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Understanding Antrodia Cinnamomea

What is Antrodia Cinnamomea?

Antrodia cinnamomea is a parasitic fungus found in Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata, a species that is endemic to Taiwan. Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata is a large broadleaf evergreen tree found only in Taiwan’s forests between altitudes of 200-2000 meters; they are a premium material used in the production of valuable furniture. Due to the tree’s relative rarity in nature, the government has announced Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata as a target of conservation and prohibits its deforestation.

Antrodia cinnamomea’s History and Application

In Taiwan, Antrodia cinnamomea is also known as antrodia, antrodia mushroom, red antrodia, and ying yang mushroom. Long ago, Taiwanese indigenous people passed down the fungus as a traditional folk remedy, and their use of Antrodia cinnamomea can date back to centuries ago.

While Taiwanese indigenous people have a history of ingesting Antrodia cinnamomea, its’ earliest use in history cannot be verified. However, some document mentions that a doctor of Chinese medicine named Wu Sha led a group of immigrants to Taiwan and observed the indigenous people using Antrodia cinnamomea to cure different types of disease in 1773. The fungus was primarily used when the indigenous people suffered from fatigue, thirst, and discomfort.

There have been many studies on Antrodia cinnamomea published in recent international journals and many clinical, animal, and cellular trials have proven that Antrodia cinnamomea has beneficial effects on liver care, immune modulation, metabolic regulation, anti-HBV, and anti-cancer.

The Evolution of the Cultivation of Antrodia cinnamomea

Wild Antrodia cinnamomea is rich in triterpenoids, has high value in medicinal applications, is renowned in Asia, and is beloved by the Chinese. However, Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata trees required by the parasitic fungus have been listed as an endangered plant species and have been banned from cutting, causing wild Antrodia cinnamomea to become more expensive than gold. Thus, various economic cultivation methods have continued to appear in order to continue the heritage of this excellent ingredient for sustaining good health.

Antromax™ utilizes a solid fermentation cultivation method that doesn’t require basswood. This verified scientific cultivation method has been proven to produce a comparable amount of the active ingredient triterpenoids as wild Antrodia cinnamomea, producing an amount of triterpenoids equal to wild Antrodia cinnamomea in 3-4 months. This fast and economic mass production of solid cultivated Antrodia cinnamomea mycelia has been proven effective and passed safety certifications of NDI by USFDA.