Exploring the Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms

Medicinal Mushrooms have been used in Asian regions for over 5000 years to promote and maintain good health and treat disease. (1) (2) There is an old Chinese saying, “Medicine and food have a common origin” (3), and mushrooms are the perfect example. Natural healthcare practitioners rely on them as a tonic and as a potent medicine for significant health problems. Increasing in commercial popularity, here’s what’s good to know.

Many Magnificent Mushrooms

The best-known medicinal mushrooms are: (3)

• Ganoderma lucidum (lingzhi or reishi), known as the “mushroom of immortality”, is used to promote well-being and longevity (2)
• Lentinula edodes (shiitake), valued for its unique taste and flavour and as a medicinal tonic (3)
• Grifola frondosa (maitake), the word maitake literally means “dancing mushroom” since reportedly people who found the mushroom started dancing with joy, knowing its delicious taste and health benefits (4)
• Cordyceps sinensis (caterpillar mushrooms) is a rare combination of a caterpillar and a fungus, traditionally recommended for “all illnesses” as a tonic, with the reputation of being a precious longevity-promoting herb (5)
• Hericium erinaceus (lion’s mane) has been found to promote positive nerve and brain health (6)
• Trametes versicolor (turkey tail) is important for its medicinal value since it has a variety of pharmacological activities (7)

Medicine for Many

The diverse bioactivity of medicinal mushrooms means they are versatile in their application for a range of health issues, acting as natural agents for the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. (1) Particular effort has been put into studying their anti-tumour properties. (2) Numerous studies have demonstrated that mushrooms show significant inhibitory activity against breast cancer, uterine cervix cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastric cancer. (1)

Magic Actions

There’s a long list of pharmacological actions across different species, with many having multiple effects, including (2) (8)

• Immune support: anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-allergic
• Cardiovascular health: hypotensive, anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemic
• Kidney, Liver and Gut health: nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, prebiotic, digestive
• Mental health: neuroprotective, anti-depressive
• General health: osteoprotective, anti-ageing, antioxidant
• Metabolic health: antidiabetic, hypoglycemic
• Oncology support: anticancer, antitumor, antimutagenic, cytotoxic, chemopreventive

Make room on your plate for Mushrooms.

Before you rush to buy a more exotic variety, keep in mind even the common kitchen variety mushrooms offer health benefits. In a recent study, researchers have found that the humble white button mushroom increases microbial diversity. (9) If you’re definitely looking to incorporate more potent varieties into your diet, try adding shiitake mushrooms to broth-based meals, stir-fries or risottos. Mushroom drinks are also gaining popularity, with powders containing Lion’s Mane and Turkey Tail being popular choices in combination with coffee, cacao or dandelion tea.

With their pleasing flavour and high protein level, mushrooms are already a nutritious and palatable food, add to this the tonic and medicinal values, and mushrooms represent one of the world’s greatest resources (3) of ‘Food as Medicine.

Make sure Medicinal Mushrooms are for you.

Remember that, as with any natural medicine, there is no one size fits all approach. The medicinal mushroom Chaga is a good example of why getting advice before starting any supplement. Since it contains oxalates, long-term use is best avoided by those vulnerable to kidney stones. (10)

So going beyond dietary products, it’s always worth chatting to a practitioner well versed in medicinal mushroom lore, especially a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner or Naturopath, before purchasing a supplement.  Supplements of the highest quality are always assured when prescribed since practitioner-only products adhere to the most stringent of standards. Respecting the powerful effects that medicinal mushrooms can impart is almost like respecting the laws of Magic – and there’s always a little Magic in Natural Medicine!

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