Medicinal Mushrooms
and how they can help you (but not me)
I don’t like mushrooms! I don’t like how they taste, I don’t like how they feel in my mouth.
But mushrooms have long been revered for their culinary delights, and in recent times, research has uncovered a fascinating new frontier — the medicinal properties of these fascinating fungi.
It had been previously known that they could help to boost the immune system but they are now emerging as a promising natural solution for a wide range of health concerns.
Bioactive Compounds and Medicinal Properties
Apparently mushrooms are a treasure trove of bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, proteins, fats, minerals, glycosides, alkaloids, volatile oils, terpenoids, tocopherols, phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, folates, lectins, enzymes, and organic acids.
And all this time I thought they were just horrible chewy little slippery nibbles!
I now realise the diverse medicinal properties of mushrooms, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, antitumour, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic effects.
Their Immune Benefits
One of the most exciting aspects of medicinal mushrooms is their ability to stimulate the immune system. Polysaccharides, especially β-glucans, have been shown to activate monocytes, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells, boosting the body’s natural defences.
Polysaccharopeptides (PSP) extracted from the turkey tail mushroom (Trametes versicolor) have even demonstrated the potential to enhance immune function and improve quality of life in cancer patients.
Antitumour and Anticancer Potential
These fungi and their extracts are believed to inhibit tumour growth, induce apoptosis in cancer cells, and even boost the effectiveness of conventional cancer treatments.
In fact, Ganoderma lucidum (reishi) and Lentinus edodes (shiitake) have been approved as adjuncts to standard cancer treatments in Japan and China for over 30 years.
Nutritional Benefits
In addition to their medicinal properties, edible mushrooms are also a nutritional powerhouse. They are a good source of protein, fibre, vitamins (B1, B2, B12, C, D, and E), and minerals like selenium, potassium, and riboflavin.
Mushrooms are also low in calories and fat, making them a healthy addition to a wide variety of dishes.
So with all of my scientific training, why haven’t I been munching these little power-packs daily?
Well being a true professional, here is my defence:
While the potential of medicinal mushrooms is undeniable, more high-quality clinical trials are needed to fully assess their benefits. Current studies are limited by small sample sizes, lack of control or placebo groups, poor reporting of adverse events, and deficient statistical methods.
And also, more to the point, they taste awful!
Citations:
Geng, Y., Zhu, S., Lu, Z., Xu, H., & Shi, J. S. (2014). Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of mycopolysaccharides from Morchella esculenta. Food & function, 5(9), 2145–2152.
Valverde, M. E., Hernández-Pérez, T., & Paredes-López, O. (2015). Edible mushrooms: improving human health and promoting quality life. International journal of microbiology, 2015.
Wasser, S. P. (2017). Medicinal mushrooms in human clinical studies. Part I. Anticancer, oncoimmunological, and immunomodulatory activities: a review. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 19(4).
Guggenheim, A. G., Wright, K. M., & Zwickey, H. L. (2014). Immune modulation from five major mushrooms: application to integrative oncology. Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.), 13(1), 32.
Kalač, P. (2013). A review of chemical composition and nutritional value of wild-growing and cultivated mushrooms. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 93(2), 209–218.
Ina, K., Kataoka, T., & Ando, T. (2013). The use of lentinan for treating gastric cancer. Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Formerly Current Medicinal Chemistry-Anti-Cancer Agents), 13(5), 681–688.
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