clues. Since he's not talking, we'll unpack a few of the mushroom's secrets in this video!

Like the more commonly known medicinal mushrooms, Fomes fomentarius contains both polysaccharides and terpenes. These compounds have been found to exhibit interesting—and sometimes powerful—properties when extracted from other species and put to the test in lab settings.

There isn't yet a lot of evidence for this mushroom's effectiveness as an antidote for specific illnesses, but researchers are beginning to take an interest in uncovering its secrets.

From its practical use as a fire starter to its potential medicinal power (including fighting inflammation, pain, bacteria and viruses!), the appropriately nicknamed tinder fungus has some serious potential.

Oh yeah, and you can make hats out of it, too. Amadou, anyone?

#medicinalmushrooms #tinderfungus #tinderconk