Top Health Benefits Of Medicinal Mushroom Supplements
Over the last few years, a lot of research studies have been conducted in a bid to uncover and back up the claims on their numerous health benefits. The promising findings have led to the huge growth in the demand for high-quality medicinal mushroom supplements.
Said to have been consumed by ancient Egyptians to lengthen life, medicinal mushrooms have enjoyed widespread consumption in some cultures around the world, mainly in Asia for thousands of years. At present, hundreds of mushroom species are being studied by scientist across the world for their healing benefits.
To help you make an informed decision on whether you should purchase these natural supplements, here’s everything you need to know about the main health benefits of medicinal mushrooms.
What Are Medicinal Mushroom Supplements?
Medicinal mushroom supplements are simply just that, health-boosting edible extracts made from these natural wonders. And while medicinal mushrooms do not have the same features as plants, like roots, green leaves or even seeds, they are packed full of natural health-boosting compounds.
For starters, all mushrooms are capable of boosting your immune system thanks to their beta-glucans. Simply put, beta-glucans are known for their ability to boost the immune system and fight inflammation.
Secondly, mushrooms have been found to contain lectins. These natural compounds are known for their unique ability to identify cancer cells, before preventing them from multiplying.
There are thousands of different mushroom species all over the world; however, only a handful have been found to have medicinal benefits backed by research findings, including Shiitake, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Cordyceps, Reishi Mushroom and Turkey.
While research on other species is still ongoing, when shopping for high-quality medicinal mushroom supplements, you are bound to encounter one or more of the above varieties.
Medicinal Benefits
Read on to find out more about the main health benefits of medicinal mushrooms.
Immune System Boost
You can enhance the performance of your immune system with medicinal mushroom supplements. Your immune system works tirelessly day and night, to keep you free of diseases by fighting off microbes, foreign objects and cancer cells among others. However, this busy system can slow down especially as the years go by and you age.
Medicinal mushroom supplements can boost your body’s ability to fight off disease and infections by promoting the production of specific components of the immune system. For instance, research findings show that Chaga mushrooms can increase the number of white blood cells specifically known for fighting off anything the immune system considers to be a danger to your health.
Shiitake mushrooms, one of the most studied varieties in the world, have been found to help boost the body’s ability to fight off cancer cells, thus improving the quality of life and extending survival.
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Powerful Antioxidants
Taking medicinal mushroom supplements can help you reap the many advantages of countering free radicals in the body. Free radicals present in the body can cause extensive cell damage, leading to ageing and health-related issues. Numerous mushroom species have been found to contain various powerful antioxidant compounds.
One of the most popularly known dietary and medicinal mushrooms, Reishi, has been found to contain powerful antioxidant properties known to counter free radicals in the body. Chaga, another medicinal mushroom has also been found to have similar properties.
Cordyceps, another type of medicinal mushrooms, have been found to not only increase the level of antioxidants in the body but also activate the body’s natural antioxidants.
Brain Health
To keep your brain healthy, its neurons need to re-generate and continue transmitting electrical signals as efficiently as possible. A medicinal mushroom referred to as Lion’s Mane does exactly that thanks to its high protein content at 20 per cent.
This specific mushroom is rich in compounds known to activate a protein which plays a huge role in the regeneration, maintenance and survival of the neurons in your brain.
You can use this Lion’s Mane medicinal mushroom supplement to improve your brain’s short-term memory as well as its ability to recognize objects or people you have seen or encountered before.
Improved Stamina
Enhanced physical performance can help you increase the duration and intensity of your workouts and hence boost your overall health and fitness. Cordyceps have been found to help increase the supply of oxygen-rich blood all over the body by simply dilating or expanding the size of the aorta, the artery that supplies your body’s entire circulatory system.
Furthermore, Cordyceps contain adenosine, a compound that is known to promote the production of ATP in the body. ATP is the main source of energy at the cellular level.
Blood Sugar Level Management
For those who struggle to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, you will be glad to learn that medicinal mushrooms can help with the management of blood sugar levels. Cordyceps have been found to contain powerful compounds that can help you maintain balanced blood sugar levels.
This parasitic fungus has also been found to help prevent complications in kidney function associated with unhealthy blood sugar levels. In a study on mice, Cordyceps not only helped reduce blood sugar levels but also effectively helped maintain normal renal/kidney function; thus preventing the occurrence of one of the most common complications linked to diabetes.
Why Choose Medicinal Mushroom Supplements
While it is possible for you to reap the above health and wellness benefits of medicinal mushrooms by simply consuming the varieties described above, it is recommended that you choose a high-quality medicinal mushroom supplement instead.
Otherwise, you run the risk of consuming poisonous mushroom species, especially if you choose to source for them on your own in the wild. While grocery stores are a great place to source fresh mushrooms, especially the more popular and delicious varieties including Lion’s Mane and shiitake, the most potent varieties are quite bitter in taste.
Top quality medicinal mushroom supplements are not only made of healthy and edible mushroom varieties, but also come in unique and well balanced mixtures meant to ensure that you get to reap a generous combination of the above-described health benefits, with zero adverse effects.
