Mushroom Supplements - A Complete Guide
How can Mushrooms Benefit your Health?
We all know that eastern medicine and other things use different plants and fungi as an essential components. It is also seen that a lot of ancient remedies also have mushrooms as an essential part of medicines and supplements. This is because mushrooms are packed with essential nutrients. They are low in calories and filled with vitamins, proteins, calcium, riboflavin, and many other nutrients.
Mushrooms also have many medicinal properties, such as antibacterial qualities, boosting the immune system, helping lower cholesterol, and many other properties. Today we will talk about 4 common mushrooms used in supplements, so let's jump into the article and look at them.
4 Mushrooms Commonly Used in Supplements:
Today the mushrooms we will talk about are Reishi, Lion mane, Chaga, and Turkey tail. We will look at the usage of these mushrooms and their benefits. So, let's dive into the article.
Reishi
Another name for the Reishi mushroom is Ganoderma lucidum and lingzhi. This fungus is commonly found in hot and humid climates, and you can commonly find it in different parts of Asia. These mushrooms have many molecules that can benefit human health, especially triterpenoids, peptidoglycans, polysaccharides, and many more.
Eating Reishi by themselves is beneficial; however, you can powder them and add different supplements to enhance their efficiency. Below are the main benefits of Reishi mushrooms that you can get.
Boosting Immune System:
Reishi's first and most significant health benefit is that it enlaces the immune system. Through research, it is seen that mushrooms can affect the genes in the white blood cells, which are one of the essential parts of the immune system.
According to an observation, it was also seen that the cancer patients who were taking mushrooms had to increase white blood cell activity. In such patients, the natural killer cells could attack the cancer cells and kill them on a small scale. Another study should show that the Reishi mushroom helped grow white blood cells. Hence, Reishi mushrooms boost the immune system's activity in different ways.
Anti-Cancer Properties:
As discussed above, the Reishi mushroom has shown a positive effect in the treatment of cancer patients. It is seen that about 59% of cancer survivors around the world have consumed Reishi in their dirt. Other than this, it also has the property of killing cancerous cells.
Reduces Fatigue:
It is also seen that using Reishi can help with fatigue. People who suffer from aches, pain, and dizziness can consume this mushroom, and they will see a massive difference in their health.
Lion's Mane
Lion's Mane is another mushroom that has proven beneficial for human health. Another name for Lion's Mane is hou tou gu or yamabushitake, and the reason people call it Lion's Mane is because it resembles the lion's Mane. There are many uses for Lion's Mane, and it can be eaten raw, cooked, dried, and in many other ways. However, it is very commonly found in over-the-counter health supplements.
Following are some of the significant benefits of Lion's Mane.
Helps with Dementia:
Dementia is a common problem in older people, as the brain loses its ability to grow cells and form proper connections. However, lion's Mane has two compounds, hericenones and erinacines, that can stimulate brain cells' growth, preventing dementia.
It is also seen that because of this property of Lion's Mane, it is also used by people with Alzheimer's as it protects people from forgetting things.
Reduces Anxiety and Depression:
Depression and anxiety are common disorders faced by people all over the world. If you are someone who faces anxiety or depression on a daily basis, including Lion's Mane in your diet can be beneficial.
According to the researcher, Lion's Mane helps with inflammation in the body and brain, hence decreasing the levels of anxiety and depression.
Chaga
Chaga mushrooms are commonly found in Siberia and have been used in medicines and supplements for a very long time. They are very good as antioxidants and work great as immunity boosters. Other than this, there are many other benefits of the Chaga mushrooms, so let's look at them.
Reduces Inflammation:
Since Chaga are packed with antioxidants, they play an essential role in reducing inflammation. Inflammation is a common problem that can happen in our digestive system due to improper diet and irritable bowel syndrome. But it is seen that Chaga fights off the harmful bacteria and reduces the inflammation in the gut.
Lowers Blood Sugar:
For people suffering from insulin resistance, or Type 2 Diabetes, Chaga can be very beneficial for their health. Chaga has the potential to decrease blood levels and improves the production of insulin in the body..
Balancing Cholesterol:
It is also seen that Chaga was able to help in balancing the cholesterol levels in the body. Chaga has a lot of antioxidants; hence they help in decreasing cholesterol. Furthermore, it also helps in decreasing the chances of getting heart disease.
Turkey Tail
Another famous mushroom that is found in supplements all over the world is turkey tail. There are a lot of impressive qualities of turkey tail, and the following are the main properties.
Antioxidants:
Antioxidants are found in turkey tail and therefore help tackle different problems in the body. Increased oxidative stress can cause multiple cancers and heart diseases; however, antioxidants reduce oxidative stress and protect the body from diseases.
Immunity Boosters:
Turkey's tails also are known to be a fantastic immunity booster. They have protein bounded polysaccharides that help with the body's immunity. They activate the immune cells and suppress inflammation in the body. Furthermore, it also helps fight infections and bacteria in the body.
Conclusion:
This was a quick discussion on the health benefits of mushrooms. However, there are many other benefits of these mushrooms, but the ones mentioned above are prominent. This is why these mushrooms are commonly used in supplements and for health benefits.