Medicinal mushrooms are finally getting their due. After thousands of years of research and application with incredible results, people are finally catching on that these adaptogenic gems offer so much of what is needed for our bodies to maintain good health. It’s time to pull back the curtain and roll out the red carpet for those highly revered plants, and check out the healing benefits of medicinal mushrooms.
Medicinal mushrooms nutritional profile
Medicinal mushrooms are one of the most dynamic and healing plants on the planet. Although not particularly high in any one vitamin and mineral, they possess a wide array of life promoting nutrients and other beneficial compounds that have truly remarkable healing properties.
Medicinal mushrooms (reishi, chaga, agaricus blazei, cordyceps, maitake, shiitake, and more) are primarily consumed through supplementation (capsules and powders) and tea, but have also been infused into chocolate and even coffee! No matter how you choose to take them, you receive the benefits of this highly medicinal family.
So what are the nutritional properties of medicinal mushrooms? Check out the following profile:
Good source of B-vitamins
Rich in potassium, niacin, calcium, magnesium, selenium, copper, and phosphorous
Rich in antioxidants
Excellent source of beta glucans, polysaccharides, and triterpenes
18% protein
Extremely antibacterial, viral, and fungal
At first glance, medicinal mushrooms may appear to be short on medicinal properties, but that would be very shortsighted as the true magic in these mushrooms comes from their antibacterial, viral, and fungal qualities; as well as their beta glucan, polysaccharide, and triterpene content.
Healing action of medicinal mushrooms
Due to its immune modulating properties, medicinal mushrooms have the ability to heal a wide variety of conditions, from simple to extreme. Some of these benefits include:
Balancing the immune system (strengthening a sluggish one, and calming an overactive one)
Reducing or eliminating allergies
Healing of tumours
Lowers blood sugar
Fights cancer
Reduces physical and mental stress
Reduces inflammation
Helps heal arthritis
Stimulates and protects the liver
Helps restore proper kidney function
Strengthens the cardiovascular system
Helps reverse skin disease
Helps heal digestive disorders
Medicinal mushrooms support the key areas of the body, namely the immune system and the liver, which when healthy will help support a strong attack on foreign invaders and properly detoxify you in our toxin filled world.
Medicinal mushrooms are also exceptional adaptogens, which means they nicely support your adrenals which is crucial to true health in todays stress filled world.
How to use medicinal mushrooms in your diet
Many medicinal mushrooms have a very bitter taste, and don’t do well in food applications. An exception to this would be shiitake, which can be used as a compliment to many dishes.
Most medicinal mushrooms can be enjoyed through tea, but the majority of people will consume them through capsules and superfood powders and elixirs. You can blend them into your smoothies, mix them with other superfoods to make potent medicinal hot beverages, and you can also get them in certain chocolates.
Once you tap into the healing benefits of medicinal mushrooms, you’ll never go back to any other herb again.
Derek Henry
Derek Henry, Founder of Healing the Body and the THRIVE Academy, used nutrition, supplementation, and a holistic lifestyle to naturally unravel 13 chronic disease conditions that conventional or alternative medical professionals couldn't help him resolve. As a result of this one-in-a-million health transformation and the knowledge acquired in the process, he now educates, coaches, and inspires others to transform their health through a natural and holistic approach. Since 2014, he has helped his THRIVE Academy participants heal over 20 different chronic disease conditions, primarily related to digestive and autoimmune concerns.
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