{"id":35309,"date":"2015-05-04T01:15:57","date_gmt":"2015-05-04T05:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=35309"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:06:08","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:06:08","slug":"medicinal-health-benefits-of-mushrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/medicinal-health-benefits-of-mushrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Medicinal Mushrooms the New Kale?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Medicinal
Photo: MushroomMatrix.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you overheard someone lauding the amazing effects of \u201cmushroom powder,\u201d we wouldn\u2019t blame you if you thought they were referring to something illicit. But rather than hippie-era hallucinogens, the new \u2018shrooms gaining buzz these days are, in fact, medicinal mushrooms. And they\u2019re much different than the shitakes you might put in your stir-fry.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Medicinal] mushrooms are not the type of mushrooms people think,\u201d says Tero Isokauppila, founder of Four Sigma Foods which sells a line of mushroom-based teas, powders and beverages to consumers in more than 22 countries around the world. \u201cThey often don\u2019t grow on the ground; they grow on trees and they\u2019re a hard, wood-like material.\u201d That\u2019s why they\u2019re usually incorporated into teas, soups, smoothies or are packaged in powder or capsule form.<\/p>\n

Touted for their anti-cancer<\/a>, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting<\/a> properties, medicinal mushrooms have been incorporated into Traditional Chinese Medicine<\/a> for thousands of years. Now, a slew of companies are seeking to take mushroom supplements mainstream in the U.S. Their products are selling fast \u2014 and introducing a younger generation of health-minded people to the ancient cure-all.<\/p>\n

So should you start mixing up your smoothies<\/a> with mushroom powder? Read on to find out how this ancient remedy might fit into your life.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 9 Delicious Green Smoothie Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fungus Among Us<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like kale<\/a> and Brussels sprouts before it, it may be time for the mushroom\u2019s moment in the spotlight.<\/p>\n

“People entering the cold and flu season…can benefit from including medicinal mushrooms in their regimen.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cMushrooms<\/a> are the new kale. It\u2019s really become such a very hot ingredient because not only have there been lots of years of traditional use, but there\u2019s so much research behind them,\u201d says Sandra Carter, MPH, Ph.D., and CEO of Mushroom Matrix<\/a>. The company, which produces a variety of mushroom powders designed to mix with juices, smoothies<\/a> or water, experienced a 200 percent growth in 2014. And it expects to see an increase in business of over 300 percent in 2015. \u201cI started researching mushrooms and found an incredible amount of benefits for fitness, weight loss and general heath,\u201d says Carter, who holds a doctorate in preventive medicine.<\/p>\n

The tagline for Isokauppila\u2019s Four Sigma Foods<\/a> line of fungi? \u201cMushrooms were nature\u2019s best kept secret. Until now.\u201d Isokauppila says he thinks people are finally overcoming their skepticism about \u2018shrooms, and embracing the plant as a superfood. \u201cI hope people will give mushrooms a chance and realize they are extremely well studied\u2026 Just as there are toxic plants, there are toxic mushrooms, and just as there are good plants, there are good mushrooms,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 16 Detoxifying Recipes You’ll Love<\/a><\/p>\n

Do You Need a Mushroom Rx?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While nobody\u2019s claiming mushrooms alone will cure you of disease, they might play a role in enhancing your health. \u201cTo me it’s one of those things I\u2019ll often include as a gentle support,\u201d says Melinda Ring, M.D., medical director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. \u201cTake your multi, have probiotics<\/a>, get enough vitamin D<\/a> \u2014 and for immune support, I do like mushroom extract.\u201d<\/p>\n

You could add them to a smoothie, just like you throw in your greens and protein powder<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ring says the Osher Center recommends medicinal mushrooms for people who might benefit from extra immune support \u2014 especially this time of year. \u201cI think that anybody who struggles with recurrent respiratory infections, people entering the cold and flu season<\/a>, people who work in careers that expose them frequently to infections, like teachers, all those sorts of people can benefit from including medicinal mushrooms in their regimen, whether through diet or supplements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Medicinal mushrooms are also known for their antioxidant, immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory<\/a> properties. Ring says the antioxidants in mushrooms can help the body\u2019s immune system recognize foreign cells and destroy them, in addition to preventing unhealthy inflammation in the body. Reishi mushrooms, in particular, are known as being health all-stars, according to Ring.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Is Inflammation Hurting Your Health?<\/a><\/p>\n

Both Mushroom Matrix and Four Sigma Foods use various types of mushrooms, including reishi, cordyceps and chaga, to create blends that promise to do everything from increasing energy to enhancing workouts. Some animal studies<\/a> have shown that cordyceps mushrooms<\/a> were able to improved endurance, diminish fatigue and facilitate lactate clearance<\/a> during exercise.<\/p>\n

Yet, Ring warns that it\u2019s hard to say exactly how different types of mushrooms will impact your health. That\u2019s because while there’s been a lot of cell-based and animal-based research on mushrooms, there haven\u2019t been as many human studies.<\/p>\n

How to\u00a0Reap the Health Benefits of Mushrooms<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While some mushrooms can easily be incorporated into your diet (think: Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup<\/a> and Asparagus, Mushroom and Tofu Stir-Fry<\/a>), other varieties aren\u2019t quite as accessible. Hence, the need for mushroom supplements.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve made these powders really user-friendly so that you could add them to a smoothie, just like you throw in your greens and protein powder,\u201d Carter says. \u201cThey also work great with salad dressings<\/a>, where they act like a thickener, or in soups and stews, or in hummus.\u201d Carter recommends mixing one teaspoon of their powder into your food once or twice a day, to see benefits.<\/p>\n

Ring says there aren\u2019t many risks associated with medicinal mushroom use, but that people with other immune conditions should be cautious and talk to a physician before incorporating them into their diet. It\u2019s also important to look for organic products, Ring notes, as mushrooms tend to absorb environmental toxins. Other than that, experts agree that medicinal mushrooms are a side effect-free dietary supplement that could\u00a0help you stay healthy and strong.<\/p>\n

Want to try mushroom powder for yourself? Try adding it to one of these 25 Three-Ingredient Smoothie Recipes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Originally posted on December 19, 2014. Updated May 2015.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Medicinal mushrooms are gaining buzz as the hottest new way to supplement your diet. Find out if \u2018shroom smoothies or tea will help you reap the health benefits. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":35321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[44,51,71,191,341,364],"class_list":["post-35309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-drinks","tag-food-choices","tag-nutrition","tag-supplements","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2alternative-treatments"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35309\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}