Substantial Health and wellness Impacts from EatingMushrooms

Mushrooms contain some of the most potent natural medicines on the planet. Of the 140,000 speciesof mushroom-forming fungi, science is familiar with only 10 percent, according to world-renownmycologist Paul Stamets, who has written six books on the topic.

About 100 species of mushrooms are being studied for their health-promoting benefits. Of thosehundred, about a half dozen really stand out for their ability to deliver a tremendous boost to yourimmune system.

It's important to eat only organically grown mushrooms because they absorb and concentratewhatever they grow in � good OR bad. This is what gives mushrooms their potency. Mushroomsare known to concentrate heavy metals, as well as air and water pollutants, so healthy growingconditions is a critical factor.

While it may sound strange, we're actually more closely related to fungi than we are to any otherkingdom, as we share the same pathogens, meaning bacteria and viruses.

As a defense against bacterial invasion, fungi have developed strong antibiotics, which also happento be effective for us humans. Penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline all come from fungalextracts.

The Many Health Benefits of Mushrooms

The FASEB Journal recently published nine studieson mushrooms that were also presented atExperimental Biology 2013, which detailed a widevariety of health benefits,1 including:

Weight management: One study2, 3 found thatsubstituting red meat with white button mushroomscan help enhance weight loss. Obese participants with a mean age of just over 48 years ateapproximately one cup of mushrooms per day in place of meat. The control group ate a standard dietwithout mushrooms.

At the end of the 12-month trial, the intervention group had lost an average of 3.6 percent of theirstarting weight, or about seven pounds. They also showed improvements in body composition, suchas reduced waist circumference, and ability to maintain their weight loss, compared to the controlgroup.

Improved nutrition: One dietary analysis4 found that mushroom consumption was associated withbetter diet quality and improved nutrition.

Increasing vitamin D levels through your diet: Consuming dried white button mushroom extract was

found to be as effective as taking supplemental vitamin D2 or D3 for increasing vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D).5

Improved immune system function: Long chain polysaccharides, particularly alpha and beta glucanmolecules, are primarily responsible for the mushrooms' beneficial effect on your immune system. Inone study, adding one or two servings of dried shiitake mushrooms was found to have a beneficial,modulating effect on immune system function.6 Another study done on mice found that white buttonmushrooms enhanced the adaptive immunity response to salmonella.7

Parasitic Fungi Showing Promise for ImmuneDisorders and Cancer

Cordyceps, also called caterpillar fungus orTochukasu, is a favorite of athletes because itincreases ATP production, strength andendurance, and has anti-aging effects.8

This parasitic mushroom is unique because, inthe wild, it grows out of an insect host instead of a plant host. It has long been used within bothtraditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine.

It has hypoglycemic and possible antidepressant effects, protects your liver and kidneys, increasesblood flow, helps normalize your cholesterol levels, and has been used to treat Hepatitis B.

Cordyceps has antitumor properties as well. Scientists at The University of Nottingham have beenstudying cordycepin, one of the active medicinal compounds found in these fungi,9 and the oneidentified as a potential cancer drug. More recent studies suggest it also has potent anti-inflammatory characteristics that may be helpful for those suffering from:

Asthma

Rheumatoid arthritis

Renal failure

Stroke damage

A question that was begging for an answer was how cordycepin could produce so many differentbeneficial effects at the cellular level. Researcher Dr. Cornelia de Moor told Medical News Today:10

"We have shown that cordycepin reduces the expression of inflammatory genes in airway smoothmuscle cells by acting on the final step in the synthesis of their messenger RNAs (mRNAs) whichcarry the chemical blueprint for the synthesis of proteins.

This process is called polyadenylation. Commonly used anti-inflammatory drugs either work muchearlier in the activation of inflammatory genes, such as prednisone, or work on one of the finalproducts of the inflammatory reaction (e.g. Mushrooms, while catalogued as herbs in the meals

arena, are not actually plants. They concern the fungis kingdom and although they are notvegetables, mushrooms offer many crucial nutrients. It's common expertise that the secret toobtaining sufficient minerals and vitamins in the diet regimen is to consume a colorful range of fruitsand vegetables - the more shade, the far better. This philosophy often tends to leave mushrooms inthe dark. Oftentimes, if a meals lacks color, it additionally consequently lacks necessary nutrients.Nevertheless, mushrooms - which are frequently white - show quite the contrary.|Mushrooms -which are typically white - prove extremely the contrary. The humble fungi by adding its visible fruitcalled the mushroom holds several of nature's most powerful tools. Utilized by the plant to secure itfrom invaders these all-natural substances have been withed for countless years to aid fight cancercells, enhance the immune system, support kidney and also liver feature, as well as lower bloodpressure. Recent research study is uncovering the certain residential properties that make themushroom such a medical miracle.ibuprofen).

These findings indicate that cordycepin acts by a completely different mechanism than currentlyused anti-inflammatory drugs, making it a potential drug for patients in which these drugs don'twork well.

However, it is a surprise that cordycepin does not affect the synthesis of mRNAs from other genes,because nearly all mRNAs require polyadenylation."

According to Dr. de Moor's research, the mechanism responsible for cordycepin's many variedeffects may stem from its ability to alter the synthesis of many classes of rapidly induced genes thathelp counteract inflammatory genes, thereby slowing down otherwise rapid cellular responses totissue damage. It may also help prevent over-activation of inflammatory responses.

"However, it also indicates that cordycepin could have adverse effects on normal wound healing andon the natural defenses against infectious diseases," the featured article states.11

"Dr. de Moor said: 'We are hoping to further investigate which genes are more dependent onpolyadenylation than others and why this is the case, as well as test the effect of cordycepin onanimal models of disease. Clinical testing of cordycepin is not in our immediate plans, as we thinkwe first have to understand this drug in more detail before we can risk treating patients with it.'"

Foragers, Beware of Toxic Mushrooms

An November 2012 article in The Atlantic12 highlighted recent cases of lethal food poisoningsrelated to eating wild mushrooms, and the need for caution when foraging food:

"Of the over 10,000 species of mushrooms, only about 50 to 100 are toxic. About 6,000 Americanseach year end up eating them. Over half of those cases involve unsupervised small children. So ifyou're considering treating that special person in your life to a wild mushroom-based dish, take thefollowing into consideration: Over 90 percent of deaths, including these most recent ones, arecaused by amatoxins."

As mentioned in the article, the North American Mycological Association13 offers criticalinformation on a number of toxic mushrooms and the symptoms they cause, including those foramanitin (amatoxins), which is one of the most serious:

Stage 1: A latency period of 6 to 24 hours after ingestion, in which the toxins are actively destroyingthe victim's kidneys and liver, but the victim experiences no discomfort.

Stage 2: A period of about 24 hours characterized by violent vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and severeabdominal cramps.

Stage 3: A period of 24 hours during which the victim appears to recover (if hospitalized, the patientis sometimes released)

Stage 4: Relapse, during which kidney and liver failure often occurs, leading to death. Patients mayalso "bleed out" and die due to the destruction of clotting factors in the blood. There may be morethan one relapse.

Warning: If you have any reason to suspect that someone has ingested an amanitin-containingmushroom, DON'T WAIT for symptoms to appear! There is no antidote for amanitin poisoning, andthe best hope is to rush the person to the hospital where the toxins can be removed before beingfully absorbed into the body.

It's also important to eat ONLY organically grown mushrooms because they absorb and concentratewhatever they grow in � good OR bad. This is what gives mushrooms their potency, for better orworse. Mushrooms are known to concentrate heavy metals, as well as air and water pollutants. Oneway to know what you're getting is to grow your own. You can find a variety of DIY garden kitsavailable online,14 which will eliminate any questions about what kind of mushroom you're picking.

Improving Your Nutrition with Mushrooms

Two years ago, I interviewed Steve Farrar, who workedand studied mushrooms professionally for the last 30years. The first 20 years he spent growing them andworking primarily with gourmet chefs, but in the pastdecade, he's started applying his expertise ofmushrooms to health purposes. According to Farrar,

Americans consume about 900 million pounds of mushrooms a year, but 95 percent of that is justone species: the common button mushroom and its relatives, the Crimini and the Portabellomushrooms.

Granted, the button mushroom is an excellent low-calorie food, especially for diabetics. It contains anumber of valuable nutrients, including protein, enzymes, B vitamins (especially niacin), and vitaminD2. However, there are many other types of mushrooms worthy of consideration if you want toimprove your diet. I'll review a few of my favorites below. Farrar's focus has been on growingvarious gourmet mushroom species, particularly the wood decaying mushroom species, which differgreatly from your average button mushroom in terms of biology, nutrition and medicinal value.