3 Main Mushrooms in Whole Food Supplements

There are hundreds of different varieties of mushroom in the world, as adventuring and tourism books like to remind us. Each of them has different properties within the human body -- some are simply a fairly nutritious addition to our dinners, some are poisonous, and some have an amazing number of compounds that our bodies love to have, but generally miss out on! Medicinal mushrooms usually fall into the latter category, and there are three main species of these. We have a look at the potential effects of cordyceps, maitake and reishi mushrooms as whole food supplements.

Cordyceps mushrooms

Cordyceps mushrooms look strange, and quite unlike what we think of when we hear the word "mushroom." Their species name is cordyceps sinensis, and they belong to the ascomycete fungi genus. They are long and sort of woody-looking at the stem, coming to a purplish head. Mushroom hunters in Tibet can earn $900 for an ounce of cordyceps!

Cordyceps has mainly been investigated for its effect on the blood glucose absorption, and its effect in diabetic or insulin resistant people. Whole food supplements made with cordyceps have also been seen to have an antidepressant effect, protect the liver from damage and protect against irradiation.

Maitake mushroom whole food supplements

Maitake is quite similar in taste to the common cooking mushroom shiitake. However, in whole food supplements it has a much greater protective effect in the body. Early studies show that it is rich in antioxidants, and could have immune system supporting effects.

At a base level, maitake whole food supplements have been seen by researchers to regulate blood pressure, help with glucosemetabolism and insulin resistance, could help people lose weight and metabolize fats.

Reishi mushrooms

The name is much less familiar, but the benefits are just as striking, Reishi mushrooms have been used in Chinese courts for centuries, and now scientists believe they may hold potent anti-cancer properties. They have been seen to boost the immune system, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and also to inhibit platelet aggregation (beneficial for people with heart disease). An excellent all-round whole food supplement!