The Hidden Cure.

Image Courtesy of Google Images.

So, what if I told you that there was a natural substance out there that could help cure asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, renel failure, certain types of cancer as well as boost the immune system and have potent anti-inflammatory affects? What if I told you that this natural substance exists? What if I told you that this natural substance is MUSHROOMS!!!!

I thought this would be an appropriate time of year to talk to you about the healing power of mushrooms since this is the best time of year to go hunt for them. Every spring I go out to the woods and hunt for morel mushrooms, I never find any but I do enjoy the hunt.

Mushrooms are probably one of the most underrated natural healing foods/herbs that exisist, and this isn't anything new either. Mesoamerican cultures dating back thousands of years have been using mushrooms as medicine but as we move more towards synthetic cures and move away from the natural ones a lot of this information seems to get lost. It also doesn't help that the most common mushrooms in our super market are typically the ones have the least health benefits, like Portobellos, Cremini and white button mushrooms. The most beneficial mushrooms and there added health benefits are as follows:

Lion’s Mane Mushrooms are these beautiful white fluffy billowing mushrooms that actually do sort of resemble a Lion’s Maine. They typically grow in the summer on hard wood like the beech tree. So, there was research done on this mushroom that revealed not only did the Lion’s Head contain some antioxidants, but they also found that regular consumption of these mushrooms helped lower blood sugar levels and regulated blood lipid levels. Studies have also indicated that this mushroom can lull inflammation, help ulcers, treat pancreatitis, help with Crohn's disease and can help fight pancreatic, stomach, intestinal and esophageal cancer. And spoiler alert, most of these mushrooms will have some sort of cancer fighting abilities because of how they boost your immune system.

Lion's Mane Mushroom. Image Courtesy of Google Images.

Reishi Mushrooms are really beautiful kidney shaped mushrooms that come in 6 different varieties that range in color from dark red to blue, yellow, purple and white. Reishi mushrooms can grow in a variety of climates and although there are 6 different types, two of them are the more major varieties, with one of them growing in the U.S. Reishi mushrooms are pretty hard to find, and most farmers actually grow them indoors. Scientific studies have shown that Reishi mushrooms can help heal tumors and lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Laboratory tests have confirmed that these mushrooms can help fight ovarian cancer. In addition to fighting cancer Reishi is also considered important in reversion of viral activity, regulating cardiovascular activity, fighting against chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, and helping diabetes patients.

Reishi Mushroom. Image Courtesy of Google Images.

Maitake in japanese means “The Dancing Mushroom” which is just adorable and is also known as “Hen of the Woods” mushroom. The original home of the Maitake was North America and Japan but is now found all over the world. Maitake is a greyish/brown mushroom that grows at the base of trees in clusters, usually around oak trees but is sometimes found at the base of chestnut, elm and maple trees.Miatake mushrooms, just like the others have also been shown to reduce blood sugar levels and cholesterol. Maitake mushrooms also help fight breast cancer and is good for boosting the immune system in general.

Maitake Mushroom. Image courtesy of Google Images.

Now, unlike all of these other mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms you can usually find at your local grocery store, which is weird because Shitakes are actually native to Asia and the ones we have talked about so far and have never really seen are growing here in America. I love shitake’s, they have a really rich, earthy flavor and I think have a much more intense flavor than many other mushrooms. Shiitake is also very rich in vitamins and minerals such as potassium, niacin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins. In Japan, Shiitake has been used as a natural treatment of cancer because of its complex carbohydrate, Lentinan. It is also a source of selenium, an antioxidant that is said to prevent cancer. According to The National Cancer Institute website, the institute has been using selenium in the hope of coming up with a cure to cancer. Which, I already think there are ways to cure cancer that the Nat. Cancer Inst. is not addressing but we will not get into all that, at least not right now. Further research is being done to determine if Lentinan from the Shiitake mushroom is capable of preventing lung cancer. Research shows that Lentinan has strong anti-tumour properties and is already being used to fight gastric cancer. In some other areas, it is being tried as a cure for candida, tuberculosis, and the HIV virus. Generally, the polysaccharides in the Shiitake mushroom are credited with boosting a person’s immune system and hence keeping disease at bay.

Shiitake Mushrooms. Image courtesy of Google Images.

Cordyceps Sinensis is a type of mushroom that in my opinion is the most beneficial mushrooms hands down and can help with a wide variety of health issues. The Cordyceps fungus is actually really interesting in how it grows and the name cordyceps sinensis includes about 400 different types of fungi. Cordyceps actually get all of their nutrients by attacking insects and arthropods. For instance, it attacks a caterpillar and then stays put knowing quite well that the caterpillar will not survive the onslaught. When the caterpillar ultimately dies, another fungus begins to sprout on the caterpillar’s body as the Cordycep mushroom, which is very different from how any other mushroom behaves. Cordyceps typically grow in the tropical forests of Asia and are not native to North America. Okay so the list of health benefits are long and the range is broad. For starters, Cordyceps are said to help people with hypoglycemia by preventing their blood sugar levels from dropping too low. Cordyceps are also said to be able to help heal hepatitis B, help detoxify the body, helps inhibit tumor growth, boosts energy levels, supports kidney health and has many medical benefits that other mushrooms do not have. Cordyceps have 77 micro and macro substances, 80 varied enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and saturated fats. Cordyceps boost the overall well being of the body.

Cordyceps Sinensis. Image Courtesy of Google Images.

The oyster mushroom is the second most likely out of all of these that you have seen at a grocery store. They are not super common but some specialty stores may carry them. The oyster mushroom is a close relative to the king oyster mushroom but they are not the same thing and do have slightly different properties. The oyster mushroom has also been called the tree oyster, oyster shelf, straw mushroom and tamogitake. The Japanese usually refer to it as Hiratake. The oyster mushroom grows wildly in forests found in subtropical and temperate climates and is usually found on decomposing trees such as the Beech tree. The oyster mushroom is typically found in japanese, korean and chinese menus but it can cause an upset stomach in some people because it contains a naturally occurring sugar alcohol called arabitol. The oyster mushroom has naturally occurring statins and lovastatins which help lower cholesterol. The oyster mushroom also has some bacteria fighting substances. The antibiotic pleuromutilin found in oyster mushrooms has been found to kill various bacteria including salmonella.

Oyster Mushroom. Image Courtesy of Google Images.

Turkey Tail is the coolest looking mushroom ever. It grows in clusters on trees and is very hard and leathery. It can range in color from just plain brown to green to brown, blue and green combined. Turkey tail mushrooms are probably one of if not the best type of mushroom to help fight cancer. Polysaccharide-k is actually a cancer drug that is derived from the turkey tail mushroom. It is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy when treating cancer patients, and its other role is to downplay the negative impact of the drugs used in chemotherapy. The turkey tail mushroom is said to help fight several other diseases as well such as hepatitis B and Malaria.

Turkey Tail Mushrooms. Image Courtesy of Google Images.

When I take mushrooms, I take them from a trusted source such as a grocery store, a natural foods store or online. I really do not advise hunting for mushrooms unless you are an expert or you are with an expert. There are over 5,000 different types of mushrooms out there and a majority of them are poisonous to humans and animals, some of them are so poisonous that they can even kill you if you eat them. Perfect examples of this are the mushrooms "Destroying Angel" and the "Death Cap", they are responsible for a majority of mushrrom related deaths and all you have to eat is less than half of a mushroom cap. Morel's are the only mushroom I ever forage for because I know what they look like and they are very distinct from any other mushroom.

With all that being said, I think it is very worth your time to look into the awesome benefits of mushrooms, especially if you are suffering from any illness. Now, I do not take mushrooms daily, because they are a fungus which can disrupt your health if you overdo it, but if I am feeling under the weather, I put them in a smoothie. I found an awesome blend from "Mushroom Matrix" that produce several different mushrrom blend powders that are grown organically. They have individual mushrooms such as Cordyceps and Turkey Tail or they have blends for immunity or weight loss. If you are interested, they are a great company to check out.

The last thing I want to stress is that if you are buying mushrooms, buy organic!!! Mushrooms grow in the dirt and suck up whatever they are growing in and it is because of this that some mushrooms can be very high in heavy metals, which then becomes harmful to your health instead of beneficial for it. However, this is true when buying just about anything that is conventional as opposed to organic.