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By Brown Chimezie
Recently, a team of researchers, comprising Mrs. Millicent Oare, mushroom farmer, Dr. Emeka Araka, naturopathic physician, and Mrs. Ngozi Mercy Onuaha, businesswoman and skills and development coach, made a groundbreaking discovery uncovering the potential of a mushroom, Pleurotus tuber-regium.
According to the findings: “This mushroom, commonly known as Usu among the Igbo, has been found to have medicinal properties that can help lower high blood pressure (HBP) and other ailments related to the brain, such as high cholesterol. The team has been travelling around the country, particularly the South East, to create awareness about the potential of this mushroom as an alternative source of income for farmers and a natural alternative to available treatments.”
Said Onuaha: “This indigenous mushroom has the potential to be the next oil well. Investing in it now will be the wisest decision you ever made.”
She stated that Nigerian stamps in the 1990s had the image of pleurotus tuber-regium: “The cultivation process of pleurotus tuber-regium is simple and can be done by even a child of six years old, making it a viable source of income for farmers. The process is easy and less expensive, with as low as N3,000 you can start a farm, with no need for chemical or weeding. Furthermore, it can be processed into capsule and liquid for the healthcare industry, and flour for baking, noodles, swallow and flakes for the food industry.”
Oare has been researching the mushroom for two years: “There are no known side effects or risks associated with using it medicinally. Ten milligrammes of the mushroom is needed to see therapeutic benefits and there are no specific groups of people that should avoid using it.
“This discovery highlights the importance of utilising local resources and the potential of entrepreneurship in creating sustainable livelihoods. It also brings attention to the medicinal properties of pleurotus tuber-regium and the potential for it to be a valuable source of income for farmers and a natural alternative to currently available treatments.”
