5 Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms

Mushrooms are not a new concept. They have been used for centuries all over the world for healing and medicine, valued for their capacity to improve immunity, health and overall wellbeing. But that’s just the beginning.

Fungi are actually much more complex than most of us would presume. I’ll admit that they do initially appear to be simple lifeforms, but once you dig a little deeper, you discover that they are highly complex organisms that have a genetic composition more closely related to animals than to plants.

Medicinal mushrooms are full of powerful healing compounds that humans can benefit from. Let’s take a look at 5 of the best:

1. Mushrooms are high in antioxidants
Antioxidants play a crucial role in protecting your body from free radicals and bolstering your general health. Let’s take a step back and quickly touch on free radicals. Free radicals occur when oxygen molecules split off into single atoms with unpaired electrons. These unpaired electrons search your body for other electrons to match with, but along the way they cause damage to your cells and DNA. They can be caused by a bunch of things – sunlight, inflammation, pollution etc, and the cellular damage that they cause increases your risk of many health problems. Mushrooms contain high levels of antioxidants like glutathione and ergothioneine which counter the negative effects of free radicals.

2. Mushrooms can help relieve asthma and allergies
An allergy is caused when your body overreacts to a certain stimulus. Similarly, asthma is caused by a build-up of inflammatory cells in the body. Here’s how mushrooms can help –mushrooms have been found to support homeostasis in the immune system and help build resistance to common allergens. They support an anti-inflammatory response, and help hinder the release of histamine, the compounds released by our cells in response to inflammation or allergies. They have also been shown to have properties that enhance the flow of oxygen in your body, which is vital for those suffering from allergies and asthma.

3. Mushrooms can improve your brain health
Medicinal mushrooms can help improve your brain function in several ways. They can increase your memory function, help you focus more clearly and also enhance cognitive function. Let’s look at an example. The most well-known mushroom for enhanced brain function is Lion’s Mane. Compounds in Lion’s Mane have been shown to stimulate a certain peptide called ‘nerve growth factor’ which is essential for the growth and maintenance of neurons in our brains. In one particular study, elderly people with mild cognitive impairment were given Lion’s Mane to consume each day for 4 months. The mushroom-eating group scored substantially higher on a cognitive scale compared with the placebo group. There are actually many studies like these, where Lion’s Mane has been shown to support both the memory and function of people. However, it is important to remember that these positive effects are cumulative and gradual, which means you need to consume them consistently for several months before you start seeing those mental gains.

4. Mushrooms can help boost the immune system
Each day your immune system works to protect your body from invaders and to support your body’s health. It’s a complex system, but one that often comes under attack. Mushrooms have been found to improve many important parts of your immune system, potentially even boosting immune cells so that they become more efficient at reacting to future attacks. Many kinds of mushrooms have antiviral and antibacterial properties, helping fight the common cold and even helping more advanced infections such as HIV. One study gave Chaga mushrooms to mice with compromised immune systems and it proved to increase the numbers of protective white blood cells in their bone marrow. As much as I am against animal testing, the results speak for themselves. Another medicinal mushroom, Reishi, has been shown to enhance the production of many parts of the immune system, such as natural killer cells, which detect and terminate cells infected with viruses. Pretty amazing, right?

5. Mushrooms improving your athletic performance
Not only have mushrooms been shown to help you live a longer, healthier life, but they can also help you enhance your athletic prowess. The best mushroom for improving performance is Cordyceps. They have been shown to dilate the aorta (the major artery that delivers oxygenated blood to your circulatory system) by 40%, improving blood flow and greatly increasing endurance. Cordyceps also contains adenosine and can boost the production of ATP, a major energy source in your cells. This gives part of the answer as to how they can improve stamina in performance. One Japanese study showed that supplementation with Cordyceps increased the performance of over 70% of runners. In another study, Cordyceps was delivered to 20 healthy elderly subjects for 12 weeks. The results showed meaningful improvements in their exercise performance and general health. Crazy, right?

If you’re going to take a mushroom supplement, you want to look for a manufacturer that offers 100% organic mushroom extracts and supplements that are produced, stored, and packaged under strict guidelines to preserve their nutrient content and overall effectiveness. My personal favourite brand is Superfeast. If I’m honest, I’m not a huge fan of the taste, but I have learnt a whole bunch of ways to easily disguise it so I can still get my health kicks. Mushroom powder is a perfect addition to your morning oats or coffee, or can also be easily disguised in your dinner. The mushroom powder actually makes a really good veggie stock, and you don’t need much at all to reap the rewards – the recommended dosage tends to be only ¼ of a teaspoon each day!