Medicinal Mushroom Benefits
12 Amazing Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms
1. They Improve Brain Function
Lion’s Man and Reishi are two edible mushrooms that have been proven to improve brain function. Lion’s Mane, that white mushroom that looks like a white ball of icicles, activates the nerve growth factor (NGF) in our brains. This peptide greatly helps the neurons in our brains. This result shows great promise in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Reishi also aids your brain’s regenerative properties. By healing nerves and tissues in the brain, regular consumption of Reishi mushrooms improves focus and performance on cognitive tests.
2. They Might Fight Cancer
Many medicinal mushrooms have antioxidant properties—more on this feature in number seven—that increase our ability to fight disease and stay healthy. However, two mushrooms—Chaga and Turkey Tail—are known for their cancer fighting ability. Chaga, especially, is known for its benefits as an apoptotic, anti-proliferative, and chemo-protective. These fancy terms meant that Chaga in multiple studies has been shown to be a cancer-suppressant in mice.
Turkey Tail also has a large number of studies that examine its cancer fighting abilities. It has been shown to prevent cancer formation and boost immune systems. When your immune system functions at a high level, it is more likely to be able to fight off cancer.
3. They Boost the Immune System
Our immune system is one of the most important parts of our body. It is this system that fights off disease and keeps everything else functioning optimally. All medicinal mushrooms have immune boosting properties. Some researchers believe that they do this by interacting with our gut microbiota. As scientists now know, out gut has a profound influence over our body’s entire immune system. So, by keeping the microorganisms in our gut healthy and happy, medicinal mushrooms keep our entire immune system functioning at optimal levels.
4. They May Help Depression and Anxiety
Medicinal mushrooms are known for their ability to heal people’s physical bodies, but did you know that they can heal our minds as well? Two common medicinal mushrooms—Lion’s Mane and Reishi—have been proven by science to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Lion’s Mane has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety like irritability after just four weeks of use. Reishi mushrooms reduce fatigue and feelings of anxiety. Adequate sleep is an important factor in mental help. So, it makes sense that by helping you get enough rest, Reishi can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.
5. They Have Potential to Repair Nerves
Lion’s Mane has so many health benefits that it appears many times on this list. In addition to stimulating the NGF (nerve growth factor) in your brain, it also plays a role in nerve regeneration. As with its brain stimulation effects, Lion’s Mane ability to regenerate nerves could be a huge boon for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Plus, by restoring nerve health, Lion’s Mane can reduce nerve pain. This is especially important for people who have nerve damage and are in constant pain from that.
6. They Improve Sleep
Reishi’s sleep benefits are inextricably linked to its value as an anti-anxiety substance. It, has been shown to improve the length and quality of people’s sleep. This, in turn, reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, as adequate nightly sleep significantly lowers the likelihood of these conditions. Plus, by reducing stress and anxiety, Reishi mushrooms can help people fall asleep.
For the most benefits, some people recommend pairing Reishi mushrooms with Magnesium before bed. Both substances are known as sleep aids, and when paired together they can be a powerful way for people with sleep problems to get a good night’s rest.
7. They are Powerful Antioxidants
As mentioned above, all medicinal mushrooms have antioxidant properties. This is important for our health as antioxidants help fight damage from free radicals and other environmental pollutants. Foods that include antioxidants can help reduce DHA stress and damage. Thus, in turn, protects against arthritis, cataracts, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer. Because of their large amounts of antioxidants, it is important to make medicinal mushrooms a regular part of your diet.
8. They are Athletic Performance Enhancers
By increasing your endurance level, medicinal mushrooms like Chaga and Cordyceps allow you to workout longer and harder, which increases your overlal health. Studies show that Cordyceps dilate the aorta. This increases blood flow and therefor endurance. These mushrooms also have adenosine. This is a substance that aids your stamina.
Chagas does not have all of the athletic performance enhancing features as Cordyceps, but it does include glycogen content in the muscles and livers of mice. This feature in addition to the lowering of lactic acid in the bloodstream aid in a potential increase in your athletic performance.
9. They are Anti-Aging
Another powerhouse medicinal mushroom, Reishi, more than any other variety, has a huge number of anti-aging effects on the body. This is good news, because Reishi mushrooms are probably the most common of any on today’s list, which makes them easy to incorporate into your diet.
Reishi supports a lot of the things that go into anti-aging, such as increasing immunity, reducing the risk of infection, supporting the liver and heart, reducing the risk of cancer, and blocking free radical damage. Most importantly of these features, Reishi’s ability to increase immunity and decrease free radical damage (through antioxidants) make up the largest portion of its anti-aging ability.
Chaga, too, has anti-aging properties. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, including B-complex, Vitamin D, Potassium, Rubidium, Cesium, Amino Acids, Fiber, Copper, Selenium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, and Calcium. All of these vitamins minerals, and nutrients support a healthy body and decrease the effects of aging.
10. They May Help Diabetes
Both Reishi and Lion’s Mane can be used to manage diabetes. Lion’s Mane when eaten or supplemented with improves insulin sensitivity. Since the inability to process insulin in what causes diabetes and other sugar issues, this is an important trait of the Lion’s Mane mushroom.
Reishi, too, can regulate insulin levels. Studies on the medicinal mushroom have found a variety of polysaccharides and triterpenes that can be used to improve insulin resistance. Plus, consumption of Reishi mushrooms has been shown to decrease a person’s fat to weight ratio, which can help manage diabetes as well.
11. They Promote Good Heart Health
A healthy heart is important our overall well-being and longevity. This is why it is nice that Lion’s Mane and Chaga both have properties that support our heart’s health. Lion’s Mane reduces inflammation in the body, which in turn helps your heart. Chronic inflammation is one of the causes of heart disease. So, by keeping inflammation out of the body, Lion’s Mane keeps your heart healthy.
Chaga mushrooms reduce the “bad” (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) cholesterol in your body. Like chronic inflammation, high LDL cholesterol has been linked to heart disease. Taking both Lion’s Mane and Chaga on a regular basis will give your body the one-two punch it needs to keep your heart healthy.
12. They are Potent Anti-Virals
While increasing the immune system is an important function for many medicinal mushrooms, and helps to keep us disease and sickness free, there are some mushrooms that are actively anti-viral agents. These mushrooms—Chaga and Reishi in particular—can actually inhibit the ability of certain viruses to gain a hold of our bodies.
Chaga, for example, has been proven to block HIV and hepatitis C. These are both nasty diseases that are important to steer clear of. Reishi, too, can block certain viruses. Finally, the Rozites caperata or Gypsy Mushroom is an extremely powerful anti-viral. It has been shown to suppress herpes simplex I and II, varicella zoster, influenza-A, and the respiratory syncytial viruses. Incorporate these mushrooms into your diet in order to keep your body healthy and virus free.
If you have any questions regarding medicinal mushrooms, feel free to contact us.
12 Amazing Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms
1. They Improve Brain Function
Lion’s Man and Reishi are two edible mushrooms that have been proven to improve brain function. Lion’s Mane, that white mushroom that looks like a white ball of icicles, activates the nerve growth factor (NGF) in our brains. This peptide greatly helps the neurons in our brains. This result shows great promise in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Reishi also aids your brain’s regenerative properties. By healing nerves and tissues in the brain, regular consumption of Reishi mushrooms improves focus and performance on cognitive tests.
2. They Might Fight Cancer
Many medicinal mushrooms have antioxidant properties—more on this feature in number seven—that increase our ability to fight disease and stay healthy. However, two mushrooms—Chaga and Turkey Tail—are known for their cancer fighting ability. Chaga, especially, is known for its benefits as an apoptotic, anti-proliferative, and chemo-protective. These fancy terms meant that Chaga in multiple studies has been shown to be a cancer-suppressant in mice.
Turkey Tail also has a large number of studies that examine its cancer fighting abilities. It has been shown to prevent cancer formation and boost immune systems. When your immune system functions at a high level, it is more likely to be able to fight off cancer.
3. They Boost the Immune System
Our immune system is one of the most important parts of our body. It is this system that fights off disease and keeps everything else functioning optimally. All medicinal mushrooms have immune boosting properties. Some researchers believe that they do this by interacting with our gut microbiota. As scientists now know, out gut has a profound influence over our body’s entire immune system. So, by keeping the microorganisms in our gut healthy and happy, medicinal mushrooms keep our entire immune system functioning at optimal levels.
4. They May Help Depression and Anxiety
Medicinal mushrooms are known for their ability to heal people’s physical bodies, but did you know that they can heal our minds as well? Two common medicinal mushrooms—Lion’s Mane and Reishi—have been proven by science to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Lion’s Mane has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety like irritability after just four weeks of use. Reishi mushrooms reduce fatigue and feelings of anxiety. Adequate sleep is an important factor in mental help. So, it makes sense that by helping you get enough rest, Reishi can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.
5. They Have Potential to Repair Nerves
Lion’s Mane has so many health benefits that it appears many times on this list. In addition to stimulating the NGF (nerve growth factor) in your brain, it also plays a role in nerve regeneration. As with its brain stimulation effects, Lion’s Mane ability to regenerate nerves could be a huge boon for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Plus, by restoring nerve health, Lion’s Mane can reduce nerve pain. This is especially important for people who have nerve damage and are in constant pain from that.
6. They Improve Sleep
Reishi’s sleep benefits are inextricably linked to its value as an anti-anxiety substance. It, has been shown to improve the length and quality of people’s sleep. This, in turn, reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, as adequate nightly sleep significantly lowers the likelihood of these conditions. Plus, by reducing stress and anxiety, Reishi mushrooms can help people fall asleep.
For the most benefits, some people recommend pairing Reishi mushrooms with Magnesium before bed. Both substances are known as sleep aids, and when paired together they can be a powerful way for people with sleep problems to get a good night’s rest.
7. They are Powerful Antioxidants
As mentioned above, all medicinal mushrooms have antioxidant properties. This is important for our health as antioxidants help fight damage from free radicals and other environmental pollutants. Foods that include antioxidants can help reduce DHA stress and damage. Thus, in turn, protects against arthritis, cataracts, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer. Because of their large amounts of antioxidants, it is important to make medicinal mushrooms a regular part of your diet.
8. They are Athletic Performance Enhancers
By increasing your endurance level, medicinal mushrooms like Chaga and Cordyceps allow you to workout longer and harder, which increases your overlal health. Studies show that Cordyceps dilate the aorta. This increases blood flow and therefor endurance. These mushrooms also have adenosine. This is a substance that aids your stamina.
Chagas does not have all of the athletic performance enhancing features as Cordyceps, but it does include glycogen content in the muscles and livers of mice. This feature in addition to the lowering of lactic acid in the bloodstream aid in a potential increase in your athletic performance.
9. They are Anti-Aging
Another powerhouse medicinal mushroom, Reishi, more than any other variety, has a huge number of anti-aging effects on the body. This is good news, because Reishi mushrooms are probably the most common of any on today’s list, which makes them easy to incorporate into your diet.
Reishi supports a lot of the things that go into anti-aging, such as increasing immunity, reducing the risk of infection, supporting the liver and heart, reducing the risk of cancer, and blocking free radical damage. Most importantly of these features, Reishi’s ability to increase immunity and decrease free radical damage (through antioxidants) make up the largest portion of its anti-aging ability.
Chaga, too, has anti-aging properties. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, including B-complex, Vitamin D, Potassium, Rubidium, Cesium, Amino Acids, Fiber, Copper, Selenium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, and Calcium. All of these vitamins minerals, and nutrients support a healthy body and decrease the effects of aging.
10. They May Help Diabetes
Both Reishi and Lion’s Mane can be used to manage diabetes. Lion’s Mane when eaten or supplemented with improves insulin sensitivity. Since the inability to process insulin in what causes diabetes and other sugar issues, this is an important trait of the Lion’s Mane mushroom.
Reishi, too, can regulate insulin levels. Studies on the medicinal mushroom have found a variety of polysaccharides and triterpenes that can be used to improve insulin resistance. Plus, consumption of Reishi mushrooms has been shown to decrease a person’s fat to weight ratio, which can help manage diabetes as well.
11. They Promote Good Heart Health
A healthy heart is important our overall well-being and longevity. This is why it is nice that Lion’s Mane and Chaga both have properties that support our heart’s health. Lion’s Mane reduces inflammation in the body, which in turn helps your heart. Chronic inflammation is one of the causes of heart disease. So, by keeping inflammation out of the body, Lion’s Mane keeps your heart healthy.
Chaga mushrooms reduce the “bad” (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) cholesterol in your body. Like chronic inflammation, high LDL cholesterol has been linked to heart disease. Taking both Lion’s Mane and Chaga on a regular basis will give your body the one-two punch it needs to keep your heart healthy.
12. They are Potent Anti-Virals
While increasing the immune system is an important function for many medicinal mushrooms, and helps to keep us disease and sickness free, there are some mushrooms that are actively anti-viral agents. These mushrooms—Chaga and Reishi in particular—can actually inhibit the ability of certain viruses to gain a hold of our bodies.
Chaga, for example, has been proven to block HIV and hepatitis C. These are both nasty diseases that are important to steer clear of. Reishi, too, can block certain viruses. Finally, the Rozites caperata or Gypsy Mushroom is an extremely powerful anti-viral. It has been shown to suppress herpes simplex I and II, varicella zoster, influenza-A, and the respiratory syncytial viruses. Incorporate these mushrooms into your diet in order to keep your body healthy and virus free.
If you have any questions regarding medicinal mushrooms, feel free to contact us.