Marvelous Medicinal Mushrooms

You might be eating those marvelous medicinal mushrooms already, that little fungus that we enjoy in our dressings, gravies, salads, with dips and in our favorite recipes are more than just culinary delights. Frightened of them? Don’t be! The remarkable world of fungi brings us several that are proven around the world to be invaluable in natural medicine as well as proven tasty treats.

Let us begin by looking at mushrooms in general. Most of you who took a science class are aware that mushrooms are really in a category by themselves, and are classified as fungi. Each fungus is a unique organism, as they are not quite plants. They have no chlorophyll and no root systems. They are more like us in that they breathe the same way, using oxygen and giving back carbon dioxide. The enzymes they produce break down, or digest, vegetative matter to use as food, making them an excellent planetary recycler. Some mushroom types actually form a symbiotic relationship with a living plant. Not all fungi are good, obviously, as we can see from athlete’s foot and Candida problems. So there are different classes within the fungi family. To avoid boring you, I won’t go into that much detail here, because it could be a year long class all by itself. Now that you understand a little of the basic origin, let’s move on to what mushrooms can do for you.

Mushrooms have been used for untold centuries as food and medicine. Some were considered valuable enough to be used in place of currency. There are many legends and stories that involve mushrooms, and there are even deities around the world that are related in some way to the more precious mushrooms. In many Eastern cultures particularly, mushrooms have been revered as the tonics for long life and youthfulness. No one knows for sure exactly when mushrooms started being looked at medicinally, but what we do know today is that many mushrooms show a marked ability to assist the body in healing from some of our most complex and damaging ailments, such as cancer, AIDS, diabetes, heart disease, and many others. While most of us associate the use of mushrooms in medicine as something tied only to ancient Oriental medicine, the fact is that the native peoples of each region made use of the various fungi that were plentiful in their areas. Fungi in healing are mentioned as far back as Hippocrates, the recognized Father of Medicine, right around 450 B.C. Certainly ancient Chinese texts go back much further than that.

In food use, there are many vital nutrients available from mushrooms in general. It has been shown that eating mushrooms, either alone or in recipes, will assist in blocking sugar in the body, a valuable action for diabetics and those suffering from pancreatic problems. Most mushrooms that are used in culinary and medicinal recipes are good sources of selenium, potassium, and copper. They are also a rich source of riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid – an important group from the B complex family of vitamin. Mushrooms are one of the highest sources of niacin in the “vegetable” category (I know they don’t belong there, but tell the grocers that!). They are low in calories and high in protein, amino acids, and fiber.

In those mushrooms that are generally recognized medicinally as immune stimulants, an active constituent known as polysaccharides are present that are very similar to those found in our popular immune-stimulating medicinal herbs, such as Echinacea and Astragalus. Polysaccharides have been shown to increase our white blood cells’ abilities to deal with invading germs. They have also been shown to have the ability to suppress implanted tumor cells in laboratory research.

As with any medicinal herb, rarely is a mushroom used alone as the only healing agent. Often mushrooms are combined with known herbs, or are combined with other mushrooms, for the most effective treatments. This really isn’t something the lay person should guess at, rather, you should visit with a qualified natural health practitioner to match up what you need to your medical history and your ailment, regardless of whether you are dealing with herbs or mushrooms or both. That said, let’s move on to look at the big three in the news today. These are by no means the only medicinal mushrooms to use, although with their overlapping medicinal uses, they do make a wonderful combination for many instances.

Since there are so many mushrooms and related medicinal fungi, with more research being done each and every week, in this article I will concentrate on the three that you most likely are familiar with in some form if you have ever perused the aisles of your local health food establishment. Read on to explore a few tidbits about Maitake, Shiitake, and Reishi as we expand your knowledge of natural medicines.

Maitake

Grifola frondosa

This medicinal mushroom is pronounced my – tah – key. It has been in use for centuries around the world, as it is found in several countries. Several Native American tribes made use of this fungus for their healing and nutritional needs. Amongst them, it was often referred to as “hen of the woods”, probably due to the way this mushroom looks. The Japanese named it for “dancing butterflies” which is what “maitake” is said to mean in the older form of the language.

Medicinal Uses of Maitake

Maitake has been shown to reduce blood pressure, to raise the HDL cholesterol numbers, and to retard or inhibit tumor cell growth, as well as act as a digestive aid. In ancient Chinese medicine texts, it has been reported to have been used for treating spleen and stomach ailments, calming the nerves and mental aspects, and for treating hemorrhoids. Traditionally it has been used to treat cancer, and has shown abilities to lessen the negative effects of chemotherapy treatments. Research is showing that it does indeed help to balance blood sugar, making it an important addition to diabetic treatments. When used for this purpose, careful monitoring of insulin needs of each individual is required. Dr. Jim Duke points out that high blood pressure and diabetes often are present together, so the use of maitake may be a very good tonic for such patients.

Maitake has been shown to have anti-viral, anti-tumor, immunostimulant, and anti-diabetic activities. It is tonic and adaptogenic. These qualities and the research carried out thus far have shown that it has great possibilities in treating HIV/AIDS as well as other autoimmune diseases. An extract of maitake has been shown in veterinary research to activate the cells that kill cancer cells. The wise practitioner would of course combine this mushroom with others as well as with similar acting traditional herbs to facilitate the best treatment for the patient of the complex ailments such as these. No adverse effects have been noted with the use of Maitake, although use during pregnancy and nursing has not been studied.

Reishi Mushroom

Ganoderma lucidum

This mushroom is usually pronounced “ree shee”. In Chinese Traditional Medicine it is usually referred to as “Ling Zhi”, which means something like “spirit plant”, and is considered to be in the most elite class of natural medicines. It is rare in the wild, and only in recent times has a method been developed to cultivate this rare jewel. Even 4000 years ago, it was considered precious enough that only emperors and their courts were given reishi on a regular basis for medicinal purposes. This is not usually a mushroom that you find available for culinary use.

Medicinal Uses of Reishi

Reishi has been shown to be a very good overall tonic for many chronic ailments. It has also found a use in treating anorexia, liver ailments such as hepatitis, ulcers, and reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure (hypertension). Its antihistamine actions make it a good choice in long-term treatment of allergies, and has been effective in treating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and nervous and adrenal exhaustion. Reishi is also seen as a partner in treating cancers and immune system difficulties. Climbers rely on it for its ability to squelch altitude sickness. It is especially useful for treating all ailments of the respiratory system. A protein in reishi may also be effective in preventing organ transplant rejection. As a heart treatment, reishi has been noted to be particularly effective in preventing and treating arrhythmia. It improves blood flow to and through the heart, giving more oxygen where it is most needed and therefore easing angina pain.

It is adaptogenic, anti-tumor, anti-viral, antibacterial, hepatic, tonic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, immunostimulant, immunoregulatory, cardiotonic, diuretic, laxative, sedative, and antioxidant. Reishi has few negative effects, but over the long term can thin the blood so caution should be exercised if you are on blood-thinning medications or herbal preparations. Its safety during pregnancy and nursing have not been studied. It is usually cooked for at least an hour before ingestion, not because it is bad raw, but because it is rather woody and difficult to chew or digest.

Shiitake Mushroom

Lentinula edodes

Shiitake, pronounced “she – tah – key”, is a very widely cultivated shroom. It is very popular in culinary recipes as well as in the pharmaceutical department. It is a valuable source of protein in many cultures, and contains all eight of the essential amino acids, making it a suitable meat replacement. This little nutritional wonder is mentioned as far back as the 14th century as an effective treatment for lowered “qi”, or life energy.

Medicinal Uses of Shiitake

Shiitake mushroom has been used to treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as it contains an active constituent that actually speeds the liver’s cholesterol-eliminating abilities. It has been shown to stimulate immune system function, and a compound within, a polysaccharide identified as “lentinan” has been shown to be an effective cancer-fighting constituent in Japan. Research and application has shown that lentinan stimulates the body’s natural immune cells to destroy tumor cells. Lentinan is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy. Studies have also given us insight into this mushroom’s uses in treating HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, as well as candida and all other immunosuppressive diseases. Shiitake is considered to be antiviral, anti-tumor, antifungal, immunostimulant, antiparasitic, anti-allergenic, and cardiotonic.

Shiitake has very few negative effects. Over long-term use it can thin the blood, so caution should be exercised if you are on blood-thinning drugs or herbal combinations. A few rare cases have been reported of people who develop contact dermatitis from direct skin contact with the fresh mushroom.

One other mushroom of note is the Lions Mane Mushroom, you should read about  is here on our website, just click here.

Spiritual Uses of Mushrooms

There is not a lot of information on this subject . But there are many references to a tribe or a culture using mushrooms in a spiritual manner, but little actual information. I have read that there are several gods and goddesses around the world that were appeased with offerings of various kinds of mushrooms, and there were more than one or two named for their particular fungus, such as the goddess Reishi. Quite obviously the hallucinogenic mushrooms were often used by spiritual leaders, shamans, and tribal medicine people for religious and healing purposes. But reliable accounts of actual spiritual and religious use are a bit sketchy still. Perhaps by the next time I write about mushrooms I will have uncovered further information that can be verified.

Growing Mushrooms

Growing your own mushrooms can be a happy little hobby, or it can, please pardon the pun, mushroom into a thriving business. As each type of mushroom needs something a little different, rather than writing a very long section here trying to cover all of the basic needs, I’m going to suggest here that you search the internet, as there are many how-to pages out there, many available books, also there are back issues of Mother Earth News that have articles on this subject. There are also many businesses that can set you up with your own starter kits. A word to the wise here – if you are using mushrooms to treat a stubborn or complicated ailment, you will probably need the mushshroom in quantities larger than you can produce on your own, at least at first. So first find yourself a good source of the bulk mushroom, and use those you grow for culinary experiments until you get the hang of it all. Shiitakes are the easiest of the above to grow, and one of the tastiest.

*The information and products on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information on this an other pages on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult your medical professional before starting or consuming any holistic or natural products.