The Magic of Mushrooms

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Did you know that consuming just two medium mushrooms a day can decrease your chances of developing cancer by 45%? Or that eating three mushrooms a week can reduce your chances of cognitive impairment by 50%? Well, that’s not all, mushrooms have been linked to more than 130 medicinal functions and have been used as a healing agent by our ancestors for thousands of years. They are undoubtedly one of the most healing foods on the market, giving meaning to the term “food is medicine” and making them the perfect topic of discussion for my first blog post. 

Mushrooms are fungi – a word that often turns people away from including them on their dinner plates. However, if you can look past the kingdom classification of these superfoods, you’ll thank yourself. Let’s take a look into why. 

The 4 Benefits of Consuming Mushrooms

1) Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Mushrooms are one of the best cancer-fighting foods on the market. They are packed full of selenium, vitamin B, and vitamin D; all of which support healthy cell growth. They also contain:

2) Reduce the Risk of Cognitive Impairment (Dementia)

There is a very strong scientific understanding that consuming mushrooms regularly results in lowering one’s chances of cognitive impairment. This is due to the neuroprotective properties of the rich vitamins and amino acids found in mushrooms.

Amino acids, such as histidine, prevent the growth of amyloid proteins which cause neurodegeneration, eventually leading to Alzheimer’s or dementia. 

Vitamins, such as vitamins B and D, support healthy brain processing and improved memory. A 2022 study done by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that vitamin D deficiencies can increase your chances of developing dementia by up to 54%, proving just how important this vitamin is. 

3) Help Regulate Blood Pressure

Irregular blood pressure leads to a plethora of diseases that can put you in a pretty dangerous spot health-wise. This is why regulating your blood pressure is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Lucky for you, mushrooms are great for this as they are packed full of potassium. 

Potassium helps relax your blood vessels and lower blood pressure.  Potassium also helps reduce the negative impact sodium has on one’s body which is vital given the salt levels commonly consumed with each meal. The World Health Organization recommends consuming 3510 mg of potassium a day. One cup of white mushrooms contains around 300 mg of potassium, so finding ways to incorporate just 4-5 mushrooms a day can help boost your potassium intake by so much. Check out my recipe for sauteed garlic mushrooms which are the perfect addition to pasta sauce, burgers, or scrambled eggs. 

4) Boost Mood/Fight Anxiety and Depression

Mushrooms have been shown to increase one’s mood and help lower anxiety levels. The research behind this is still being explored, however, it seems that there are three amino acids to thank for this: 

  • Lysine helps reduce anxiety and depression by impacting serotonin levels and affecting stress levels.
  • Tryptophan is shown to help regulate your mood, control anxiety levels, and improve sleep disorders.
  • Valine enhances energy and lowers oxidative stress. 

Although the research behind this is quite new, some studies suggest that the indoles in mushrooms also have anti-depression effects as they help regulate hormonal balance. 

The list of benefits goes on and on, but you get the jist – including these superfoods in your diet will have lasting impacts on your health. It is important to note that there are many different types of mushrooms and some have better health impacts than others. Regardless, consuming ANY type of edible mushroom will boost your health tremendously.

So What Mushrooms Should We Eat?

There are various types of mushrooms found in the market, each with a unique flavor. The most common type found in grocery stores is white button mushrooms. These mushrooms are mild yet delicious. They make great additions to salad, pizza, and soup. Baby button mushrooms, or crimini mushrooms, are my favorite to cook with. They are small, brown, and fairly mild in taste making them great for those who are still unsure about consuming this fungi. When cooked right, they can go unnoticed in a dish. 

Other edible mushrooms include portobello, shiitake, enoki, beech, black trumpet, hedgehog, oyster, and porcini. These mushrooms all have much more intense flavors and can uniquely enhance a dish in many ways. They can be more difficult to find in local grocers, so you might need to go to more obscure stores or shop online from small businesses. If you do get your hands on these, I suggest experimenting with them in soup, risotto, and stir fry. 

Maitake mushrooms are one of the more healing mushrooms. In Japanese, Mai means dance, and take means mushroom. It’s a commonly told folk tale that the people who discovered these mushrooms danced upon uncovering their healing properties. They are often consumed as a means to treat specific kinds of diseases such as hypertension. They are best roasted and consumed as a side dish or added to burgers, giving them an earthy aroma. 

There is one type of mushroom that, in my opinion, stands out from the rest – Lion’s Mane mushrooms. These mushrooms are shaggy and fuzzy, resembling the “Truffula” trees from The Lorax. They have been the most used type of mushroom in East Asian medicine for thousands of years. Today, these mushrooms are commonly used as a powdered supplement that can be added to many drinks such as coffee, hot water, and smoothies. 

There are numerous mushroom products on the market (such as beverages and powders) that are said to help improve your health. While these products can give you some of the healing benefits of mushrooms, you have to be careful to avoid harmful additives such as natural flavors and bioengineered ingredients. In my opinion and experience, there is no better way to benefit from mushrooms than to cook and consume them naturally, as they are picked from our earth.

In Conclusion

There is no denying the health benefits of mushrooms. They have been a trusted vessel of healing for thousands of years and research continuously strengthens the claims behind their healing properties. Take advantage of them and enjoy the impacts they will have on your mind and body. Mushrooms are medicine. 

Citations

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