4 Healthy Medicinal Mushrooms

Hey everyone today's post is going to be about Medicinal Mushrooms. I will be covering four mushrooms that you may or may not have heard of. I am using an article from the magazine, Clean Eating, as a reference. The author is Nutritional researcher and board-certified family physician Joel Fuhman MD. Lets get to it...

Mushrooms offer disease fighting and immune boosting powers. However, not all mushrooms are created equal. It may be a good idea to consume a variety of mushrooms because each one offers different health benefits. The first mushroom is the Reishi Mushroom. Reishi mushrooms have an important immune boosting effect on the body. Reishi mushrooms help enhance the activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells in the body. NK cells are immune cells that attack cancerous and virus-infected cells. Cancer patients have even seen trials in which Reishi supplementation helped enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy. Supplementing with Reishi powder has also shown to help the body better manage symptoms of anxiety and stress.

The second mushroom is the Chaga Mushroom. Chaga mushrooms help inhibit growth of cancerous cells and help reduce oxidative DNA damage in patient's White Blood Cells who were experiencing inflammatory bowel disease. Chaga mushrooms are also rich in antioxidants to help neutralize free radical damage to the body's cells for anti-aging benefits.

The third mushroom is Lion's Mane Mushrooms. Lion's Mane Mushrooms have anti-angiogenic activity. This means that they inhibit the signals tumor cells use to acquire a blood supply. Lion's Mane Mushrooms have also been studied to help facilitate regeneration of injured nerves. Another use case for Lion's Mane Mushrooms is as a noototropic (natural smart drug). Lion's Mane may help reduce brain fog and sharpen focus.

The fourth and final Medicinal Mushroom is the Cordyceps Mushroom. Cordyceps Mushrooms activate macrophages (specialized White Blood Cells of the immune system that are integral to detecting invaders and fighting off infection). Cordyceps supplements can also be taken to help reduce cortisol levels to improve stress, and for increased energy during exercise, and increased libido.

Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed and learned something new today. All of these mushrooms can be taken as whole foods, or in powder form via supplementation. I personally use the supplemental powder that contains a blend of all four listed and add it to my tea or coffee. I will also throw a little MCT oil in as well for the good fats and energy source. Let me know what you think. Feel free to comment with any advice or tips. Thanks for stopping by.