New and Fascinating Medicinal Uses for Mushrooms

Growing up in Iowa, one of our favorite things to do was to go mushroom hunting.  Walking through the woods in our back 40 acres to find and bag morel mushrooms (non-toxic) to take home, cook and eat.  Now my husband and I take mushroom supplements to get all of the benefits they have to offer for our health.

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This may sound crazy, but I think mushrooms are fascinating. Not only are there thousands of different types of this fungus, but some can be eaten, some can be toxic, some can produce a psychedelic high, and some can even be treatments for diseases and disorders. See, fascinating!

Mushrooms as Medicine

According to Dr. Mercola, “mushrooms are nature’s recycling system…they break down rocks and organic matter.” And the most noteworthy info on mushrooms is that the mycelia, which are the vegetative part of the mushroom, actually contain healing agents.

Below are 7 medicinal uses of mushrooms:

• Strengthen your immune system
• Provide kidney support
• Stabilize cholesterol and blood sugar
• Reduce risk of heart disease
• Relieve respiratory illnesses, including asthma
• Increase longevity
• Enhance weight loss

Doctors have even found that one of the bonuses of the immune strengthening properties of mushrooms include destroying cancer cells when patients are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation.

Mushroom Options

Do you hate eating mushrooms?  One option is to drink reishi mushroom tea (see below). Chinese medicine has been using reishi mushrooms for 2,000 years and studies have found “a type of carbohydrate molecule found in reishi mushrooms, can induce antibodies to recognize and kill antigens associated with tumors or cancer cells.” I find it especially relevant that Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center recommends reishi mushrooms to their patients.

Earlier this year, Dr. Oz had a segment on his show where he went over specific mushrooms and the health benefits of each. For example, shitake mushrooms are great for lowering cholesterol and cremini mushrooms are great for fighting off colds and the flu.

If you’re looking to boost your immune system to protect your health or you have a more serious condition, consider medicinal fungi supplements. Or just add more mushrooms to your diet.

Do you already love mushrooms or are you now considering eating them more often? We’d love to hear from you, especially if you have some great mushroom recipes!  Leave a comment below.

Leann Forst, MBA, CHC — Family Health & Cancer Coach

Leann is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Certified Essential Oils Coach, holding a Master’s degree from Drake University and a Bachelor of Science from Upper Iowa University. Leann is accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. And she is an award winning author of 2 books “How to Get Your Kids to Beg for Veggies” and “100 Ways to Lose Weight”.

Born and raised as an Iowa farm girl, she moved to Texas in 1998 where she lives with her husband and 2 kids.

As a wife of a brain cancer survivor, Leann has a special interest in anti-cancer nutrition and detoxification. She works with individuals and groups, and speaks regularly at hospitals, schools and organizations to teach people how to attain optimal health by getting to the root cause of chronic and inflammatory conditions, while using healing modalities such as essential oils. Click here to get Leann’s free report, “37 Cancer Facts You Should Know…But Probably Don’t”. And take Leann’s Nutrient Deficiency Quiz here.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

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