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Birch Polypore, as the name suggests, grows on dead or dying birch trees. It can be found in birch forests around the world.

Birch Polypore’s 15 minutes of fame came when it was discovered among the remains of Oetzi the Iceman, whose 5,300 year old mummified body was found 1991 at the border of Austria and Italy in a glacial ice cave.

It’s generally agreed that Oetzi used the Birch Polypore to treat a parasitic infection. Eggs of the intestinal parasite Trichuris trichuria were found in his gut. [190]

And indeed, Birch Polypore tea has been used historically as a folk remedy against intestinal parasites. It has also been used as a styptic to stop bleeding, and as a general antibiotic. [25]

A finding in 1997 confirmed that certain compounds in Birch Polypore extract help diminish chronic dermal inflammation [191] and being generally anti-inflammatory. [192]

In terms of its antibiotic properties, Birch Polypore extract has been found effective against Bacillus megateterium. [194] One antibiotic compound that has been isolated from Birch Polypore is known as Piptamine. [193] Medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets proposes that Birch Polypore extract be tested for its effectiveness against anthrax Bacillus anthracis. [134]

Another potent compound isolated from Birch Polypore is Betulinic Acid, which is produced by birch trees and then extracted and concentrated by the Birch Polypores. A study on melanoma in 1995 found that Betulinic Acid exhibited toxicity against melanoma cells while having no adverse effect on healthy cells. [195] A later study, in 2002, may have discovered the mechanism behind Betulinic Acid’s cancer toxicity when it found that it inhibits certain enzymes involved in the growth and development of tumors. [196]

In 2001, Betulinic Acid derivatives of Birch Polypore extract demonstrated unique antiviral effects against HIV by blocking HIV reproduction. [197]

In 2004, medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets filed a patent on an extraction method of Birch Polypore after researchers at USAMRIID (U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease) and NIH (National Institute of Health) published findings that Stamets’ Birch Polypore extract effectively killed vaccinia and cowpox viruses while not harming human tissue. [134]

Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any medicinal mushroom or herb without prior approval by medical doctor.

Dr. Rafael has worked with natural health since Chiropractic College in 1996. His current focus is research and writing about medicinal fungi, working specifically with the MycoMedicinals of Paul Stamets, whose Birch Polypore extract is part of the synergistic blend Paul Stamets Host Defense. For research references to this article, go to the Piptoporus betulinus page.