Sunday, September 12, 2010

Fungi

I just read an article in my new “Discover” magazine about how a fungus was killing bats and, as I have heard before, amphibians like frogs and salamanders. Not only do fungi live off of dead things, the attack live organisms, people included.

Some experts believe that very few diseases are caused by viruses or bacteria, but the majority is caused by fungi. Fungi (which include molds) create a poison to protect themselves. This poison is called mycotoxin and can cause everything from arthritis to cancer.

Grains, especially ones stored in silos are contaminated. Some grains are contaminated from the field. All corn is contaminated, fresh or after stored. Peanuts are another carrier of mycotoxins. Certified grass fed beef is better for you than corn fed beef. I could go on and on, but will not. It is well known that people get sick who live in mold infected homes.

But, there is always beauty in everything. My wife, Ruth, has always had a good eye for beauty, except when she married me. . . Anyway, she took a lot of pictures of mushrooms and I am proud to show them to you now. All, but the last picture, was taken by her.








I took this last picture under my house. It looked like a wonderland under there with all those huge mushrooms. I had never seen any that large.

4 comments:

  1. Cool pictures of fungi , Just yesterday on the way into town I say a "fairy ring" , you know,, the ring of mushrooms that come up where a tree once stood that has died. this one was a big one, in the green space between two lanes of traffic in Town. Here at the "ranch" in the past I have had one reoccurring one in what is now an open area of my yard, and a smaller one where I had a tree taken out several years ago. and NO!! I never tired eating one of them.

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  2. I used to just love mushrooms, but since I found out what their mycotoxins can do to you, I don't eat them any more. There is a lot of foods that I will not eat anymore, for health reasons.

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  3. So which of those varieties of mushrooms are edible DD?

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  4. I used to have multiple books on the subject and was able to identify mushrooms in the wild. Now, I don't eat any mushrooms because even the "safe to eat" varieties contain some mycotoxins. So, I must say the answer to your question is none.

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