The Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms have been a part of Asian medicine for thousands of years. Recent scientific research has shown that some have specific components that can make them effective in the treatment of conditions from asthma to cancer.

Cordyceps, for example, may be used to treat high cholesterol, arrhythmias (irregularities of the heartbeat), and long-term kidney failure. But it's probably most popular because it can relax smooth muscle, making it very useful for people with asthma and bronchitis. In the case of asthma, it may help reduce the number of times a person needs to use an inhaler. However, it's important to take it every day, and allow about 6 weeks for its benefits to take effect.

Maitake is used by Japanese physicians to treat high blood pressure. But it may be most notable for two other effects. It seems to be able to reduce resistance to insulin in people with type 2 diabetes. And it provides major support to the immune system, to the extent of sometimes even blocking the growth of cancerous tumors. It can be helpful against stomach and bone cancers and leukemia, and researchers have suggested that it's a good adjunct to chemotherapy, especially since it can help relieve chemo's serious side effects.

Reishi may be just as effective as synthetic drugs in reducing LDL ("bad") cholesterol, especially since it doesn't have synthetics' deleterious effects on the liver. But it does need to be taken for about four months before its effects will be noticed. It also has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties, and may be helpful in the treatment of HIV. And it's a good source of vitamins B, C, and D, and the minerals calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

Shiitake contains vitamins A, C, D, and E and the mineral selenium. It's been used to treat high blood pressure. But perhaps its most notable product is the extract Lentinan, which has been licensed in Japan for the treatment of cancer. Lentinan seems to be especially effective against cancers of the liver, stomach, ovaries, lung, and bowel. It's also useful as an adjunct to AZT in the treatment of AIDS, and can help fight the hepatitis B and herpes simplex viruses.

Cordyceps, maitake, reishi, and shiitake are the most well-known medicinal mushrooms, but there are others that hold promise in the treatment of disease. Coriolus, for example, can increase the survival rates of individuals with cancer of the lung, breast, colon, or stomach. And tremella, called Bai Mu Erh in traditional Chinese medicine, may help stimulate the body's immune system.

These mushrooms aren't just medicinal; they're also nutritional, because of their vitamin, mineral, and protein content. In fact, some vegetarians use them in place of animal protein.

But that doesn't mean you need to eat large quantities of these mushrooms every day; in fact, fresh or even dried versions can be hard to find and can be costly. There are alternatives in the form of tablets and capsules, available mainly in natural food stores and online.

But if you're planning to add mushrooms to your diet or take them in the form of nutritional supplements because you have a serious or chronic condition, always be sure to check with your doctor first. Medicinal mushrooms can be very useful, but in some cases they're even more helpful when used along with other more "mainstream" forms of medical treatment.