Other Names : Agaricus subrufescens, Agaricus blazei, Agaricus brasiliensis Agaricus rufotegulis, Himematsutake, 姫松茸, God’s mushroom, mushroom of life, royal sun agaricus, Mushroom of the sun, almond mushroom, princess <br>This is a species of mushroom whose identification seems to have begun in the West unlike many other mushrooms and medicinal plants. It was found in the north eastern side of the US and Canada. Later on it was identified in Hawaii, California, UK, the Netherlands, Philippines, Brazil and Taiwan. In folk medicine, agaricus is used to treat a variety of health conditions, including major diseases like cancer and diabetes. Although research on the health effects of agaricus is fairly limited, some preliminary studies show that agaricus may offer certain health benefits.
==Special Precautions of Agaricus==
* Agaritine (AGT) is an aromatic, antiviral, hydrazine-derivative mycotoxin and IARC Group 3 carcinogen that occurs in mushroom species of the genus Agaricus. Agaritine oxidizes rapidly upon storage, however, and is totally degraded after 48 hours in aqueous solution with exposure to air. It has also been shown to decompose readily upon cooking (up to 90% reduction) as well as upon freezing (up to 75% reduction).
* Do not confuse with the homeopathic remedy [[Agaricus Muscarius]] which is made from 'fly agaric' and is very toxic.
* Little is known about the safety of taking agaricus in the long term. However, there's some concern that agaricus may harm liver health. For instance, in a 2006 report from the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, scientists linked consumption of agaricus to severe liver damage in cancer patients. It's thought that taking agaricus may increase your levels of certain liver enzymes.