How Do Medicinal Mushrooms Work? Everything You Need to Know
How Do Medicinal Mushrooms Work
In recent years, medicinal mushrooms and their use have been rediscovered in the United States. Many entrepreneurs and famous icons are backing and pushing for mushroom-based supplements and products, claiming nearly miraculous health benefits.
Mushrooms are currently being studied for a plethora of medical uses. Research has established that medicinal mushrooms have more than 130 medical functions. More are being researched and discovered as scientists continue pushing the envelope on mushrooms' practical and medicinal use.
There are many different types of mushrooms. We eat some, we avoid some, and some harmless mushrooms have no practical use. Often, when we think of mushrooms, we might think of these three types:
- Edible mushrooms — Like the white button mushrooms you get from the store.
- Poisonous mushrooms — Such as the notorious death cap mushroom that has up to a 50% chance of killing those who consume it.
- Shrooms — An infamous variety of mushrooms used as recreational drugs.
Of course, there is more to mushrooms than how they fit or don’t fit in these categories. There are tens of thousands of mushrooms and over a hundred ways our health can improve by consuming them.
What Makes Medical Mushrooms So Useful?
Medicinal mushrooms have many benefits. Of the approximate 140,000 mushrooms that exist, almost 2,000 are edible, many of which have medicinal properties.
A lot of the benefits from mushrooms happen at the molecular level. Our bodies need vitamins, minerals, and proteins to support regular functions. Mushrooms can provide these essential nutrients to regulate blood sugar, detox our blood, prevent disease, and much more.
Some of the most significant chemicals mushrooms contain are:
- Polysaccharides
- Triterpenoids
- Indole Compounds
- Polyphenols
- Carotenoids
- Proteine
- Sterols
- Statins
Only some mushrooms contain all of these compounds. Like vegetables, different mushrooms have different balances of molecules. Consuming a wide variety of mushrooms can help you attain the chemicals your body needs to maintain a healthy and positive balance.
Polysaccharides
Mushrooms contain high amounts of polysaccharides. These molecules are sugars that the body can break down and make into energy.
In addition to the unique benefits mushroom components have regarding the function of the human body, polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates. As such, mushrooms are a great source of energy that doesn’t dramatically increase your blood sugar levels. As a result, eating mushrooms can help you feel more awake and capable.
Beta-glucan molecules
One of the most notable polysaccharide compounds in mushrooms is the beta-glucan molecule. This molecule can be derived from other fungi, but the way it forms in mushrooms makes it far more potent.
The beta-glucan molecules in mushrooms increase healthy gut bacteria while decreasing unhealthy bacteria. They can also reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, control cholesterol levels, and can help treat diabetes.
Proteoglycans
Our bodies are a complex system of chemicals and natural processes that allow us to move, grow and adapt. One component of how our body works is how our muscles and skin remain hydrated and recover from stress.
One of the minor components of our system that supports muscle function, growth, and recovery is a group of chemicals called proteoglycans. These molecules work with your body to strengthen tissue and cartilage, lending them strength and elasticity.
Chitin
The second most common polysaccharide found in nature next to glucose is chitin. Chitin is a structure that makes up the hard exoskeletons of crustaceans and bugs. When ingested, it can boost immune responses, help gut flora, and act as an antioxidant.
Triterpenoids
A useful group of chemicals found in mushrooms is known as triterpenoids. These are commonly used to reduce inflammation, reduce pain, control fevers, reduce damage to the liver, and strengthen the heart. They may also be used as a sedative.
Indole Compounds
Indole compounds are currently being studied for their ability to prevent cancer and also play a role in helping your gut maintain a healthy balance of microbes. These compounds are commonly found in mushrooms and vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale.
Indoles can also act as a detoxification agent in the gut and liver, thus assisting with staving off cancers.
Polyphenols
Another group of chemicals commonly found in mushrooms is polyphenols. These chemicals also act as antioxidants. Their effects are similar to those of indole compounds.
Carotenoids
Some mushrooms have health benefits comparable to carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and other foods high in carotene. Carotenoids act as antioxidants, just like polyphenols and indole compounds.
Antioxidants help remove free radicals from the body, reducing long-term harm caused by aging. This includes the harmful effects of UV rays, as UV rays are known to help initiate the formation of free radicals in the skin.
Proteins
Proteins are an energy source and a fuel source. They are essential for maintaining muscle and bones. Mushrooms can be a source of protein, making them a great food for vegetarians.
While mushrooms do not compare with the amount of protein you can get from animal meat on an ounce-per-ounce basis, they can be a great way to supplement protein intake.
Sterols
If you deal with issues relating to cholesterol, mushrooms can be an excellent food to eat that will help you maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.
Traditionally, most diets recommend fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and some lactose products to help maintain good sterol levels. However, mushrooms have come to be seen as a food with high sterol content.
Statins
Another way to control cholesterol is through the use of statins. Medications using statins reduce the cholesterol your liver produces and releases into your bloodstream.
Increasing your intake of statins can reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Mushrooms are a viable source of lovastatin, a chemical in the statin family that can lower high cholesterol levels.
What Are Medicinal Mushrooms Good For?
How do all the nutrients, chemicals, and other microstructures interact with the human body? This is where we start to explore the medicinal uses of mushrooms.
In recent years, observations have confirmed over a hundred different uses of mushrooms for medicinal purposes. Although mushrooms have near-miraculous capabilities, they are not necessarily a cure-all, nor is there one mushroom that can produce all the miraculous effects discovered.
A healthy diet mixed with mushrooms and mushroom supplements can help maintain health and reduce the ill effects of diseases, bad genetics, and poor nutrition. Here are some of the most notable characteristics scientists have discovered about mushrooms.
Many mushrooms have the following properties:
- Antitumor
- Immunomodulating
- Antioxidant
- Radical scavenging
- Cardiovascular
- Antihypercholesterolemia
- Antiviral
- Antibacterial
- Antiparasitic
- Antifungal
- Detoxification
- Hepatoprotective
- Antidiabetic
Here is what you need to know about these various properties.
Antitumor
Relating to cancer, mushrooms have been discovered to help stop tumor growth. On top of this miraculous property, mushrooms can complement chemotherapy and radiation therapy by countering the ill effects of cancer.
Cancer treatments can cause nausea, reduce bone marrow suppression, and anemia. They can also weaken the immune system. Many mushrooms have components that fight these side effects, making life easier for cancer patients being actively treated.
As a treatment for cancer, mushrooms can limit the spread and growth of tumors and reduce the severity of the side effects of cancer treatments.
Immunomodulating
The immunomodulating properties of mushrooms relate to the ability of mushrooms to both stimulate and suppress the immune system
While not much research has been conducted on the ability of some mushrooms to suppress the immune system, many studies have proven that mushrooms boost the immune system's effectiveness.
Mushrooms stimulate and activate the immune response in the body, encouraging and supporting natural systems used to fight off disease and infection. These findings are revolutionary in treating chronic diseases such as AIDS and supporting the compromised immune systems of cancer patients undergoing therapy.
Antioxidant, Radical Scavenging, and Detoxification
Free radicals are elements that—on an atomic level—must pair with other molecules. A common and corrosive free radical is oxygen. The effects of oxidization are most noticeable in metals where oxidization changes or breaks down the chemical makeup of the metals, such as iron or copper.
When free radicals are created by natural body processes or enter your body, either through ingestion of food, the intake of oxygen, or exposure to UV rays, they seek to attach themselves to the organic structures of your body. This creates a harmful long-term effect and can lead to serious conditions such as cancer.
Mushrooms contain chemicals that will pair with free radicals. Once these chemicals pair, your kidneys and liver can filter them out of your bloodstream and into your waste.
Cardiovascular and Antihypercholesterolemia
For reasons not entirely understood, mushrooms help lower cholesterol levels.
Observations on high-cholesterol individuals revealed that an increased intake of beta-glucans—one of the most prevalent polysaccharides in mushrooms—helps to lower cholesterol significantly.
Beta-glucan polysaccharides are found prevalently in mushrooms, oats, barley, and yeast cell walls. Adding mushrooms to your diet could help improve your cholesterol and cardiovascular health.
Antiviral, Antibacterial, and Antiparasitic
Mushrooms support your immune system. The polysaccharide-rich mushrooms add beta-glucan to your diet, which can stimulate innate immune cells. When you are sick, adding beta-glucans to your diet can signal the cells in your immune system to activate and start fighting off infection.
Chemicals regulate the responses in your immune system. Once the different cells of your immune system detect certain hormones and other chemicals, they activate and begin to fight off dangerous microorganisms.
In addition to boosting your immune system, some polysaccharides exhibit antibacterial and antiviral effects. When microorganisms invade your body, the polysaccharides in some mushrooms can attach themselves to the organisms, inhibiting them from growing and multiplying.
Antifungal
Chemical extracts from mushrooms have been tested for their ability to deter the growth of other fungi. Discoveries relating to mushrooms' antifungal properties can change the food and health industries.
Using mushroom extracts, compounds can be created that inhibit the growth of fungi on surfaces where these compounds are applied. In medicine, these mushroom extracts can combat candida species of fungi, the fungi that cause yeast infections.
Hepatoprotective
Being hepatoprotective means it supports and protects the liver and its functions. Mushroom compounds are capable of helping protect livers against internal and external toxic compounds.
Your liver filters toxins from your body; sometimes, these toxins can damage the liver. Mushroom compounds can support liver function and assist in neutralizing free radicals and other toxins from the blood and body.
Antidiabetic
Mushroom terpenoids can have positive effects on individuals with diabetes. Their effects can act as insulin sensitizers or chemicals that help regulate blood sugar levels. Mushrooms can potentially assist in treating diabetes in other ways, but this use to help regulate blood sugar is a breakthrough in diabetic treatment.
Which Medicinal Mushrooms Are Widely Used?
Not all mushrooms with medicinal properties can be sold or affordably attained in the United States. The importation and use of some species of mushrooms are currently illegal. However, many health benefits discovered in mushrooms can be gained through the consumption of many different species attainable in the United States.
The most commonly used medicinal mushrooms are:
- Lions Mane
- Chaga
- Turkey Tail
- Shiitake
- Reishi
- Phenllinus
- Poria
- Oyster
- Tremella
- Maitake
- Cordyceps
These mushrooms can be effortlessly obtained in grocery stores or as powdered supplements online or at special locations.
Lion’s Mane — Hericium Erinaceus
- Nerve Growth and Support
- Cognitive Impairment
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Diabetes
- Inflammation
- Depression
- Hypolipidemia
- Colon Cancer
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Erinacin
- Erinacin A
- Eranacin C
- Hericenones
- Thiamine
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Manganese
- Zinc
- Potassium
The compounds extracted from Lion’s Mane can support your nervous system. These compounds can help support and grow nerve cells. Although there are additional health benefits from using Erinacin, these compounds are commonly used to treat neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive impairment.
Lion’s mane has seen success in mitigating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and can help to slow the spread of colon cancer.
Chaga — Inonotus Obliquus
- Inflammation
- Viruses
- Immune Disorders
- Diabetes
- Cancers
- Hypolipidemia
- Liver Diseases
- Arthritis
- Blood Pressure
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Chaga Polysaccharide
- B Complex Vitamins
- Vitamin D
- Potassium
- Rubidium
- Cesium
- Copper
- Selenium
- Zinc
- Iron
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Calcium
Chaga mushrooms are powerful antioxidants. These mushrooms work with your liver and kidneys to filter free radicals from your body. The long-term effects of doing this lower your risk of developing cancer. Its anti-inflammatory features also help treat arthritis and blood pressure.
The polysaccharides in Chaga mushrooms effectively treat cancers and type 2 diabetes. The research for this is still in development, but these mushrooms are promising.
Turkey Tail — Trametes Versicolor
- Chemotherapy and Radiation Side effects
- Immune disorders
- Leukemia
- Viruses
- Liver Diseases
- Inflammation
- Ulcers
- Appearance of Aging
- Cognitive impairment
- Gut Health
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Polysaccharide Krestin
- Polysaccharide Peptide
- YZP Protine
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin D
Turkey Tail is one of the most commonly used medicinal mushrooms.
One of its most notable properties is its ability to bolster the immune system. Turkey Tail contains polysaccharides that activate inert immune cells, encouraging them to fight off infection. One such protein is known as YZB. This protein found in Turkey Tail can activate B cells, which helps your body develop antibodies against infections.
Patients undergoing treatment for chemotherapy and radiation can be relieved of side effects such as nausea, bone marrow loss, anemia, and a weakened immune system.
Shiitake — Lentinus edodes
- Cholesterol
- Inflammation
- Prostate Cancer
- Gastric Cancer
- Immune Disorders
- Antimicrobial
- Appearance of Aging
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Lentinan
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Copper
- Selenium
- Thiamin
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Folate
- Potassium
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Phosphorus
Shiitake mushrooms contain lentinan, a chemical that provides a massive boost to your immune system. This chemical activates T cells and NK cells, boosting your body’s ability to fight infection and cancer.
Lentinan also works as an anti-inflammatory and can help alleviate the pain caused by inflammatory diseases.
Reishi — Ganoderma lingzhi
- High Blood Pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Liver and Kidney Diseases
- Viruses
- Ulceration
- Hypoglycemia
- Immune Disorders
- Cancers
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D2
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Selenium
- Iron
- Zinc
- Copper
Chinese tradition named Reishi mushrooms the “mushroom of immortality” because of its many health benefits. Reishi mushrooms support the immune system and are very helpful for heart conditions.
Phenllinus — Phellinus Igniarius
- Inflammation
- Immune Disorders
- Antioxidative
- Fungal Infections
- Cancers
- Diabetes
- Liver Diseases
- Neurological Disorders
- Cognitive Impairment
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Thiamin
- Riboflavin
- Ascorbic Acid
- Vitamin D
Phenllinus mushrooms have extensive anticancer applications. Many compounds can be extracted to fight cancers, such as:
- Melanoma
- Colon Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Lung Cancer
Additionally, its organic compounds support and boost your natural immune system.
Poria — Wolfiporia Extensa
- High Cholesterol
- Inflammation
- Immune System Suppression
- Diabetes
- Bacterial Infections
- Liver and Kidney Support
- Cancers
- Antioxidative
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Vitamin C
The medicinal uses of Poria make it very similar to other mushrooms. It has many anticancer capabilities, treats inflammation, and acts as an antioxidant. Another feature is its ability to repress certain parts of the immune system, which can benefit people with overactive immune systems.
Poria also has significant capability to support your liver. Compounds drawn from Poria mushrooms have been used to treat diseases like hepatitis.
Oyster — Pleurotus ostreatus
- Cardiovascular health
- High Cholesterol
- High Blood Pressure
- Immune Disorders
- Diabetes
- Antioxidative
- Inflammation
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B5
- Potassium
- Folate
- Thiamin
Oyster mushrooms are good for the heart and blood circulation system. The polysaccharide compounds found in Oyster mushrooms help promote a healthy heart, good blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels.
Tremella — Tremella fuciformis
- Inflammation
- Wound Healing
- Antioxidative
- Appearance of Aging
- Radiation
- Diabetes
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin D
- Potassium
- Phosphorus
- Iron
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Manganese
One of the most attractive abilities of Tremella mushrooms is their ability to help with skincare. The components found in the chemical structure of Tremella mushrooms support your skin, making it tighter to reduce the look of aging, helping it retain moisture, and allowing it to heal and remain clear.
Maitake — Grifola frondosa
- Cancers
- Diabetes
- Cholesterol
- Cardiovascular Health
- Immune Disorders
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- D-fraction — GFP
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Riboflavin
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Copper
Maitake mushrooms have remarkable applications in treating cancers. These mushrooms are capable of slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells altogether. These mushrooms also have the potential to help people who struggle with chronic low blood sugar levels.
Cordyceps
- Cancers
- Inflammation
- Antioxidative
- Fungal Infections
- Blood Clots
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Immune Disorders
- Appearance of Aging
Compounds, Vitamins, and Minerals:
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin K
- Copper
- Zinc
- Manganese
One crucial thing to know is that Cordyceps is not technically a mushroom, although they are often used with mushrooms in medicinal practices.
Cordyceps is a different type of fungus that has many medical uses. This includes supporting the immune system and the cardiovascular system, treating diabetes, and assisting in preventing respiratory illnesses such as asthma.
How Medicinal Mushrooms Differ From Shrooms
“Medicinal mushroom” is used loosely to describe mushrooms with properties that can heal or accelerate health benefits. According to this definition, psychedelic mushrooms, known most commonly as shrooms, can be considered medicinal.
Those familiar with mushrooms and their diversity know they can be used for medicinal purposes. There are more than 140,000 different types of mushrooms. Only a small percentage of mushrooms have psychedelic effects. But some characteristics of shrooms set them apart from medical mushrooms.
What are Shrooms?
The term “shroom” typically refers to a group of mushrooms containing psilocybin. This chemical turns into psilocin upon ingestion and creates psychotic effects, the experience commonly known as a “trip,” where reality and hallucinations become indistinguishable.
Some of the more famous varieties of mushrooms used for their psychedelic effects are:
- Magic Mushrooms (Gold Caps) — Psilocybe Cubensis
- Liberty Caps — Psilocybe Semilanceata
- Blue Meanies — Panaeolus Cyanescens
- Flying Saucers — Psilocybe Asurescens
These mushrooms can be used for medical purposes and have been known to have many medical uses for those with mental conditions and facing grave circumstances.
Shrooms and psychedelics may treat severe conditions such as PTSD and depression. The notorious “trips” you can have when taking shrooms and psychedelics can potentially help rewire the brain, fixing some symptoms of PTSD and depression.
As the treatments are still experimental, the use of shrooms for treating mental conditions is strictly limited only to authorized professionals.
Psychedelic mushrooms, as in all things with medicinal purposes, have the potential to be harmful and even lethal if used in excess. This is why they are considered a controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
How Medical Mushrooms Are Different From Shrooms
In truth, there isn’t much of a distinction between medical mushrooms and shrooms, as shrooms can be considered medicinal mushrooms. The distinction, then, is mainly on the legality of the mushroom.
It is not hard to get medicinal mushrooms. They are safe to use and have many health benefits. Shrooms, on the other hand, are considered a controlled substance. Possessing, selling, and transporting controlled substances is considered a crime.
For our purposes, we consider medicinal mushrooms to be mushrooms with healing effects that are legal to buy, sell, and possess, and safe to consume.
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