Mushrooms have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years by early Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Chinese, and Mexican civilizations. Medicinal mushrooms are macroscopic fungi and are part of the group that also contains yeasts and molds. Fungi are organisms that live on dead matter found in soil or on plants, animals, or other fungi. (1)
Health benefits of medicinal mushrooms are diverse and include antibacterial, antidiabetic (blood sugar lowering), antifungal, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antiviral, antitumor, cardiovascular (heart heath), antihypercholesterolemic (cholesterol lowering), detoxification, hepatoprotective (liver protective), immunomodulating, and radical scavenging (antioxidant) effects. (2)
The broad spectrum of health benefits of medicinal mushrooms is due to minerals, vitamins, and key active compounds such as beta-D-glucans, triterpenoids, and ergosterol. Beta-D-glucans are polysaccharides (chains of sugar molecules), which are found in mushroom cell walls and are of interest because they are responsible for the immunomodulatory (meaning they help either to up regulate or down regulate the immune system based on what the organism needs) and antiinflammatory properties of mushrooms. (1, 3)
Below is a quick guide to a three powerful medicinal mushrooms.
1. Chaga
Inonotus obliquus, commonly known as chaga has been used for medicinal purposes since the 12th century in Eastern Europe. Chaga mushroom is a black-brownish fungus that is most commonly found growing on birch trees in the Northern Hemisphere. (4)
Chaga has the ability to support the immune system and has also been shown to have antitumor, antioxidant, antiviral, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antifatigue effects (5, 6). Its antiviral properties have been shown to inhibit hepatitis C virus and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (4). The chaga mushroom may also play a role in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s (7).
2. Reishi
The reishi mushroom, or Ganoderma lucidum has a shiny reddish cap, which is its main identifying feature. Reishi has been used for its health benefits in China for more than 2,000 years. Some of the medicinal properties of reishi are anticancer effects, antibacterial and antiviral properties, antioxidant, blood sugar control, immune system modulation, and liver protection. (8)
Reishi may also be helpful in supporting the detox system. In a 2016 study, when reishi was added to the feed of broiler chickens fed a diet contaminated with a mold toxin called aflatoxin, the negative effects of aflatoxin where counteracted with a diet containing reishi (9). Additionally, reishi may be helpful in reducing damage due to radiation exposure (10).
3. Shiitake
Shiitake, or Lentinula edodes has been grown in East Asia for thousands of years and used worldwide both as a food source and as medicine. The shiitake mushroom has a large umbrella-shaped cap that is dark or brown in color. This mushroom has been shown to have antioxidant, antitumor, antiaging, antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, and antihypercholesterolemic effects. (11, 12)
In a 2015 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 52 healthy human males and females, aged 21-41 years, had improved immune function markers and lower inflammation levels after four weeks of daily consumption of either 5 or 10 grams of shiitake mushrooms (13).
For therapeutic purposes medicinal mushrooms are available in several forms, including as powders, capsules, or liquid extracts. For those brave enough (it’s an acquired taste!) medicinal mushrooms can also be prepared into teas.
References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4056650/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25179726/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34202377/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29484963/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8124789/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24049493/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18997282/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/#ch9_sec9
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27669305/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32325828/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33940295/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29345560/
13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25866155/
Disclaimer: this post is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease. Please do your own research and consult with your own personal licensed health care provider before making any treatment decisions.