Time To Be Mushroomistic Part 2! - Medicinal Mushrooms

Discover > Texas Home Cooking > Time To Be Mushroomistic Part 2! - Medicinal Mushrooms

In the previous blog, we talked about all the delicious goodness of edible mushrooms (What wine goes well with mushrooms?), commonly found around us. Today, we go into a more in-depth reveal of the kinds of medicinal mushrooms that exist in nature.

Some mushrooms, especially in extract form, are used in the treatment of certain illnesses and disorders. In some countries, mushroom tinctures are used in government registered cancer therapies. Traditional Chinese medicine also considers mushrooms to have medicinal properties.

I strongly support the use of traditional medicine wherever appropriate as the first line of prevention and treatment of illnesses, I always opt for natural herbs or extracts and most of the time it works!

Coming back to medicinal mushrooms, they are definitely edible, but owing to their high concentration of beta glucans and antioxidants, they tend to taste bitter and woody. So, eating them in their natural form may be a tad weird and unpleasant.

You can find medicinal shrooms in powders, extracts and capsule form easily in your local and traditional store. Several online health shops also sell medicinal mushroom extracts.

Reishi Mushrooms

Also called the mushroom of immortality, now who wouldn’t want to have some in their homes?

Reishi is a fan-shaped mushroom, with a deep reddish-brown hue. The red reishi is known to have the strongest testosterone inhibiting action. Reishi mushrooms reduce levels of 5-Alpha reductase, thus preventing testosterone to convert into the more potent DHT. High levels of DHT can cause benign prostatic hypertrophy, baldness and acne.

Chaga Mushrooms

This unusual looking species which could pass off as a clump of burnt coal is actually a really potent medicinal mushroom. Chaga mushrooms grow on Birch tree barks and have been used as traditional medicine in European countries to boost immunity and health.

Though research on this mushroom species is limited,it has been used to treat diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

These large, white shaggy-haired mushrooms resemble a lion’s mane, hence the name. Lion’s mane mushrooms are known for their neuroprotective qualities, meaning it stimulates synthesis of the nerve growth factor.

Preliminary studies suggest that Lion’s mane shows promising role in protection against cancer. A study conducted in 2011 from food and function, stated the tests on humans revealed that lion’s mane can help knockout leukemia cells.

Lion’s mane mushrooms are quite common in traditional Chinese medicine, and you can find them as tinctures or powders in many health foods stores.

Maitake Mushrooms

Maitake means dancing in Japanese. It is said that people danced with happiness upon finding this mushroom in the wild, hence the name. It is found in clusters, at the base of Oak trees and can grow quite large. The whole fruit body can weigh up to 50 pounds or more!

Maitake mushroom is a type of an adaptogen that assists the body in fighting against physical and mental stresses.

Loaded with beta D glucans, maitake mushrooms support immune function and reduce blood glucose levels. It can also help lose weight by reducing hunger pangs.

Turkey Tail Mushroom

This fungus grows on dead logs and gift us its immune boosting properties. There are several promising Turkey (What wine goes well with turkey?) tail studies they have proven that it aids in cancer treatment and boosts immunity by several times.

Health benefits of Turkey tail mushroom include:

Better liver function, better respiratory health, better digestive health and better stress management.

Mushrooms are prebiotic and boost the microbiome's beneficial bacteria. The bacteria improves digestion and medicinal mushrooms are also the best sources for potent antioxidants. Sulfur rich acids like ergothioneine and glutathione neutralize free radicals and detoxify the body.

The idea of food as medicine needs to be promoted more, as clearly modern-day medications come with a host of side effects that can render the body incapable of performing essential functions to its full capacity.

Mushrooms alchemize the earth's most powerful elements. These fungi produce the best antibiotics and have the medicine capacity for a host of diseases.

Though it is a good idea to include some mushroom supplements to your diet as a means to improve overall health, always consult a heath practitioner experienced with this line of treatment.