Medicinal Mushrooms

Lately our fungus friends have been in the spotlight more than normal. Research has shown they are huge in the fight against cancer & other illnesses.

Touted as a super food they produce Vit. B & D that most plants lack. They are low in calories & sodium with good amounts of protein which include soluble & insoluble fiber. They are loaded with fungal polysaccharides & immunomodulating properties which affects the functioning of the immune system. Fungi are more related to animals than plants and are considered intelligent. Mushrooms can't product energy from sunlight as plants do. Instead, they use enzymes to break down organic matter into their natural environment. They turn dead organic into carbs, proteins & cellulose. 

Of course, for best results one should eat a variety of them daily....tea, dehydrate, tinctures, foods....anyway to get more of them in YOU!!! Oyster, shitake & maitake can be eaten fresh. Others such as reishi need to be made into a tea or soup because of it's bitterness. All mushrooms can be dried & crushed into a powder & can be taken in capsule form. It's recommended you take the mushrooms with Vit. C. It seems the Vit. C helps increase the body's absorption rate for polysaccharides.

Mushrooms are anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial & high in anti-oxidants. They contain a lot of beta glucan which stimulates the immune system. They can contain 50 or more polysaccharides across different varieties. Shrooms can fight cancer, leukemia, tumors, boosts the immune system....from the common cold to HIV. They help regulate anti-body production, increase DNA/RNA in bone marrow. Promote heart health. Help to lower cholesterol & inflammation. Improve energy levels. Reduce lactic acid. They help to improve brain health: focusing, cognitive functions. Cause production of nerve growth factors. They can help to lower & regular blood sugar levels & increase sensitivity of insulin receptors.

The top 8 mushrooms I found in my research are: 

Reishi: Have the most medicinal uses & the longest history. The red reishi is thought to be the most potent & effective. This mushroom should be used in soups or teas or can be dried & turned into powder form or an extract.

Chaga: Grown exclusively on birch trees & can look like charcoal, inside this fungi is a bright orange color. 

Turkey Tail: A "shelf" mushroom that are colorful & fan shaped so they look like a spread out turkey's tail. Quite common, they can be found in almost any forest.

Maitake: Nicknamed hen of the woods. Unlike some others on this list, these taste great, have a good texture & a mild flavor.

Lion's Mane: These grow very large & the taste is similar to lobster. It tastes great & when cut open is similar to the texture of cauliflower. 

Cordyceps: If you can get past the fact that this grows from mummified bugs, it's got some fantastic health benefits.

Shitake: Now these you have probably seen in the supermarkets. Goes great in soups or stir frys. A major ingredient in them called lentinan is so potent, it's now the 3rd most prescribed anti-cancer drug in the world.

Oyster: Packed full of vitamins & minerals, they are more than just great food additives.

As always speak with your doctor before starting any type of a medicinal mushroom. They can interfere with existing meds you might be taking for cholesterol or blood pressure. Do NOT consume those you find in the woods, etc. unless you know what you are doing.