Could Mushrooms Be the Future of Health & Wellness?

For thousands of years mushrooms and fungi have been thought to have medicinal benefits. Now fungi such as Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Chaga are becoming increasingly popular with those seeking a natural remedy to life’s tribulations.

Over the last few years people around the world have become more health conscious than ever, resulting in more people comprehending some of the dangers of consuming particular foods or pharmaceutical drugs over an extended period of time.

The outbreak of COVID 19 and the Coronavirus pandemic has heightened the interest in natural supplements to help boost the immune system and an ever-rising number of people are now trying natural supplements for the first time. The circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically increased the demand for a wide array of organic immunity elixirs.

Mushrooms are becoming more visible in the consciousness of society when contemplating the use of natural elixirs to boost immunity and improve the functioning of the body. Mushrooms are believed to have a wide range of benefits. These range from bolstering the body’s immune defence from external toxins to operating as an aphrodisiac. For generations, particularly in Eastern Culture edible fungis have been revered and believed to have both health and culinary benefits.

A study carried out in 2014 found that penicillin, the famous and powerful antibiotic is derived from the fungus Penicillium.  Fungi have the capability to absorb and extract waste from human cells, fungi also have a digestive system that is comparable to humans.

What are the Benefits of Mushrooms?

Immune Defence

Reishi when paired with other botanicals such as ashwagandha root, mushrooms can help to reduce inflammation. Reishi, chaga and coriolus are known for their high antioxidant attributes and their ability to provide immune support.

Mental Capacity and Energy

The mushroom Lion’s Mane, scientifically named Hericium Erinaceus, is an edible and medicinal mushroom that is classified within the tooth fungs group. It is native to Europe, North America and Asia and can be identified by its long spines and its tendency to grow a clump of dangling spines. In a study undertaken in 2016 Lioin’s Mane was found to promote peripheral nerve regeneration in rodents. Humans typically use Lion’s Mane to enhance concentration, memory and mental clarity. Lion’s Mane has a mild taste and can easily be mixed with butter.

Lion’s Mane is an all-natural nootropic proven to strengthen that has been found to improve memory, assist with concentration and boost the user’s creativity. It is one of the only foods that have neuroprotective properties, making it an incredible species of mushroom.

Skin and Gut Health

Raw shitake mushrooms may also have health benefits. There are those who believe that shitake mushrooms have a substantial amount of vitamin D, zinc and selenium which all help to maintain healthy skin. The gut plays an integral role in the health of your skin, so it is important to feed it the appropriate foods and supplements.

Stress Relief and Sleep

Reishi is widely believed to have countless health benefits. Reishi has well known health benefits such as the reduction of stress and energy boosts to help fight off fatigue. Often referred to as the Queen of Mushrooms, reishi is believed to help to regulate rest cycles. This is because reishi has been shown to improve deep delta wave sleep.

Lion’s Mane

Lion’s mane mushrooms are white, shaggy mushrooms that are similar in appearance to that of a mane of a lion. Across Asia in countries such as China, India, Korea and Japan Lion’s mane is used for both medical and culinary uses. Lion’s mane can be eaten raw, cooked with food, dried or be contained within a tea.

Lion’s mane contains many bioactive substances that have tremendous positive effects on the human body, particularly on the gut, heart, immune system and brain.

Reishi

The reishi mushroom is a fungi that grows in countries in Asia that are very humid and warm. Reishi has been a stalwart of eastern medicine for centuries. Reishi mushrooms can be eaten fresh and it is common to also use a powdered form of the mushroom within food or teas. Within the reishi mushroom, there are molecules that include triterpenoids, peptidoglycans and polysaccharides, it is thought that these molecules play an integral role in the causation of the associated health benefits of the reishi mushroom.

Chaga

Chaga mushrooms are rich in an array of minerals, vitamins and nutrients. Which include vitamin D, potassium, copper, zinc and magnesium. Chaga is thought to slow the aging process, this is because oxidative stress can cause physical symptoms of aging such as wrinkles and grey hair. Therefore, supplying the human body with more antioxidants it may be possible to slow the aging process.

Chaga is also believed to have a positive impact on lowering cholesterol as the many antioxidants may reduce low density lipoprotein which is considered to be the bad cholesterol.

It is thought that Chaga can support the immune system too. Cytokines are the chemical messengers within the immune system. Cytokines are proteins that play a crucial part in stimulating white blood cells. White blood cells are the immune system’s first line of defence against bacteria, viruses and other external threats. Research carried out on rodents has suggested that chaga may help to regulate the production of cytokines that support the immune system by helping cells to communicate with one another. This could assist the human immune system to fight infections and deal with the danger of a wide range of illnesses, from minor colds to severely dangerous illnesses.

Chaga’s effect on regulating the cytokine production may help to manage inflammation throughout the body. This means that Chaga could be a useful supplement for people suffering from autoimmune conditions to take.

Conclusion

Mushrooms that are available to be used as foods or food supplements could be a great addition to people’s diet. Help fighting inflammation and reducing the symptoms of stress could be of great benefit to millions of people around the world.