Sarah Brown
Medicinal mushrooms are fungi used as medicine, in dietary supplements, and as functional foods. They have been used to treat infections for hundreds of years, especially in Asia. Medicinal mushrooms are used in the form of extracts or powder and have been linked to a wide range of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties. Modern research is catching up with ancient knowledge, with scientists and medical professionals increasingly turning to ancient medicine in search of effective remedies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Medicinal mushrooms are macroscopic fungi used in the form of extracts or powder to prevent, alleviate, or heal multiple diseases. |
| History | Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of use as immune-boosters, antibacterial agents, and remedies for inflammation, fatigue, and chronic metabolic conditions in ancient medicine. |
| Species | Notable medicinal mushroom species include Phellinus spp., Trametes versicolor (turkey tail), Ganoderma lucidum (reishi), Grifola frondosa (maitake), and Pleurotus eryngii. |
| Benefits | Medicinal mushrooms have been reported to have anti-allergic, antimicrobial, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immunomodulating, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antidepressive, neuroprotective, and many other beneficial properties. |
| Use | Medicinal mushrooms are currently used as dietary supplements or functional foods and have the potential to become evidence-based drugs. |
| Research | Research into the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms is ongoing, with promising preliminary results. However, more controlled human trials and standardized regulations are needed to fully understand their clinical value and ensure safety. |
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What You'll Learn
- Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries in ancient medicine
- They are now being recognised by the scientific community for their health benefits
- They are used to treat a range of conditions, from inflammation to cancer
- They can be taken in the form of supplements, functional foods, or extracts
- More research is needed to understand their full potential and ensure safety
Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries in ancient medicine
Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor), another type of medicinal mushroom, has been used in TCM to treat lung diseases and strengthen the immune system in cancer patients. Polysaccharide K (PSK), the most well-known active compound in turkey tail mushrooms, is an approved mushroom product used to treat cancer in Japan. Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), a mushroom that grows on live trees, has been used in TCM to prolong life, prevent aging, and increase energy. It is also believed to have anticancer, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, and anti-diabetic properties, among others.
Maitake (Grifola frondosa), also known as the "dancing mushroom", is used in TCM to support the spleen and benefit qi. It contains polysaccharides such as beta-glucans, which have been linked to healthy cell growth. Other medicinal mushrooms include Auricularia, Cordyceps, Pleurotus, and Monascus species. These mushrooms contain active molecules such as glycoproteins, polysaccharides, steroids, and alkaloids, which are believed to have various health benefits.
While the use of medicinal mushrooms in ancient medicine is well-documented, the scientific community is only beginning to recognize their functional qualities. Research into the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms is still in its infancy, but preliminary results are promising. However, it is important to note that more research is needed to fully understand the clinical value of mushroom supplementation, and that these supplements may need to be more tightly regulated to ensure their purity and safety for consumption.
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They are now being recognised by the scientific community for their health benefits
Medicinal mushrooms are being increasingly recognised by the scientific community for their health benefits. They have been used for centuries in ancient medicine, but their potential to treat modern health problems is only now being explored in the West.
The functional qualities of medicinal mushrooms have been found to include anti-allergic, antimicrobial, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immunomodulating properties. Some have also been shown to have a protective effect on the liver, the brain, skeletal and cardiovascular systems, as well as lipid and glucose metabolism. This is due to the presence of bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharide β-glucan, or polysaccharide-protein complexes, like lectins, lactones, terpenoids, alkaloids, antibiotics, and metal-chelating agents.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the Phellinus spp. mushroom has been used to alleviate human diseases by enhancing hemostasis channels, removing blood obstruction, relieving abdominal pain, and treating chronic diarrhoea. In 1968, Japanese scholars found that this mushroom showed a strong antitumor effect, inhibiting the growth of S180 tumour cells with an inhibition rate of 96.7%, which was significantly better than other medicinal mushrooms.
Turkey tail mushrooms have also been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat lung diseases, and in Japan, they have been used to strengthen the immune system when given with standard cancer treatment. Polysaccharide K (PSK) is the best-known active compound in turkey tail mushrooms, and in Japan, it is an approved mushroom product used to treat cancer.
Reishi mushrooms, also known as Ganoderma lucidum or Ganoderma sinense, have been used as medicine for a long time in East Asia. They were thought to prolong life, prevent ageing, and increase energy. In China, they are used to strengthen the immune system of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Laboratory and animal studies have tested the effects of reishi's active ingredients, triterpenoids and polysaccharides, on tumours, including lung cancer.
Medicinal mushrooms are usually used in cancer treatments as biological response modifiers (BRMs), useful for treating cancer, reducing the side effects of therapies, and improving the patient’s quality of life. They also have the potential to become real drugs of traditional and/or evidence-based medicine, but more research and clinical trials are needed to fully understand their clinical value.
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They are used to treat a range of conditions, from inflammation to cancer
Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, and their use is gaining popularity in the West. They are typically used in the form of extracts or powder. While research into their health benefits is still in its early stages, some promising results have been observed.
Inflammation
Mushrooms have been used to treat inflammation in traditional medicine. They contain anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the production of inflammatory mediators by downregulating the gene expression of these mediators. In a clinical trial, an extract of AndoSan, a mushroom extract mixture, was found to significantly reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines in healthy individuals. In another study, the same extract was used to treat patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, resulting in a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and an inflammatory marker.
Cancer
Medicinal mushrooms have been studied for their potential anticancer properties due to their high amounts of antioxidants and antitumor effects. Turkey tail mushrooms, also known as Trametes versicolor or Coriolus versicolor, contain a compound called polysaccharide-K (PSK) or polysaccharide β-glucan, which stimulates the immune system to fight cancer. PSK has been used as an adjuvant therapy in cancer patients since the mid-1970s and has been shown to repair immune cell damage caused by chemotherapy. Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum) have also been studied for their potential anticancer effects, particularly in lung cancer.
It is important to note that while medicinal mushrooms may provide health benefits, they should be treated like medication and discussed with a doctor before use. The research in this field is still evolving, and more studies are needed to fully understand the effects and safety of mushroom supplementation.
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They can be taken in the form of supplements, functional foods, or extracts
Medicinal mushrooms are a valuable source of bioactive compounds and are used extensively as functional foods. They have been used for centuries as immune-boosters, antibacterial agents, and remedies for inflammation, fatigue, and chronic metabolic conditions. The practice of supplementing with these functional fungi is quickly gaining popularity in the West.
Functional foods are those that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. An example of a functional food is Pleurotus eryngii, a cultivated mushroom consumed fresh worldwide. Turkey tail, or Trametes versicolor, is another type of mushroom that can be taken as a supplement or functional food. It is so-called because its rings of brown and tan resemble the tail feathers of a turkey. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is known as Yun Zhi and is used to treat lung diseases.
Extracts are also available, such as those from Real Mushrooms, which provides organic mushroom extracts verified for beneficial medicinal compounds like beta-glucans. Reishi mushrooms, or Ganoderma lucidum, are usually dried and taken as an extract in the form of a liquid, capsule, or powder. Reishi has been used as medicine for a long time in East Asia and is believed to prolong life, prevent aging, and increase energy.
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More research is needed to understand their full potential and ensure safety
Medicinal mushrooms are a valuable source of bioactive compounds and have been used as functional foods for centuries. They have been used to boost immunity, fight bacteria, and remedy inflammation, fatigue, and chronic metabolic conditions. In recent years, the popularity of supplementing with these functional fungi has been growing in the West.
While there is a growing body of research supporting the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms, more clinical studies are needed to assess their efficacy and safety within the complex human body system. The diversity of species and the amount of bioactive substances contained therein mean that this area is still incompletely explored. Further research is needed to isolate and identify the bioactive substances present in mushrooms and to conduct clinical experiments to confirm their therapeutic effects.
In addition, toxicological studies confirming the safety of medicinal mushrooms are necessary. The possible presence of substances that are harmful to health means that the origin, cultivation conditions, and raw material processing must be controlled to ensure the health and safety of nutraceutical products. The levels of active compounds that the health effects are based on can vary depending on factors such as the age of cultivation and what the mushrooms are grown in.
Furthermore, the cultivation of medicinal mushrooms on a large scale is mainly performed in China, and many European companies that sell mushrooms are supplied by Chinese manufacturers. However, most of the production facilities in China do not have internationally recognized Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and the products purchased from abroad in the form of powders and extracts may not always be of ascertained origin and may be of doubtful taxonomic identification. Therefore, tighter regulations may be needed to ensure that mushroom supplements are pure and safe for consumption.
While the research into the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms is still in its infancy, the preliminary results are promising. For example, clinical trials of lion's mane found that extracts of the mushroom improved cognitive test scores in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, and another suggested benefits for those with mild Alzheimer's disease. Reishi has been used as medicine for a long time in East Asia, and it is believed to prolong life, prevent aging, and increase energy. In China, it is used to strengthen the immune system of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
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Frequently asked questions
Medicinal mushrooms are macroscopic fungi used in the form of extracts or powder to prevent, alleviate, or heal multiple health issues. They have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to boost the immune system, fight bacteria, and remedy inflammation, fatigue, and chronic metabolic conditions.
Turkey tail, reishi, maitake, and cordyceps are some examples of medicinal mushrooms. Turkey tail, or Coriolus versicolor, is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat lung diseases. Reishi, or Ganoderma lucidum, is used to strengthen the immune system of cancer patients. Maitake, or Grifola frondosa, is used to support the spleen and benefit qi. Cordyceps sinensis is used in traditional Chinese medicine to enhance athletic performance and stress resistance.
Medicinal mushrooms have been found to possess anti-allergic, antimicrobial, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and immunomodulating properties. They also have protective effects on the liver, brain, skeletal and cardiovascular systems, and glucose metabolism.
Medicinal mushrooms are typically consumed as dietary supplements or functional foods. They can be taken in the form of teas, capsules, liquids, or powders. However, it is important to note that the mushroom supplement market currently lacks control standards, and more research is needed to understand the full scope of their benefits.
