Mushrooms are an extremely tasty food, which boast earthy umami flavors. They can be excellent sources of protein for those seeking healthy meat substitutes and they work so well in a variety of dishes. There are over 140,000 mushroom species 10% of which have actually been classified. Aside from your average mushroom, are the medicinal mushroom varieties. Medicinal mushrooms have become popular wellness ingredients and can be found in a range of items from teas to coffees to tonics to tinctures. These medicinal mushrooms are not your average mushrooms that can be found in your local grocery store. They’re more so “super” mushrooms!
How Super Are They?
Medicinal mushrooms are powerful natural sources that can help to improve vitality of the body. Medicinal mushrooms contain bioactive compounds such as beta-glucans, polysaccharides, triterpenoids and ergosterol. The bioactive compounds found in medicinal mushrooms have superior anti-inflammatory effects on the body and help to promote a healthy immune function. They can increase energy in the body, improve brain and neurological function and can even help to fight cancer and tumors.
The adaptogenic properties of medicinal mushrooms allow them to help achieve homeostasis in the body and allow bodily systems to work synergistically. Sometimes the body can become unbalanced and systems such as cardiovascular, nervous or digestive systems may be disrupted and lead to stress and illness. Stress in all its forms can take a toll on the human body. The adaptogenic properties of medicinal mushrooms are able to modulate the body’s response to stress and adrenal fatigue.
What Are the Different Types of Medicinal Mushrooms?
The following medicinal mushrooms have proven benefits:
Chaga- A superior anti inflammatory medicinal mushroom, Chaga promotes longevity by neutralizing free radicals in the body. Free radical activity damages cells and tissues. Chaga is very rich in superoxide dismutase, which is a free radical neutralizing enzyme. Inflammation in the body can result when an injury occurs or a foreign pathogen is produced. When inflammation due to an illness or pathogen does not go away, cell and mitochondrial damage may occur. Chaga can help to reverse the lingering effects of inflammation and illness in the body.
Cordyceps- If you’re looking for a major boost in energy, look no further than cordyceps. This adaptogenic mushroom can be very helpful in extreme cases of exhaustion and fatigue. Cordyceps boosts energy in the body by increasing production of a molecule called adenosine triphosphate.
Reishi- A type of ganodermic medicinal mushroom with anti cancerous and anti tumour properties. Reishi is an adaptogenic mushroom that can lower mental and physical effects of stress in the body. It supports restful sleep and can be very soothing to nerves. The beta d glucans and triterpenes inherent in reishi mushrooms can bring about over all rejuvenation as well as energy restoration.
Shiitake & Maitake- These can actually be found in local grocery stores. Shiitake has been touted as an anti-aging ingredient and has also been used as a remedy in East Asian medicine for exhaustion, weakness, poor blood circulation. Maitake have amazing immune functioning benefits and is pretty thorough in its ability to activate macrophages, killer T cells and superoxide anion.
Adaptogenic mushrooms are non-toxic, anti allergenic and anti hypertensive. Regular prolonged consumption of medicinal mushrooms can reduce cancer apparent levels and also even prevent the onset of cancer.
The properties of medicinal mushrooms have been researched and observed in a scientific manner and the results of some of these studies are astounding. Medicinal mushrooms have been found to improve the quality of life of chemo and immunosuppressed patients. Other studies have explored medicinal mushrooms and their effectiveness in combatting Sars Cov 2. I’ll discuss some of the research on medicinal mushrooms in a later article.
#mechelle eleene
#medicinal #mushrooms
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