Medicinal Mushrooms Health Benefits

Mushrooms are great for your health. Either consumed in cooking or taken as a powder supplement in smoothies or teas mushrooms can benefit your health greatly. I am always interested in natural remedies to support health and what Mother Nature provides is always unbeatable. Mushrooms are no exception as they are the great warriors against bacteria and viruses that threaten our health nowadays more than ever.

As such I set out to do some research into medicinal mushrooms and wanted to share with you a summary of the many benefits different mushrooms can provide you with. Either you need to boost immunity, fertility, gut health or energy production, mushrooms can help you achieve that and more. For details please read below.

REISHI MUSHROOM BENEFITS

• Inhibits histamine release
• Protects the liver
• Ace inhibiting - can support lowering blood pressure
• Inhibits cholesterol synthesis 
• Anti inflammatory – good for all allergies
• Induces apoptosis 
• Antioxidant 
• Anti tumour 
• Provides central nervous sedation – good for insomnia and anxiety 
• Antimicrobial 
• Immune modulation 
• Good for rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmunity by inhibiting NFBK transcription pathways
• Neuro protective- inhibit beta amyloid synaptic toxicity, protective against alzheimers and dementia
• Anti aging- due to blood sugar and cholesterol regulating activity and broad spectrum cardiovascular, neurological and immunological benefits

LIONS MANE MUSHROOM BENEFITS

• Stimulates production of NGF- cell differentiation and survival in CNS. Low levels associated with Alzheimer’s.
• Reduces pain in hiv induced sensory neuropathy.
• Nerve damage- helps with nerve regeneration
• Reduces anxiety and depression – when taking 2 g per day 
• Helps with menopause syndrome- reduced sleep disturbances anxiety, hot flushes 
• Inhibits MRSA activity 
• Help with gastric ulcers due to its antibacterial properties and protects against H pylori stomach infections
• Increases REM sleep

CORDYCEPS MUSHROOM BENEFITS

• Used in viral infections, HIV, cancer, hepatitis as a reverse transcriptase inhibitor with Retrovir medication. 
• Energy metabolism 
• Supports lung, kidney and liver function
• Signal transduction and regulation of hormone production 
• Anti aging – increase oxygen uptake, aerobic capacity and resistance to fatigue 
• Improves brain function and antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, glutathione, catalese)- which also supports cardiovascular function 
• Athletic performance – increased endurance, energy output and oxygen capacity 
• Sexual function – hypofunction in males over time, possible increases in female libido
• Improved fertility and enhances chances of IVF working
• May increase oestrogen which can help with induced menopausal osteoporosis 
• Diabetes can help trigger release of insulin 

TURKEY TAIL MUSHROOM BENEFITS

• Showed results to help with gastric, oesophageal, lung, breast, cervical nasopharyngeal, and colorectal cancer
• Increases antioxidant status - SOD and glutathione peroxidase activity
• Enhances immune status /Boost immune cell production 
• HIV 
• Herpes – reduces outbreaks and inactivate HSV in a dose dependent manner
• Chronic fatigue syndrome – increases NK cell activity 
• Hepato protective 

SHITAKE MUSHROOMS BENEFITS

• High levels of B vitamins and provitamin D2
• Used for gastric cancer in Japan 
• Antifungal 
• Immune modulating properties 
• Inhibits HIV and proliferation of leukemia cells
• Promise for lowering cholesterol levels 
• Anti viral properties 
• Hepato protective – particularly for Hep B 
• Anti microbial- highest anti candida action

CHAGA MUSHROOM BENEFITS

• Betulinic acid induces apoptosis in mitochondrial cancer cells
• Anti inflammatory 
• Anti retroviral – herpes, HIV
• Anti parasitic and anti microbial – used for digestive disorders (stomach and intestines)
• Currently researched to be used as a anti-cancer drug 
• Antioxidant 
• Genoprotective properties 
• Is a melanin complex 
• Psoriasis – improved by 75% in 9-12 weeks of daily use

Hope this was helpful and remember I am available for nutrition consultations to help optimise your nutrition status, health and wellbeing.

For details please visit www.ancavereen.com

Anca Vereen is a Melbourne based Integrative dietitian and Nutritionist, Psychotherapist, Breathing Coach and Sound Therapist.

For more details pls visit https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-mushrooms