IMO Theory
***I am not asking for medical or health advice***
I am interested in the "THEORY" of fungal relationships in regards to human digestive systems. In studying theory from my limited perception, I have learned the idea that all stages of successful collected IMO are edible. I have also learned about fungal probiotics that are available on the market today. My question regarding to this theory is: Are all white-ish mycelium considered edible/beneficial?
The answer
The short answer is NO.
This is the safest answer because even Master Cho says not to eat KNF Microbes, he says "grow the plants with IMO, eat the plants". Reasoning being that in IMO there is a LOT of stuff, especially if you go up to IMO4 where it is mixed with soil. The whole power of IMO is based on diversity, and that is what gives it it's strength. However, when applied to the human body, that may be a diverse parasite or something that isn't so friendly.
That being said, I live on the edge and eat it ;)
So far, so good. I usually do it for shock value to show that yeah, I'm not afraid to eat everything I'm using. I've also been known to eat the pig pen floor, and I've been drinking untreated water my entire life, so who knows maybe it's like training before you compete?
Most of the white stuff you are seeing is bacillus subtilis, which is naturally found in your gut. The white fuzz is an indicator that if bacillus subtilis is there, most the other organisms around are non-pathogenic, so it IS a good indicator of "good" IMO.
The human body has evolved to detect and alert you of "bad" microbes, and the most indicator is smell. "Your nose knows" is a classic way to explain this. It is located right above your mouth to stop you from putting any stuff that is bad for you inside of your body. Smells that are adverse to us are probable indicators of nasty microbes in large quantities.
So instead of just looking for white, also smell it. If you're not revolted, odds of it causing dis-ease are less. Though we all have gotten food poisoning from food that smelled great, so this is not foolproof. Hence why the initial answer is still NO.
If, however, one does wind up with food poisoning, KNF Police aka Lactic Acid Bacteria can soothe a stomach in 15 minutes or less. KNF Medicine can also mitigate the effects of poisoning, but the best way to go is to avoid it in the first place.
You may also be interested in using IMO externally for health.
From the KNF library
From the KNF library
Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books
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Sep 2026
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5 sources
The library gives no rule that white mycelium is edible or beneficial to people. It does say what white growth means in a culture.
- The Pure KNF Manual says good IMO is typically fungal dominant. Fungus in a culture is expected. (Pure KNF Manual, p. 31)
- Cho's Solutions calls IMO diverse microorganisms adapted to their local microclimate. (Cho's Solutions, p. 11)
- A thin white crust on IMO2 is normal, especially in a jar not filled at least two-thirds full. (Office Hours Ep. 27, 58:35)
- If anaerobic microbes dominate a collection, Cho says to collect again in a drier area. (Cho, Theory, p. 51)
- The CTAHR fact sheet calls the LAB culture edible. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 13)
That last source covers LAB, not IMO. The library does not say whether any IMO stage is safe to eat.
Sources
- 58:35 Office Hours Ep. 27 (Apr 2022) — knfFuel Mold, Jadam Pasture Recovery, OHN & Alcohol · “Yes, it's normal, especially in a jar that's not filled at least two-thirds full.”
- p. 11 Cho's Solutions · “IMO are diverse micro organisms that are uniquely adapted to an indigenous micro climate”
- p. 31 Pure KNF Manual · “Good IMO is typically fungal dominant.”
- p. 51 Cho, Theory · “if the anaerobic microbes are in the majority, it is better to try again to collect IMO in areas with less moisture.”
- p. 13 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “This edible culture is used in Natural Farming for both”
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