Tiger Milk Mushroom & Immunity

According to traditional folklore, the tiger milk mushroom (TMM) also known a“Cendawan Susu Rimau” or “老虎奶”, is believed to only grow from a spot where the milk of a prowling tiger has dripped.

While we now know that the mushroom has nothing to do with tiger’s milk, the medicinal mushroom has continued to be hailed as Malaysia’s national treasure due to its wide range of health benefits when consumed.

Used as a health tonic in local indigenous communities in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, South China, Phillippines and Papua New Guinea for over 400 years, the medicinal mushroom has healing properties in more than 15 types of medical ailments, including chronic cough, bronchitis, sinus allergy, asthma, eczema, fever, joint pain, chronic hepatitis, certain cancer, food poisoning and as a general body tonic.

These purported benefits of TMM have been supported by modern research as recent findings have revealed that the mushroom does indeed contain various biological active substances such as 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans, which demonstrate anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-viral effects.

Studies have found that TMM is able to boost our immune system’s second line of defence in order to fight off bacteria and viruses. As a result, our body benefits from stronger immunity to defend itself against respiratory disorders.

Additionally, the mushroom can also reduce our immune response to allergens, making it the perfect supplement for those with sensitive noses.

TMM also has anti-inflammatory effects and has been found to be extremely effective in treating symptoms of asthma, chronic coughs, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. Their bioactive agents are able to help unblock the airways by reducing inflammation – allowing for symptoms to clear up.

The mushroom also boasts antioxidant effects which can reduce our oxidative stress levels, having lower oxidative stress levels is extremely beneficial as it allows our body and immune system to function optimally.

Strains of TMM

Like most cultivated food products, TMM’s efficacy will determine greatly on its strain and its environment that it has grown in. You may find that TMM products from different batches or suppliers might have different percentage content of its biologically active substances, this is because these sources of TMM are not controlled and may come from different parts of the world.

To ensure consistent quality and efficacy, researchers have strived to find a stable strain of the mushroom and from their efforts, we now have TMM NKT744 which is a unique USDA organic certified TMM that ensures a standardised delivery and amount of the main therapeutically active compounds found in the mushroom.

These active compounds are total polysaccharides and 1,3 – 1,6 beta glucans. This standardisation ensures that the quality of NKT-744 are reproducible and consistent in every single batch.