Medicinal Mushrooms
Medicinal mushrooms have received much praise relatively recently as a direct result of scientific studies into their efficacy, confirming ancient traditional uses and also highlighting new applications in some instances. Compounds called polysaccharides, large complex branched chain like molecules built from many smaller units of sugar molecules have been studied in detail since the 1950s – these have shown to possess antitumor and immunomodulating properties. Human kind culturally has benefited from mushrooms for perhaps as long as 7,000 years.
As much as 30 per cent or more of our human DNA we share in common with mushrooms, also another similarity that we both breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, the opposite is the case with plants. One mycologist has likened the recent phenomenon of the world’s internet to the myceilial network filaments of mushrooms around the planet, so crucial to biodiversity and subtle information exchange between species; they sustain and work in symbiosis with all life forms directly and indirectly on both a living and decaying planet, thus helping in its survival and transformation. Mushrooms were of the earliest forms of life to begin inhabiting the infant planet Earth.
They are adaptogens in that they encourage the body to adapt to many varied environmental and psychological stresses having an all round supporting effect on all the major human systems eg. Nervous/immune system, hormonal system and blood sugar system regulation for example. Their beta glucan component also helps with immune modulation, medicinal mushrooms can increase macrophage and killer cell activity – this can help protect against colds, flu and infections of all kinds.
As an aside mushrooms are coming into their own in their ability to clean up toxic earth environments, human kind has not as yet tapped into their full potential of employing specific mushroom agents in dispersing and cleaning up all manner of natural and man made disasters. In Japan much headway has been made in pioneering use into medicinal mushrooms and cancer treatment. There is great potential benefit in their use with individuals suffering from HIV/AIDS, heart disease, compromised immune systems, supporting eyes and digestion and a whole array of skin ailments etc.
Medicinal mushrooms vary in their nutritional profile depending on species and various factors such as maturity during different harvesting stages. They contain a wealth of important nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Mushrooms are a good source of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin and vitamin C. Beta carotene can also be found in some species. The mineral content of phosphorus, sodium, and potassium being balanced and satisfactorily high whilst iron and calcium are lower in amounts. Obviously an individuals given level of digestive capacity (effectiveness of digestive enzymes) will influence the bodies ability to uptake essential nutrients present in medicinal mushrooms.
Myconutri Medicinal Mushrooms (each)
£10.16
