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With so many health fads floating around, you may be forgiven for thinking mushrooms are just another one of ‘those’ passing fashion trends. However, the medicinal benefits of mushrooms, particularly the Reishi mushroom, have been around for much longer than you realize. And we’re not talking about a decade or two; we’re talking more along the lines of thousands of years!
Reishi Mushrooms. Credit: TecheOldFox (Techieoldfox) at Mushroom Observer
Red Reishi, also known as ‘Ling-Zhi,’ has been documented in Chinese medicine since 200 BC. Proving that this type of mushroom is a lot more than the average health geek’s latest experiment. In fact, this ancient Asian medicine has very real health benefits, which we are about to reveal to you!
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To fully appreciate the benefits of these fungi powerhouses, you need to understand exactly what they are. These are not your average breakfast mushrooms and won’t be found on the supermarket shelf between the leeks and horse radishes, plump and ready for slicing and dicing into a tasty stir-fry.
Instead, the earthy-tangerine tones of Reishi mushrooms are fan-shaped and commercially grown and processed into capsules, gummies, teas, tinctures, and energy bars. Unfortunately, while safe to eat in their natural state, Reishi mushrooms are naturally woody in texture (hard and chewy) and taste bitter. Obviously, these are two qualities you want to avoid when feasting on a delicious mushroom omelet!
At this point, you’re probably wondering how this bitter fungus could enhance your life. In a nutshell, Reishi mushrooms are great for boosting the body’s immunity and have soothing anti-inflammatory properties.
Reishi Mushrooms Are Beneficial To Our Health Because:
Below are five Reishi Mushroom health benefits that could potentially give your life the shroom boost it needs!
Due to their high levels of antioxidants, vitamin B12, and anti-inflammatory properties, Reishi Mushrooms can help the body combat stress and respond well to outside stressors.
In addition, amino acids such as Ergothioneine (an anti-inflammatory agent) found in mushrooms are not produced by the body. But by eating mushrooms, you can boost your dietary intake of these anti-inflammatory properties and thus reduce inflammation in the body. Did you know that inflammation can be linked to depression and anxiety?
Reishi mushrooms contain a chemical compound called Eritadenine, which can lower blood pressure in much the same way as prescription blood pressure medications. While this is great news for those suffering from high blood pressure, taking Reishi in conjunction with prescription blood pressure medications could lower your blood pressure to dangerous levels. Therefore if you are on medication, please consult your doctor before indulging in shroom power.
Read Also: Eating Mushrooms 3 Times a Week Can Lower Prostate Cancer Risk by up to 17%
Eventually, we all get to an ‘age’ where cholesterol levels become pivotal to our overall health, which often means our diet needs to change (less salt, sugar, and trans fats). The Reishi mushroom has the answer to this issue as it contains cholesterol-lowering compounds (triterpenes and beta-glucans), which help to reduce LDL (low-density lipoprotein), otherwise known as bad cholesterol.
Let us introduce you to one of the body’s organs no one ever thinks about until it stops functioning properly, the liver! Vital for performing more than five hundred life-sustaining functions, including managing blood sugar and metabolizing amino acids for energy, the liver is essential to our health and existence. Reishi mushrooms have been seen to promote liver regeneration in mice and enhance its ability to filter toxins from the body. As far as we can see, the evidence is there; healthy liver equals healthy life!
Beta-glucans found in Reishi mushrooms are thought to enhance the body’s immune system response to prevent and fight infection by positively impacting white blood cells. Furthermore, in some Asian cultures, the Reishi mushroom is used to treat patients with HIV and cancer.
As you can see, adding Reishi mushrooms to your diet can have some amazing health benefits, and give you that extra health boost that you need.
Read Also: Hallucinogenic Mushrooms May Be Up to 4 Times More Effective Than Antidepressants
Inflammation in Depression and the Potential for Anti-Inflammatory Treatment
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