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My husband, Brad, and I are foragers and mushroom enthusiasts so each spring and fall we can be found sauntering in the mountain forests searching for edible and medicinal mushrooms. Historically, particularly in Chinese Medicine, mushrooms have been highly valued and only recently has western medicine taken notice.
Many mushrooms possess antimicrobial, immune-enhancing (adaptogenic - meaning these compounds up or down regulate as our bodies need), along with the hopeful promise of having anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties. The four mushrooms we highlight, excerpted from FullScript, our natural medicine pharmacy. As a Blue Earth Medicine patient you have access to these supplements. Let’s meet these four important mushrooms.
Reishi is commonly referred to as the “king of mushrooms” or the “mushroom of immortality”. It has been shown to prevent or treat various diseases and modulate the inflammation associated with a high-cholesterol diet. The health effects of the reishi mushroom may be a result of its ability to regulate microbiota composition, as the polysaccharides found in reishi demonstrate prebiotic effects and may increase counts of beneficial bacteria in the host.
The Turkey Tail mushroom obtains its name from the tan and brown rings on its surface, similar in appearance to the tail feathers of a turkey. In traditional medicine, turkey tail mushrooms have been used therapeutically for fungal infections, cancer, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Contemporary research in animal models of breast cancer suggests that C. versicolor exerts an anti-tumor and anti-metastasis effect, indicating that it may reduce the risk of developing secondary cancerous growths. Polysaccharide-K (PSK), a proprietary formulation of turkey tail, is approved in Japan as a complementary cancer treatment. A 2007 meta-analysis of over 8,000 patients conducted by the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan found that PSK in combination with chemotherapy increased the survival rate of patients following gastric cancer resection.
Hericium erinaceus is commonly known as lion’s mane mushroom due to its white, fur-like appearance. Animal models have demonstrated that lion’s mane may promote beneficial gut microbiota growth and be associated with reduced colon tissue damage in cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The researchers suggest that lion’s mane may help regulate the immune system and improve the health of individuals with IBD, however, clinical trials are needed to confirm this in humans.
Shiitake mushrooms have been traditionally used to treat conditions such as the common cold. A four-week clinical trial suggests that shiitake intake was associated with favorable changes in secretion patterns of various immune compounds. These changes may indicate an improvement in gut immunity and an anti-inflammatory response. As with many other mushroom varieties, shiitake may have anticancer effects. Lentinan, which is a glucan derived from shiitake, is currently used as a complementary treatment for tumors, particularly in China and Japan.
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