Medicinal mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms that are used as medicine. They have been used to treat infection for hundreds of years. Today, medicinal mushrooms are also used to treat lung diseases,cancer and a wide range of diseases. For more than 30 years, medicinal mushrooms have been approved as an addition to standard treatments in Japan and China. In Asia, there are more than 100 types of mushrooms used to treat various healht conditioons. The Key Medicinal Compound in Mushrooms: Beta-Glucans. Functional mushroom benefits are derived from their active compounds, which are found in abundance in the mushroom (fruiting body) itself, and less so in the mycelium. The most important of the key compounds in fungi are called beta-glucans, and they offer a host of health benefits. Current research shows that beta-glucans’ most important benefit to our health is to modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. Additionally, they can help control blood sugar, improve feelings of fatigue, and increase overall endurance. They’re also shown to benefit those with cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes. In some cases, beta-glucans can have a positive effect on malignant conditions based on their ability to increase certain immune cells that increase autophagy. Also, consider that medicinal mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with varieties like reishi, shiitake, maitake, lion’s mane, turkey tail, and cordyceps being the most revered for their powerful health benefits. TCM practitioners still use medicinal mushrooms to treat a host of different ailments and health conditions.  Some of the more common ones are Ganoderma lucidum (reishi), Trametes versicolor or Coriolus versicolor (turkey tail), Lentinus edodes (shiitake), and Grifola frondosa (maitake). Mushrooms are being studied to find out how they affect the immune system and if they stop or slow the growth of tumors or kill tumor cells. It is thought that certain chemical compounds, such as polysaccharides (beta-glucans) in turkey tail mushrooms, strengthen the immune system to fight cancer. Link to article, click her and her!