Mushrooms contain some of the most powerful natural medicines on
the planet. About 100 species are being studied for their
health-promoting benefits, and about a half dozen really stand
out for their ability to deliver a tremendous boost to your
immune system
Nine recently presented studies on mushrooms detail a wide
variety of health benefits, including: improved weight
management, improved nutrition, increased vitamin D levels, and
improved immune system function
One of the active medicinal compounds found in Cordyceps has
been identified as a potential cancer drug. More recent studies
suggest it also has potent anti-inflammatory characteristics
that may be helpful for those suffering from: asthma, rheumatoid
arthritis, renal failure, and stroke damage
It's important to eat ONLY organically grown mushrooms because
they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in. Mushrooms are
known to concentrate heavy metals, as well as air and water
pollutants, so healthy growing conditions is a critical factor
Mushrooms that can help boost the nutrient content of your diet
include: shiitake, reishi, cordyceps, turkey tail, and
Himematsutake
By Dr. Mercola
Mushrooms contain some of the most potent natural medicines
on the planet. Of the 140,000 species of mushroom-forming fungi,
science is familiar with only 10 percent, according to
world-renown mycologist
Paul Stamets, who has written six books on the topic.
About 100 species of mushrooms are being studied for their
health-promoting benefits. Of those hundred, about a half dozen
really stand out for their ability to deliver a tremendous boost
to your immune system.
It's important to eat only organically grown mushrooms
because they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in — good
OR bad. This is what gives mushrooms their potency. Mushrooms
are known to concentrate heavy metals, as well as air and water
pollutants, so healthy growing conditions is a critical factor.
While it may sound strange, we're actually more closely
related to fungi than we are to any other kingdom, as we share
the same pathogens, meaning bacteria and viruses.
As a defense against bacterial invasion, fungi have developed
strong antibiotics, which also happen to be effective for us
humans. Penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline all come from
fungal extracts.
The Many Health Benefits of Mushrooms
The FASEB Journal recently published nine studies on
mushrooms that were also presented at Experimental Biology 2013,
which detailed a wide variety of health benefits,1
including:
Weight management: One study2,
3 found that substituting red meat with white
button mushrooms can help enhance weight loss. Obese
participants with a mean age of just over 48 years ate
approximately one cup of mushrooms per day in place of meat.
The control group ate a standard diet without mushrooms.
At the end of the 12-month trial, the intervention group
had lost an average of 3.6 percent of their starting weight,
or about seven pounds. They also showed improvements in body
composition, such as reduced waist circumference, and
ability to maintain their weight loss, compared to the
control group.
Improved nutrition: One dietary
analysis4
found that mushroom consumption was associated with better
diet quality and improved nutrition.
Increasing vitamin D levels through your diet:
Consuming dried white button mushroom extract was
found to be as effective as taking supplemental vitamin D2
or D3 for increasing
vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D).5
Improved immune system function: Long
chain polysaccharides, particularly alpha and beta glucan
molecules, are primarily responsible for the mushrooms'
beneficial effect on your immune system. In one study,
adding one or two servings of dried shiitake mushrooms was
found to have a beneficial, modulating effect on immune
system function.6
Another study done on mice found that white button mushrooms
enhanced the adaptive immunity response to salmonella.7
Parasitic Fungi Showing Promise for Immune Disorders and Cancer
Cordyceps, also called caterpillar fungus or Tochukasu, is a
favorite of athletes because it increases ATP production,
strength and endurance, and has anti-aging effects.8
This parasitic mushroom is unique because, in the wild, it grows
out of an insect host instead of a plant host. It has long been
used within both traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine.
It has hypoglycemic and possible antidepressant effects,
protects your liver and kidneys, increases blood flow, helps
normalize your cholesterol levels, and has been used to treat
Hepatitis B.
Cordyceps has antitumor properties as well. Scientists at The
University of Nottingham have been studying cordycepin, one of
the active medicinal compounds found in these fungi,9
and the one identified as a potential cancer drug. More recent
studies suggest it also has potent anti-inflammatory
characteristics that may be helpful for those suffering from:
Asthma
Rheumatoid arthritis
Renal failure
Stroke damage
A question that was begging for an answer was how
cordycepin could produce so many different beneficial effects at
the cellular level. Researcher Dr. Cornelia de Moor told
Medical News Today:10
"We have shown that cordycepin reduces the expression
of inflammatory genes in airway smooth muscle cells by
acting on the final step in the synthesis of their messenger
RNAs (mRNAs) which carry the chemical blueprint for the
synthesis of proteins.
This process is called polyadenylation. Commonly used
anti-inflammatory drugs either work much earlier in the
activation of inflammatory genes, such as prednisone, or
work on one of the final products of the inflammatory
reaction (e.g. ibuprofen).
These findings indicate that cordycepin acts by a
completely different mechanism than currently used
anti-inflammatory drugs, making it a potential drug for
patients in which these drugs don't work well.
However, it is a surprise that cordycepin does not affect
the synthesis of mRNAs from other genes, because nearly all
mRNAs require polyadenylation."
According to Dr. de Moor's research, the mechanism
responsible for cordycepin’s many varied effects may stem from
its ability to alter the synthesis of many classes of rapidly
induced genes that help counteract inflammatory genes, thereby
slowing down otherwise rapid cellular responses to tissue
damage. It may also help prevent over-activation of inflammatory
responses.
“However, it also indicates that cordycepin could
have adverse effects on normal wound healing and on the
natural defenses against infectious diseases,” the
featured article states.11
“Dr. de Moor said: 'We are hoping to further
investigate which genes are more dependent on
polyadenylation than others and why this is the case, as
well as test the effect of cordycepin on animal models of
disease. Clinical testing of cordycepin is not in our
immediate plans, as we think we first have to understand
this drug in more detail before we can risk treating
patients with it.'"
Foragers, Beware of Toxic Mushrooms
An November 2012 article in The Atlantic12
highlighted recent cases of lethal food poisonings related to
eating wild mushrooms, and the need for caution when foraging
food:
“Of the over 10,000 species of mushrooms, only about
50 to 100 are toxic. About 6,000 Americans each year end up
eating them. Over half of those cases involve unsupervised
small children. So if you're considering treating that
special person in your life to a wild mushroom-based dish,
take the following into consideration: Over 90 percent of
deaths, including these most recent ones, are caused by
amatoxins.”
As mentioned in the article, the North American Mycological
Association13
offers critical information on a number of toxic mushrooms and
the symptoms they cause, including those for amanitin
(amatoxins), which is one of the most serious:
Stage 1: A latency period of 6 to 24 hours after
ingestion, in which the toxins are actively destroying the
victim's kidneys and liver, but the victim experiences no
discomfort.
Stage 2: A period of about 24 hours characterized by
violent vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and severe abdominal
cramps.
Stage 3: A period of 24 hours during which the victim
appears to recover (if hospitalized, the patient is
sometimes released)
Stage 4: Relapse, during which kidney and liver failure
often occurs, leading to death. Patients may also "bleed
out" and die due to the destruction of clotting factors in
the blood. There may be more than one relapse.
Warning: If you have any reason to suspect
that someone has ingested an amanitin-containing mushroom,
DON’T WAIT for symptoms to appear! There is no antidote for
amanitin poisoning, and the best hope is to rush the person
to the hospital where the toxins can be removed before being
fully absorbed into the body.
It's also important to eat ONLY organically grown mushrooms
because they absorb and concentrate whatever they grow in — good
OR bad. This is what gives mushrooms their potency, for better
or worse. Mushrooms are known to concentrate heavy metals, as
well as air and water pollutants. One way to know what you’re
getting is to grow your own. You can find a variety of DIY
garden kits available online,14
which will eliminate any questions about what kind of mushroom
you’re picking.
Improving Your Nutrition with Mushrooms
Two years ago, I interviewed Steve Farrar, who worked and
studied mushrooms professionally for the last 30 years. The
first 20 years he spent growing them and working primarily with
gourmet chefs, but in the past decade, he's started applying his
expertise of mushrooms to health purposes. According to Farrar,
Americans consume about 900 million pounds of mushrooms a year,
but 95 percent of that is just one species: the common button
mushroom and its relatives, the Crimini and the Portabello
mushrooms.
Granted, the button mushroom is an excellent low-calorie
food, especially for diabetics. It contains a number of valuable
nutrients, including protein, enzymes, B vitamins (especially
niacin), and vitamin D2. However, there are many other types of
mushrooms worthy of consideration if you want to improve your
diet. I’ll review a few of my favorites below. Farrar's focus
has been on growing various gourmet mushroom species,
particularly the wood decaying mushroom species, which differ
greatly from your average button mushroom in terms of biology,
nutrition and medicinal value.
Mushrooms are excellent sources of antioxidants in general as
they contain polyphenols and selenium, which are common in the
plant world. But they also contain antioxidants that are unique
to mushrooms. One such antioxidant is ergothioneine, which
scientists are now beginning to recognize as a 'master
antioxidant.' Interestingly, it's an amino acid that contains
sulfur, and if you listened to
my interview with Dr. Seneff on the highly underestimated
importance of sulfur, you may recognize why this particular
antioxidant may be of particular importance for human health, as
many are severely deficient in sulfur.
A previous study in the journal Nature15
discusses the importance of ergothioneine, which is fairly
exclusive to mushrooms, describing it as "an unusual
sulfur-containing derivative of the amino acid, histidine,"
which appears to have a very specific role in protecting your
DNA from oxidative damage. With that in mind, it becomes easy to
see how mushrooms may be an important part of an optimal diet.
If you don't like to eat them whole, you can also find them in
supplement form, either as an extract or whole food supplement.
Examples of Mushrooms to Add to Your Diet
A few of my favorite health-enhancing mushroom species
include:
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes):
Shiitake is a popular culinary mushroom used in dishes
around the world. It contains a number of health-stimulating
agents, including lentinan, the polysaccharide for which it
was named. Lentinan has been isolated and used to treat
stomach and other cancers due to its antitumor properties,
but has also been found to protect your liver,16
relieve other stomach ailments (hyperacidity, gallstones,
ulcers), anemia, ascites, and pleural effusion.
One of the more remarkable scientific studies
demonstrating shiitake's antitumor effect was a Japanese
animal study,17
where mice suffering from sarcoma were given shiitake
extract. Six of 10 mice had complete tumor regression, and
with slightly higher concentrations, all ten mice showed
complete tumor regression.
Shiitake mushrooms also demonstrate antiviral (including
HIV, hepatitis, and the "common cold"), antibacterial, and
antifungal effects; blood sugar stabilization; reduced
platelet aggregation; and reduced atherosclerosis.18
Shiitake also contains eritadenine, which has strong
cholesterol-lowering properties.19
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum):
Reishi is known as Lingzhi in China, or "spirit plant." It's
also been called "Mushroom of Immortality" — a nickname that
kind of says it all. Reishi has been used medicinally in
Asia for thousands of years. One of its more useful
compounds is ganoderic acid (a triterpenoid), which is being
used to treat lung cancer,20
leukemia and other cancers. The list of Reishi's health
benefits21
includes the following
Reduction of prostate-related urinary symptoms in
men
Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor):
Turkey Tail is also known as Coriolis, or "cloud
mushroom." Two polysaccharide complexes in Turkey Tail are
getting a great deal of scientific attention, PSK (or
"Kreskin") and PSP, making it the most extensively
researched of all medicinal mushrooms with large scale
clinical trials.
A seven-year, $2 million NIH-funded clinical study in
2011 found that Turkey Tail mycelium improves immune
function when dosed daily to women with stage I–III breast
cancer. Immune response was dose-dependent, with no adverse
effects. PSP has been shown to significantly enhance immune
status in 70 to 97 percent of cancer patients.22
Turkey tail is also being used to treat many different
infections, including aspergillus niger, Candida albicans,
E. coli, HIV, Herpes, and streptococcus pneumonia, and is
hepatoprotective. It may also be useful for chronic fatigue.
Himematsutake (Agaricus blazei):
Himematsutake, also called Royal Sun Agaricus, is a
relative of the common button mushroom. Himematsutake was
not cultivated in the East until fairly recently but is now
a very popular natural medicine, used by almost a half
million Japanese.
Himematsutake mushroom is attracting many scientists
worldwide due to its remarkable anticancer properties23
related to six special polysaccharides. Like many other
medicinal mushrooms, this fungus can also protect you from
the damaging effects of radiation and chemotherapy. But its
benefits don't stop there — Himematsutake may also help
decrease insulin resistance in diabetics, normalize your
cholesterol, improve your hair and skin, and even treat
polio.
Usage and Dosage Recommendations for Mushroom Supplements
When it comes to mushroom supplements, there are two primary
types:
Mushroom concentrates or extracts —
Most of these are so-called hot water extracts, where either
the mushroom mycelia — the fruit body — is boiled for
extended periods of time to extract the long chain
polysaccharides. The end product is a concentrated form of
glyconutrients (complex sugars) thought to be responsible
for many of the health benefits of the mushroom.
Whole food/raw mushrooms — Consuming
the mushrooms raw or using a whole food mushroom (powdered
pill) product is generally a better alternative if you're
reasonably healthy and looking to maintain optimal health,
as they help maintain ideal function of your various systems
as opposed to imparting a direct effect. Most of the
knowledge about mushrooms come from ancient Chinese medicine
where mushrooms are regarded as tonics. Tonics are
considered to have non-specific beneficial effects across
several systems of your body that do not decline over time.
As mentioned earlier, if you choose to eat your mushrooms
raw, make sure they are organically grown, as their flesh easily
absorbs air and soil contaminants. Likewise, you'll want to make
sure any product you buy is certified organic for the same
reason. In addition to valuable nutrients, whole mushrooms also
provide healthful dietary fiber that acts as prebiotic platforms
for the growth of probiotic organisms in your gut, which is very
important for digestive health. This is yet another reason to
opt for a whole food mushroom product.
Adding Mushrooms Is a Simple Way to Boost Your Health Through
Your Diet
With all the evidence supporting mushrooms as little
powerhouses of potent nutrition, I highly recommend adding some
to your diet. They’re an excellent addition to any salad and go
great with all kinds of meat and fish. “Let food be thy
medicine” is good advice indeed, and with mushrooms that is
especially true, as they contain some of the most powerful
natural medicines on the planet.
Just make sure they’re organically grown in order to avoid
harmful contaminants that mushrooms absorb and concentrate from
soil, air and water. Also, avoid picking mushrooms in the wild
unless you are absolutely sure you know what you’re
picking. There are a number of toxic mushrooms, and it’s easy to
get them confused unless you have a lot of experience and know
what to look for. Growing your own is an excellent option and a
far safer alternative to picking wild mushrooms.