It’s time to explore the magic and power of medicinal mushrooms! While mushrooms have certainly endured its fair share of controversy and scepticism over the years, medicinal mushrooms have been shown to have incredible and far-reaching benefits and profound immunomodulating effects. The human immune system is a vastly complex system and requires a delicate balancing act. The immunomodulating effects of medicinal mushrooms means that they essentially help keep the human immune system in a balanced state – Stimulating and kicking it into gear when there is a virus and/or infection to fight and downregulating your immune system activity when it’s overactive.
Why is this immunomodulating effect
Of medicinal mushrooms so important? When our bodies are exposed to an infection, virus, or disease that it needs to fight, our immune system ‘upregulates’ and becomes stronger in order to combat the infection. However, on the contrary, too much immune system activity can lead to a highly overactive immune system that cannot be properly regulated – this is the case in various autoimmune conditions. Maintaining a well-regulated and balanced immune system is crucial, especially in present times.
What are medicinal mushrooms?
Before we dive deeper into the topic of medicinal mushrooms and its countless benefits, effects, and powerful immune enhancing properties, let’s first clear the air – Medicinal mushrooms are NOT to be confused with mind-altering magic mushrooms! So, just before you contemplate running in the opposite direction at the mere mention of the word ‘mushrooms’, we highly encourage you to stay – trust us, you won’t regret it!
Medicinal mushrooms have been used in traditional and folk medicine as well as Eastern medicine for thousands of years, even since before recorded history. However, despite being around for thousands of years, medicinal mushrooms have only really gained significant traction and popularity in recent years.
While you can easily find medicinal mushrooms in a variety of different forms these days (taking into consideration how much we’ve evolved), including lattes and smoothies (and that’s merely scarting the surface), medicinal mushrooms are destined to be consumed in powder form and are not meant to be eaten whole or raw. The easiest and most convenient and popular way to get your medicinal mushroom fix is to simply add a spoonful of it to whatever is on the menu or what you’re whipping up at home. Be it your morning cup of brew, freshly squeezed blended smoothie, or a delicious veggie stir-fry – the options truly are endless, so go wild!
Medicinal mushrooms & the immune system
By far one of the greatest known superpowers of all medicinal mushrooms is their ability to help regulate the highly complex human immune system. Despite being celebrated as immune enhancers throughout history, every medicinal mushroom that has been researched and studied thus far has been shown to have profound immunomodulating effects.
All medicinal mushrooms contain powerful polysaccharides called beta-glucans. These beta-glucans found within medicinal mushrooms help regulate and balance the immune system as well as aid in fighting inflammation. According to author of the ‘The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America’ Robert Rogers, “Beta-glucans attach themselves to the receptor sites on the immune cells and activate them, allowing them to recognize cancer cells as ‘foreign’ and create a higher level of response”. For this reason, medicinal mushrooms are also regarded among the most commonly prescribed anticancer natural products with data from controlled clinical trials suggesting possible benefit in cancer treatment.
Benefits of medicinal mushrooms
While each medicinal mushroom is unique and provides its own distinct health advantages, medicinal mushrooms as a whole boasts a lengthy and equally impressive list of health benefits, some of which include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Helps to regulate and balance the immune system / Powerful immunomodulating effect
• Aids in fighting inflammation
• Promotes cardiovascular health | Aids in the management and promotion of optimal heart health | Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure and optimal circulation
• Supports brain health / brain booster
• Aids in the management of stress, anxiety & depression
• Helps to regulate hormones
• Antioxidant powerhouse
• Promotes increased energy levels
• Increases cognition, concentration, and memory
• Anticancer natural products resulting in possible benefit in cancer treatment
While medicinal mushroom’s powerful immune-boosting properties and incredible immunomodulating effects are undeniable, it is important to remember that these mushrooms are not a cure-all. Although medicinal mushrooms have been around for thousands of years, the studies surrounding it are still relatively new to the world of Western medicine. Instead of seeing these medicinal mushrooms as a cure, you should think of them as amazing sidekicks and powerful boosters for your immune system, or even as ‘mini-vaccines’ against stress, inflammation, infection, and so much more.
6 Mushrooms that act as turbo-shots for your immune system
As all medicinal mushrooms have remarkable immune enhancing properties and powerful immunomodulating effects, it is difficult to pick one above the rest with regards to being the most impactful in terms of immunity. Taking a medicinal mushroom blend has been found to be incredibly beneficial and helpful as each medicinal mushroom elicits tremendous benefits to the immune system.
While we can’t name just one, we thought it would be a great idea to share the top six medicinal mushrooms that act as turbo-shots and boosters for your immune system.
#1 Lion’s mane: Brain booster
Are you sick and tired of dealing with that all-dreaded brain fog day-in-and-day-out from the moment you wake up? Then lion’s mane is undoubtedly the perfect medicinal mushroom for you! Described as a feathery “pom-pom” mushroom due to its appearance, lion’s mane is the reigning champ of medicinal mushrooms when it comes to gaining natural mental clarity. Besides boosting and strengthening your immune system like most medicinal mushrooms, lion’s mane is jam-packed with tons of antioxidants. Beyond its immune-enhancing properties, lion’s mane is rare in the fact that it fosters the production of the bioprotein nerve growth factor (NFG) and myelin (an insulation around nerve fibres).
Both myelin and the bioprotein nerve growth factor (NFG) are absolutely vital to maintaining optimal brain health. So much so that an imbalance in myeline and NFG can contribute to the development of a range of neurological diseases and conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. In addition to its remarkable ability to support and promote brain health, lion’s mane has also been shown to improve cognition, increase concentration, and alleviate anxiety and irritability. Its therefore no surprise that lion’s mane is regarded as some SERIOUS brain food with some real far-reaching benefits!
Lion’s mane can help with:
• Natural mental clarity & brain fog
• Enhances cognition
• Increases concentration
• Improves memory
• Alleviate anxiety and irritability
• Boosts and strengthens the immune system
#2 Reishi: Takes the edge off
Referred to as nature’s Xanax, reishi is undoubtedly one of the most popular and widely used medicinal mushrooms. Beyond its immune-boosting benefits, what makes reishi so unique is its remarkable calming properties. Reishi’s calming properties can be attributed to the compound triterpene, which reishi has its fair share of. In addition to its beneficial calming effects, these mood-boosting compounds may alleviate anxiety, ease depression, and encourage better sleep.
Triterpenes’ positive effect on the nervous system don’t end there! Reishi also has the ability to promote healing, sharpen focus, aid in weight loss, keep the immune system regulated and in-check, and may even fiercely fight cancer cells. Reishi is one medicinal mushroom that may just be cable of doing it all!
Reishi can help with:
• Calming properties
• Alleviates anxiety & stress
• Eases depression
• Encourages better sleep
• Promotes healing
• Sharpens focus
• Aids in weight loss
• Keeps immune system regulated & in-check
#3 Shiitake: Promotes heart health
Shiitake is a medicinal mushroom that is particularly beneficial for the management, and promotion of heart health. Shiitake contains compounds that inhibit the absorption and production of cholesterol in the liver. It has thus been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. Shiitake also contains phytonutrients which aids in the prevention of plaque build-up, as well as plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy blood pressure and optimal level of circulation throughout the body.
Shiitake can help with:
• Aids in the management and promotion of optimal heart health
• Lowers cholesterol levels due to inhibiting the absorption and production of cholesterol in the liver
• Aids in the prevention of plaque build-up
• Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure and optimal circulation
• Boosts and strengthens the immune system
#4 Chaga: Antioxidant booster + Fights free radicals & inflammation
If you’re looking for the ultimate antioxidant powerhouse, chaga is the perfect medicinal mushroom for you! The fact that chaga is jam-packed with tons of antioxidants makes it an excellent contender for fighting free radicals and inflammation. Beyond its top antioxidant boosting and free radical fighting status, this dark black medicinal mushroom combats oxidative stress (which is linked to skin aging and a variety of other conditions), has been found to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (the “bad” cholesterol), and may prevent and/or slow the growth of cancer cells. While additional research is still required on chaga and its benefits, all signs point to this medicinal mushroom being good for you — inside and out!
Chaga can help with:
• Antioxidant booster
• Fights free radicals and inflammation
• Combats oxidative stress
• Lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
• May prevent and/or slow the growth of cancer
• Boosts and strengthens the immune system
#5 Cordyceps: Energy booster
Need a little pick-me-up? Cordyceps to the rescue! If you’re feeling low on energy or in desperate need of a pre-workout boost – Cordyceps is the ideal medicinal mushroom for you! Cordyceps is known to be incredibly stimulating, for both energy and the libido. Besides being the ultimate energy booster, cordyceps enhances blood flow throughout the body as well as helps the body utilize oxygen more efficiently. This Is especially beneficial for athletes or those who regularly work out as optimum blood flow and enhanced efficiency in oxygen utilisation results in optimal performance. In addition to improving athletic performance and exercise efficiency, cordyceps has also shown to speed up post-workout muscle recovery.
Cordyceps may help with:
• Boosts energy level
• Improves blood flow
• Aids the body in utilising oxygen more efficiently
• Enhanced athletic performance
• Supports/speeds up post-workout muscle recovery
• Boosts and strengthens the immune system
#6 Turkey tail: Helps fight cancer
While most of the medicinal mushrooms mentioned above exhibit anticancer properties due to their high amounts of antioxidants, turkey tail is the one medicinal mushroom that takes it one step further. What sets turkey tail apart is the fact that it contains a compound called polysaccharide-K (PSK) that stimulates the immune system. PSK is considered so effective in fact that it is an approved anticancer prescription drug in Japan. Turkey tail has been sown to improve the immune system of people receiving chemotherapy, improve the survival rate of people with certain cancers, as well as aid in fighting leukaemia cells. Irrespective of turkey tail’s incredible anticancer properties, it is highly recommended that you do not stop your prescribed cancer treatment without consulting your doctor.
Turkey tail can help with:
• Immune support / Support and strengthens the immune system
• Improve the immune system of people receiving chemotherapy / Cancer prevention
• Improve the survival rate of people with certain cancers
• Extremely high in antioxidants
