5 Best Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushrooms have always been a thing of intense interest among food lovers. It has also been a hot topic in the holistic medical world as well. Mushrooms can be located in various parts of the world. They are healthy yet tasty at the same time. They are served in many restaurants. They can sometimes make great medicine for patients with various illnesses. Mushrooms contain a lot of nutrients, but some mushrooms are healthier than others.
Here are the top 5 best medicinal mushrooms that you can find easily:
Chaga:
Chaga mushrooms are not much when it comes to appearance. But it is full of vitamins. This king of mushrooms usually grows near birch trees. It looks like a dense black bulbous mass that kind of looks like burned charcoal on the outside with a soft brown material on the inside. Although it may not look very delicious, it has been used as a medicine in Russia and Asia.
Chaga grows in cold temperatures. Cold countries are the best places for Chaga mushroom to grow. They also grow in northern Canada and Alaska. They usually grow on birch trees infected with the nontoxic parasitic fungus Inonotusobliquus. The Chaga and the trees have an interesting relationship. If the trees are dying or if they get splintered the Chaga mushroom can help them heal according to the Price-Pottenger Journal of Health and Healing.
The same thing can be true with people. Many years ago the indigenous Siberian people would use the Chaga mushroom in teas and soups, and it helped them fight many diseases. This mushroom can boost your stamina and help you have a longer life span. Scientists have observed that using Chaga can help against cancer.
The Siberian people often have lived for longer periods of time than people in other parts of the world. They have lived up to 90 to 110 years. But the Inuit people who live in a similarly cold environment usually only live to about 50 years old. Chaga is used on different diseases in many parts of the world. In Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe some even considers Chaga as a medicine for cancer.
The Ojibwa in northern Canada use it as medicine for tumors, and in Korea, people often use it as an anti-stress agent, and it is also used to help boost memory and energy. It is also known to cure many skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. In the east of Europe it is used to cure many lung diseases.
Shiitake:
Many doctors say that the shiitake is one of the healthiest mushrooms in the world. It is also one of the most popular. These mushrooms have been used as a medicine and food in Asia for hundreds of years. They are very tasty and healthy. They are also full of vitamins B in particular. It helps you fight against cancer and diabetes; two very deadly diseases. It is also helps stop infections of many kinds.
The mushroom also helps you keep your blood sugar level in check. Shiitake mushrooms are known to help get rid of extra weight. A study in the journal of obesity shows rats that ate this mushroom lost weight, especially after eating high fat foods. Another thing about shiitake is that it has B gluten and soluble dietary fiber. It has demonstrated to have increase satiety, lowered the meal intake and also it delayed nutrition absorption. Not only that but it also decreased plasma lipid levels. This means you will feel full but you will eat less. Another 2015 study in American College of Nutrition shows that when 50 or more people who have taken shiitake mushroom as foods it increased their health promoting portions of their bodies. The mushroom also helps against acidity and keeps our stomach very healthy.
Another study shows that this mushroom decreases tumor growth and helps fight cancer cells.
Reishi:
This mushroom has many different names in many different countries. These mushrooms are very healthy and tasty. They can be used as a flavor on teas or soups or they can also be found on capsule form as well. This mushroom has strong immune boosting properties. They help you fight many diseases. Whether you have cold or stomachache this mushroom can be a great help especially to diabetes patients. It also helps you fight cancer. Many studies show that cancer patients undergoing chemo benefited greatly from this mushroom. This mushroom helps fight stress and anxiety. This mushroom also helps you keep your blood pressure under check. It keeps your heart healthy. It helps you fight many heart related diseases.
Lion’s Mane:
This mushroom known as lion’s mane has many other names like bearded tooth mushrooms or pom pom mushrooms. This mushroom can be found in Europe, North America and Asia. This mushroom is very famous for its healthy properties. A study in 2012 shows that rats with severe brain injuries demonstrated that the rats received complete recovery from their injuries due to the effect of the mushroom. The mushroom has great regeneration ability that is not commonly found anywhere else.
Cordyceps:
Cordyceps are usually found in high mountain areas like the Himalayas in china. This makes these mushrooms very rare. And also these mushrooms also grow on caterpillars which is another interesting fact and another thing that makes them rare and harder to collect.
These mushrooms are full of vitamins and necessary minerals that keep your energy high during times of need. It helps you against stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety although many people don’t think are a big issue but they can lead to depression and other mental conditions. This mushroom also helps keep your heart healthy. It protects your heart against much deadly disease likestroke or chest pain etc. This mushroom also boosts your immune system by a great deal which as a result protects your body against many other sickness and diseases.
These mushrooms are also very healthy for cancer patients and diabetes patient. They also help you get a good sleep. These mushrooms can be taken with tea or soup. As an added bonus they taste great as well.