September 10, 2024

Mushrooms for vitality

Elizabeth Houston - Higher Nature Nutritional Therapist - Dip BCNH mbant mCNHC

It seems that everyone is talking mushrooms at the moment.

Although there is nothing new about using mushrooms for medicinal purposes, it seems they have burst on to the wellness scene with a flurry of exciting health claims.

Let’s have a look at what the research is telling us about the potential powers of these incredible fungi.

Mushrooms serve as a primary source of unique nutrients that can enhance health. Although common edible mushrooms, such as chestnut, portobello and button, provide various benefits such as a source of vitamins D and B, amino acids and copper, other less common varieties, such as Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps, provide multiple essential nutrients and health-promoting compounds. They also have properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immune regulating and may help mental health.

Research into medicinal mushrooms has really expanded in the last few years and the huge range of benefits are so exciting. Mushrooms have been used in medicine as far back as the stone age and in many different regions from Egypt to China, there is even evidence that the Vikings took mushrooms before battle.

Each mushroom provides unique compounds so it can be confusing knowing which to choose, this is why we thought it necessary to formulate a supplement with a high strength blend of the most well researched mushrooms to provide the widest variety of unique bioactive compounds from 8 different mushrooms in one convenient product.

We’ve called it Mushroom Vitality, let’s look at some of the benefits, although this list does not cover all potential benefits and uses, it does provide an overview of the most well researched and exciting.

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) has attracted considerable attention during the past 10 years for its potential to improve mental alertness. There have been some impressive studies showing an improvement in short-term memory. A recent review of human studies found Lion’s Mane supplements resulted in an enhancement of mood and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults.

Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) comprise one of the most valuable traditional Chinese medicines. Cordyceps are used to treat a wide range of ailments but is best known for improving energy. Studies indicate cordyceps can improve exercise endurance and support energy, performance, and vitality. Cordyceps may have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. In addition, Cordyceps may play a part in balancing the immune response - as it has demonstrated the potential to both increase and suppress immune activity.

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushrooms have been widely studied and found to have a variety of bioactive components that promote several beneficial effects on health such as anti-microbe and anti-oxidant and even potentially anti-tumour properties.

Allergy sufferers may benefit from Reishi mushrooms’ immunomodulating abilities. Using Reishi mushrooms could potentially regulate the immune system and suppress allergic reaction. This could be helpful for those suffering with allergy symptoms such as hay fever.

Chaga, (Inonotus obliquus) powder has a long history of traditional use for medicinal purposes. In ancient times it was even used to make mystical future forecasts. Today we know it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Maybe even more exciting is Chaga mushroom shows potential in helping those with type 2 diabetes. Some research shows chaga reduced fasting blood glucose levels and improved insulin resistance.

Snow fungus, (Tremella fuciformis), this mushroom shows exciting potential for helping protect the skin from UV damage. That’s not all for its potential skin benefits as there is emerging support for its use for Atopic dermatitis. Evidence shows it can alleviate the pathological severity of atopic dermatitis and taking it orally rather than topically led to improvement on skin water loss and thickening. It is thought this is partly due to the effects the mushroom has on the gut microbiome.

Oyster, maitake, shiitake, these mushrooms have similar properties, they all have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, and their prebiotic fibres help beneficial bacteria flourish. They are also a source of a special type of fibre called beta glucans. Beta glucans found in mushrooms are small enough that they can bind directly with immune cells which then supports immune activity.

Many of these mushrooms are considered adaptogens as they primarily work by affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis), which influences stress-fighting hormones including cortisol. This is why they are thought of as the ‘go to’ for people with stressful lifestyles.

Given the detection of more than 400 unique-to-mushroom compounds in medicinal mushrooms, we’ll look forward to further targeted investigations on the potential health benefits.

Mushroom Vitality Key Points & Benefits: