BBC LEARNING ENGLISH
6 Minute English
Mushrooms: Medicine or myth?
This is not a word-for-word transcript.
6 Minute English
©British Broadcasting Corporation 2023
bbclearningenglish.com
Page 1 of 6
Neil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.
Beth
And I’m Beth. Do the names, Lion’s Mane, or, Turkey Tail, mean anything to you,
Neil?
Neil
Lion’s Mane and Turkey Tail? Sounds like things you might find in the zoo!
Beth
Ha, good guess! But they’re actually the names of mushrooms. Lion’s Mane is a
white hairy mushroom found across Asia, and Turkey Tail is a brown fan-shaped
fungus which looks a bit like… well, a turkey’s tail! But if you haven’t already heard
these
names you probably will soon, because these
mushrooms are becoming
popular as medicine.
Neil
Throughout history our ancestors used mushrooms as food, but also as medicine
for physical problems and mental illnesses like depression. In the 21
st
century, this
medicine is being rediscovered and marketed. Today, mushrooms are big business.
In 2021, the global medicinal mushroom market was valued at 26 billion dollars
and growing.
6 Minute English
©British Broadcasting Corporation 2023
bbclearningenglish.com
Page 2 of 6
Beth
But how real are the supposed health benefits of mushrooms? In this programme
we’ll
be finding out, along with some useful new vocabulary.
Neil
But first, I have a question for you, Beth. Neither plant, nor animal, mushrooms are
mysterious and amazing things. But which of the
following statements about
mushrooms is actually true?
a)
Most mushrooms are poisonous?
b)
Some mushrooms can fly? or,
c)
Some mushrooms glow in the dark?