Sarah Brown
Mushrooms are the conspicuous umbrella-shaped fruiting bodies of certain fungi, typically of the order Agaricales in the phylum Basidiomycota. The term mushroom is used to identify the edible fruiting bodies, while the term toadstool is reserved for the inedible ones. The fruiting body is the part of the mushroom that is visible to the naked eye and produces spores. Humans have traditionally used the fruiting bodies of mushrooms as food and medicine for thousands of years. However, the mycelium, or the root of the mushroom, has also gained attention in recent years as a source of mushroom supplements. While fruiting bodies are supported by a long history of human use and thousands of years of research, mycelium is a newer field with only 20-30 years of research.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Part of a mushroom that is visible to the naked eye | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is used for medicinal supplements | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is used for food | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that produces spores | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is analogous to a root | Mycelium |
| Part of a mushroom that is analogous to a gonadal structure | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is analogous to a fruit | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is more expensive to use | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is difficult to make tasty | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is used in traditional herbal medicine | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is used in folklore | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is used in cultural traditions | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that is more bitter in taste | Fruiting body |
| Part of a mushroom that has more active compounds | Fruiting body |
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What You'll Learn
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi
The term "mushroom" is used to identify the edible fruiting bodies of fungi, while the term "toadstool" is often reserved for inedible or poisonous fruiting bodies. However, there is no scientific distinction between the two terms, and either can be properly applied to any fleshy fungus fruiting structure.
Fungi are not plants; they are a separate kingdom of organisms, more closely related to animals. In the botanical sense, mushrooms are not fruits, as fruits are reproductive structures that contain seeds, while mushrooms contain spores. However, the term "fruiting body" is used to describe mushrooms because they are the reproductive structures of fungi, even though they do not contain seeds.
Mushrooms have been used by humans for thousands of years, both as food and medicine. The first documentation of mushroom cultivation is believed to have originated in China in the 12th century. Today, China produces the majority of the world's mushrooms and has been a pioneer in modern scientific research on medicinal mushrooms and their cultivation.
The mycelium is the "root" of a mushroom, and it collects and utilizes nutrients. It is like the immune system of the fungus, in charge of communication and providing a strong foundation. While some believe that the fruiting body possesses the greatest number of benefits, research indicates that there are distinct beneficial compounds in both the fruiting body and the mycelium, depending on the mushroom.
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Fruiting bodies are used in medicine and food
Mushrooms have been used as food and medicine for centuries. The "mushroom" that we are familiar with is actually the fruiting body of a fungus, which is the above-ground part that is visible to the naked eye and produces spores. These fruiting bodies vary considerably in size, with some being tiny and requiring microscopic examination, while others are larger and conspicuous.
Fruiting bodies are a rich source of protein and contain high levels of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and glutamate. They are also a good source of health-protecting metabolites and glyconutrients. The long history of safe use of mushrooms, along with their appealing flavours and low-calorie values, has led to their popularity as food ingredients and side dishes.
In terms of medicinal use, fruiting bodies have been used in traditional medicine by various cultures throughout history. Modern scientific research has also explored the therapeutic potential of medicinal mushrooms, with companies like Nammex supplying medicinal mushroom extracts to the nutritional supplement industry. These extracts are believed to offer a range of health benefits, including the ability to lower cholesterol.
When purchasing medicinal mushroom products, it is important to read the labels carefully and ensure that the product is derived from fruit bodies, ideally 100%. True medicinal mushroom supplements will also have a distinct, rich smell, which can vary depending on the variety of mushroom.
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Mycelium is the vegetative part of a mushroom
Mushrooms are mysterious and magical, with impressive growth rates. However, what we call a "mushroom" is only one part of the organism's life cycle. Mushrooms have been used as food and medicine for a long time, with the first documentation of mushroom cultivation believed to have originated in China in the 12th century.
Mycelium is the vegetative lower part of edible fungi and can form entangled networks of branching fibres. It is a root-like structure of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. Mycelium collects and utilises nutrients, acting as a mushroom's immune system and dense foundation. It is like the roots of a plant, exploring the soil or any other substrate where fungi are growing and secreting digestive enzymes onto their food source, often dead organic materials, and sometimes living organisms.
The mycelial structure of the mushroom fruit body is more complex than the vegetative mycelium, and the mushroom also produces numerous natural compounds that the mycelium does not. Mycelium is used as a seed in the mushroom cultivation process, introduced and grown on a carrier material like millet, rye, or wheat.
Mycelium has many practical uses, including the creation of leather through solid-state or liquid-state fermentation. It is also a strong candidate for sustainable construction due to its lightweight, biodegradable structure, and the ability to be grown from waste sources. However, it has some disadvantages, such as low compressive strength and specific environmental requirements, making it challenging to implement in large-scale projects.
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Fruiting bodies are more expensive to use
The "mushroom" that we are familiar with is actually the fruiting body of the fungus. It is the above-ground part of a mushroom that is visible to the naked eye and produces spores. The mushroom marketplace is dominated by products that don't contain any real mushrooms, instead, they contain mycelium, the "root system" of the mushroom.
Fruiting bodies also offer more minerals, including phosphorus, copper, zinc, and potassium, and vitamins C and D. The beneficial compounds, such as beta-glucans, triterpenes, and ergosterol, are located primarily in the fruiting body of the mushroom, not in the mycelium. This means that the fruiting body is the most medicinally beneficial part of the mushroom.
Furthermore, the accumulated knowledge of generations of healers has worked exclusively with mushroom fruiting bodies. The mushroom fruiting body is also much more complex than the vegetative mycelium, and the mushroom produces numerous natural compounds that the mycelium does not.
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Humans have used mushrooms for thousands of years
Mushrooms have been used by humans for thousands of years, with evidence of their consumption dating back to prehistoric times. In fact, some scientists argue that humans have been consuming psilocybin mushrooms since our brains developed and we became evolutionarily distinct.
The use of mushrooms as a food source and for medicinal purposes has a long history. Ancient civilisations in Central America famously used psilocybin mushrooms, and indigenous artwork from this region often depicts mushrooms as a means of communicating with the gods. In the Nahuatl language, used by the Mayan and Aztec people, magic mushrooms were called "Teonanácatl", which translates to "flesh of the gods".
The earliest evidence of mushroom consumption in Europe dates back to the Magdalenian phase of the Upper Palaeolithic, between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago. This was discovered through dental calculus analysis of individuals found at El Mirón Cave in Cantabria, Spain.
Asia is the home of the first documented mushroom cultivation, with the cultivation of shiitake mushrooms believed to have originated in China in the 12th century. China continues to produce the majority of the world's mushrooms today and has been a pioneer in the scientific research of medicinal mushrooms and their cultivation.
Over the centuries, mushrooms have been used for a variety of purposes, including food, medicine, and psychoactive substances. While some people focus on the benefits of the fruiting bodies, others argue that the mycelium also contains beneficial compounds. Today, mushroom supplements and extracts are available for a range of therapeutic uses, and research continues to explore the potential benefits of mushrooms for human health.
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Frequently asked questions
The mushroom that you see is the fruiting body, which is the above-ground part of a mushroom that is visible to the naked eye. It produces the spores.
In all the thousands of years that humans have used mushrooms, every single culture has always and only used the fruiting body exclusively. This means that the vast majority of clinical studies, traditional herbal medicine texts, folklore, lineage, and cultural traditions of using mushrooms have always been with the fruiting body. While fruiting body research has thousands of years to back it, mycelium is a brand new emerging field with only 20-30 years of research.
Research indicates that there are distinct beneficial compounds in both the fruiting body and the mycelium, depending on the mushroom. However, fruiting bodies may have 15 times more active compounds than mycelium. These include beta-glucans, triterpenes, and ergosterol, which provide benefits such as focus, energy, immune and stress support.
Using the fruiting body is incredibly more expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to make tasty due to its bitter taste.
Mushrooms are not technically fruits or vegetables, but they are also not plants. They are their own separate kingdom and are more closely related to animals than plants. However, they are sometimes treated as vegetables in cuisine and used as a meat substitute due to their high protein content.
