Does the thought of medicinal mushrooms sound scary? When many people hear ‘mushrooms’ or ‘shrooms’ they think of fungus or the psychedelic drug; but take a deep breath and stay with me because I am going to tell you why you should put mushrooms in your morning coffee or smoothie.
Medicinal mushrooms have been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years and have gained even more popularity as of late. Destined to be taken as powders (they’re never meant to be eaten raw or whole), you can find these fungi in all different forms, including ultra-trendy lattes. One of the easiest ways to get your mushroom fix, though? Simply add a spoonful to whatever’s on the menu — be it a smoothie, veggie stir-fry, or cup of java.
The list of health benefits medicinal mushrooms provide is lengthy (brain booster, hormone helper, antioxidant powerhouse, and the list goes on). But today I will be focusing on the immune benefits of medicinal mushrooms.
Note that, as I have mentioned before, there is not one magical health food. And these shrooms are no different – they are not a cure-all. In fact, shroom studies are still new to Western medicine, and solid evidence for humans still needs far more research. So think of them more like sidekicks for your immune system or mini-vaccines against stress, inflammation, and cancer. It is still important and necessary to consume a healthful and balanced regular diet.
There are many different kinds of medicinal mushrooms that are used to strengthen the immune system – mainly due to the mushrooms’ high antioxidant content. Additionally, these medicinal mushrooms have the ability to stimulate cytokine production. [1] Cytokines are proteins that play an extremely important roll in the body’s immune response by acting as intracellular mediators. [1] Therefore, when medicinal mushrooms are consumed they are stimulating this immune response in the body, leading to a higher-functioning immune system. Additionally, some studies show that the body’s immune response to medicinal mushrooms is actually protective against cancer! [1]
If you are convinced that you would like to try adding medicinal mushrooms to your daily diet, there are many ways to include them. Medicinal mushrooms by Host Defense come in extracts, powders, capsules, and even sprays – making it easier than ever to add them to your diet! You can add the spray, powder or extract to almost any drink or food without changing the taste of your food. I would highly recommend adding these to your diet to strengthen your immune system.
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