Mushrooms
Which Mushrooms Can Help With What...
If there is only one mushroom that you have, then the Reishi mushroom is the one to have.
Reishi mushrooms have been used for millennia in Chinese medicine for helping to increase energy levels, aid in weight loss, prolonging life and even to prevent aging. Today it’s still being used to help strengthen the immune system of cancer patients who have received chemotherapy or radiation therapy whilst also fighting cancer cells.
​
The Reishi mushroom also has calming properties thanks to triterpene, a compound that is found in abundance in the mushroom. These mood promoting terpenes have been found to relieve anxiety, ease depression and promote better sleep in trials. But the benefits don’t stop there, it can also encourage healing and sharpen your focus.
In recent years a distinction has been made between the European species Ganoderma lucidum and the East Asian species, which is known for its medical influences, so because of this the Asian strain has been renamed Ganoderma sichuanense. There are many different strains of Ganoderma and they are difficult to distinguish from the medicinal species so care must be taken when selecting your mushroom, especially when using them for medicinal purposes.
The Lion’s Mane Mushroom helps support healthy brain function & neuron generation.
Lion’s Mane mushrooms are full of important compounds, such as beta-glucans (which are immuno-modulating antioxidants and neuro-protective phytonutrients). Some new research suggests that hericenones and erinacines compounds, which are found in the Lion’s mane mushroom, may help induce Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) synthesis in nerve cells and myelin (an insulation around nerve fibers). Both of which are essential for a healthy functioning brain and an imbalance can contribute to neurological diseases such as alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis.
This strengthens the findings from animal research that Lion’s mane promotes nerve tissue growth and supports motor function. There has also been research in adult humans, with mild memory problems associated with aging. The results showed that those who were taking the mushroom had better brain function compared with control participants who did not ingest the mushroom.
All of these findings show that the Lion’s Mane mushroom helps brain function and may even support neurogenesis, it has also shown that it can improve concentration, memory and cognition whilst easing anxiety and irritability.
If you exercise or have a moment in your life where you need a lot of energy, then Cordyceps mushrooms are for you.
The Cordyceps mushroom has an amazing energy-boosting effect and can even improve lung capacity. It has been found that the mushrooms can boost the production of ATP, a compound that gives living cells energy, and therefore is a great supplement for athletic/energetic people. Other research has also shown that cordyceps mushrooms support healthy levels of inflammation and immune markers, which doctors use in blood tests to detect inflammation in the body that could be caused by infections, auto-immune conditions and cancers. Furthermore the Cordyceps strains have been found to regulate hormones resulting in increased libido (in women) and improve sperm health in men.
Chinese medical books describe Cordyceps as a treasure, and with hundreds of different species it was traditionally used as a tonic because it has the capacity to revitalize and relieve symptoms like fatigue, exhaustion, and chronic stress.
The Chaga mushroom helps with digestive problems and skin issues.
​
The Chaga mushrooms are packed with antioxidants which are substances that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures.
Studies have shown that this black truffle-like mushroom can help in combating oxidative stress (which is linked to skin aging), lowering cholesterol, supporting digestion and boosting the immune system.
Chaga grows mostly on birch trees and because of this absorbs many medicinal compounds from the birch like betulin and betulinic acid. Also the outer black layer on the canker contains high amounts of melanin, which can be beneficial for our skin. Lab-cultivated Chaga does not develop into canker, and as it does not grow on birch but on grain, it does not contain the important medicinal compounds that come from birch.
The Turkey Tail mushroom is very good at boosting your immune system.
The Turkey tail mushroom contains compounds called polysaccharopeptide (PSP) and polysaccharide-K (PSK) and Protein-bound polysaccharides (PBP) . These three compounds have been seen to impede the growth of cancer cells, and boost the immune system and its
functionality as well as enhancing key types of immune cells like T-cells, and especially when used alongside other immune boosting herbal medicines.
​
Turkey tail is one of the mushrooms that have the highest amounts of beta-glucans of all, which can also help keep our immune systems healthy when used over an extended period of time.
Shiitake mushrooms are very good for the circulatory system.
Commonly used in cooking for its meaty flavor, this mushroom is one of the most popular in the world and has been used for hundreds of years, but not only as a food but also as a supplement.
Regular consumption of the Shiitake mushroom can help lower your cholesterol in the liver as well as benefiting your heart and cardiovascular system. They are full of Vitamin-B which helps regulate your blood sugar levels and supports a healthy inflammation response, which is our body’s way of telling our immune system when something needs healing as well as to protect against viruses and bad bacteria.
The Maitake mushroom benefits anyone with high blood pressure and helps support the immune system.
Also known as the hen of the woods, the maitake mushroom helps the immune system by stimulating the lymphocyte cells found in our blood as well as our white blood cells (natural
killer cells and monocytes) and T-helper cells. Studies have also shown that it supports the preservation of the spleen Often taken in conjunction with other mushrooms to help compliment the health benefits as an overall.
​
This mushroom can be used in cooking and has an earthy flavor, and resembles the Oyster mushroom.
The common Button mushroom is packed with vitamin-D and can help with cardiovascular health.
The Agaricus bisporus mushroom also known as the button mushroom is one of the most popular mushrooms for consumption, thanks to its pleasant taste and versatility in the kitchen.
Apart from being the classic mushroom that people think about when they think of mushrooms, itr has some very interesting health benefits thanks to the vitamin-D it stores from the sunlight, making it an excellent vegan source of the incredibly important sunshine vitamin which is invaluable in the winter months when its rare to have more than 7 hours of sunshine in a day of which most of that people are working inside in offices or warehouses.
​
Recent studies have also shown that the button mushroom helps for a positive modulation of PSA levels which is linked to the hormone-refractory prostate cancer progression ie; it helps slow the spread of prostate cancer.