Mushrooms
Mushrooms: The Foundation of Life
For millennia, mushrooms have been used as staple sources of food and medicine. Recently, with modern scientific breakthroughs, we now know just how important these ancient traditions truly are. Mushrooms just may be the key ingredients to long term, full-body health.
Mushrooms are adaptogens. They must be taken regularly over a long period of time in order to receive any noticeable benefits. It is also important to incorporate a dose of soluble vitamin C with your mushroom medicines. This helps the absorption of polysaccharides, increasing bioavailability. The easiest and most potent way to ingest medicinal mushrooms is in traditional double extracted form. The double extraction is necessary because it unlocks both the water-soluble (polysaccharides) and alcohol soluble (terpenoids and phenolics) components, making a full-spectrum medicine. It is also easy to make medicinal teas simply from chunked dried mushrooms. Cooking gourmet mushrooms in food can prove to be very beneficial as well. We invite you to start enjoying mushrooms today and everyday for a lifetime of good health.
Extensive Health Benefits of Mushrooms
A Quick Reference
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum/-G. Tsugae): The Queen of Adaptogens, also known as the Mushroom of Immortality.
• Cardiovascular Support– Balances cholesterol, decreases LDL oxidation, supports normal blood flow, and encourages blood vessel pliability.
• Adrenal Support– Decreases excess cortisol production, promotes healthy stress response and healthy sleep cycles, protects against oxidation for external and internal stress.
• Immunity Booster– Modulates and balances immune function as it; calms a hyperactive immune response, and acts as an anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-cell mutation.
• Liver Toner– Protects liver cells from oxidative damage, regulates cholesterol metabolism and enhances phase II liver detoxification.
Lions Mane (Hericium erinaceus): A neurological and cognitive restorative.
• Memory and Cognition Aid– Improves long and short-term memory recall, improves cognition. Possible applications in dementia, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, low cognitive function, and age-related cognitive decline.
• Neurological Stimulant– Stimulates nerve growth factors and may regenerate myelin sheath and neurological tissue. Possible applications in MS, Parkinson’s, traumatic nerve injury, and neuropathies.
• Stomach Support– Counteracts ulcers, tumors. Possible application as a gastro-protective.
Turkey Tail (Trametes veriscolor): The natural killer cell supercharger
• Immunity Booster– Used as an anti-tumor, anti-cell mutation, anti-metastasis, anti-microbial, anti-viral, and as a prebiotic.
• Liver Toner– Increases phase II liver detoxification. Protects against oxidative damage
• Health Partners– Works best with other medicinal mushrooms, especially Reishi, Maitake, Chaga and Shiitake
Chaga (Inonotus obliquus): The King of Medicinal Mushrooms, also known as the immune boosting champion.
• Intestinal Support– Antioxidant protection for intestinal lumen. Possible applications in Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, leaky gut syndrome and diverticulitis/diverticulosis.
• Lung Support– Antioxidant protection for lung tissue and alveoli. Possible applications in COPD, adult asthma, bronchial infections and long-term smokers.
• Skin Toner– Antioxidant protection and immune modulator, effective in fighting oxidative stress and anti-aging. Possible applications in psoriasis and cell mutations.
• Full System Tonic– Rich in vitamins and minerals like B-complex, vitamin D, potassium, fiber, copper, selenium, zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium. Helps in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Supports the immune system with regulating the production of cytokines. Fights inflammation throughout the body.
Maitake (Grifola fondosa): A blood sugar and immune system regulator.
• Blood Sugar Regulator– Improves insulin resistance by enhancing uptake of insulin into cell receptor sites. May restore sensitivity to dulled insulin receptor sites. May normalize pancreatic secretion of insulin. Possible applications in diabetes II, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.
• Immune Support– Counteracts breast, liver, lung prostate and colorectal tumors.
Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinesis): A lung tonic and energy enhancer.
• Respiratory Support– Increases oxygen in blood, relaxes bronchial musculature, and thins mucus in the lungs. Possible applications with COPD, bronchitis, altitude sickness and respiratory infections.
• Energy Booster– Increases ATP, blood oxygenation. Anti-fatigue booster. Possible applications for athletes, chronic fatigue, and anyone who needs clean healthy energy.
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes): An immunity booster that supports heart health.
• Immune Power– Packed full of vitamins (especially B and D), minerals and enzymes. Assists the micro-biome, reduces inflammation, is anti-microbial, and inhibits tumor and cancer cell growth.
• Cardiovascular Health– Contains a high level of phytonutrients that help keep cells from sticking to blood vessel walls and forming plaque buildup, which maintains healthy blood pressure and improves circulation.
• Energy and Brain Function– Balances hormones with B vitamins, which help support adrenal function and turn nutrients from food into usable energy, increasing cognition.
Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus): Cholesterol reducer and nerve tonic.
• General Health– Containing 8 essential amino acids, vitamin C and iron this mushroom is a wonderful antioxidant. Contains high levels of lovastatin, a well-known pharmacological agent that treats high cholesterol.
Birch Polypore: (Fomitopsis betulina): Cancer-killing medicine from Birch Tree host.
• General Health– Makes a wonderful immune tonic as it contains polysaccharides, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-septic properties. Contains the antibiotic piptamine, which has been used to treat e-coli.
• Cancer Support– Contains substantial amounts of butyric acid, which destroys cancer cells without affecting healthy cells.
For further information we recommend the following books:
• Myco Medicinals, by Paul Stamets
• The Fungal Pharmacy, by Robert Rogers
• Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide, by Martin Powell.
• Healing Mushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Mushrooms for Whole Body Health, by Tero Isokauppila