The Immune-Boosting Power of Mushrooms

The Immune-Boosting Power of Mushrooms

There is no shortage of products that claim to help people get through cold and flu season. But for those who like to focus on scientifically-backed natural medicines, consider making room in your medicine cabinet for an effective new immune-booster – mushrooms.

History of Mushroom Extracts

The ability to determine and use key active ingredients from fungi for medicine only goes back to about 1928 and the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming.

Derived from Penicillium fungi, penicillin was widely used to treat infections starting in the mid-20th century. We now know that other types of fungi can be used to treat a wide array of health concerns.

What Mushrooms Can Do For You

Although there is still much to be learned about how exactly mushrooms help us avoid illness, scientists have found that since mushrooms require powerful antibacterial and antifungal compounds to live in their natural environment, we can benefit from the strong defenses that mushrooms have developed.

The most researched and well-understood immune-boosting component of mushrooms seem to be beta-glucans.

Beta-glucans are naturally-occurring molecules that increase immune defenses by activating the part of the immune system that helps antibodies clear pathogens from the body. Beta-glucans also enhance the function of natural killer cells and macrophages, which are component cells of our immune system designed to destroy cellular debris, foreign substances, microbes, cancer cells, and anything that doesn’t look like a healthy cell.

Beta-glucans are classified as polysaccharides, which are molecules that are known to stimulate immune function and inhibit tumor growth. Beta-glucans and polysaccharides are essentially like sparring partners for our immune system that, while posing no real threat, keep our immune system sharp and ready to go at the first sign of trouble.

Which Mushrooms are the Best for Immune Health?

There are three particular kinds of immune-boosting mushrooms that have plenty of research to back them up.

The first is the shiitake mushroom. Shiitake mushrooms are well-known not only for their powerful medicinal properties, but also for their role in popular Asian dishes such as miso soup and Buddha’s delight.

Another immune system-supporting mushroom to know is the reishi mushroom. Although its bitter taste keeps it from being a popular culinary ingredient, it is one of the oldest known mushrooms to be used medicinally. In addition to possibly helping with a wide array of conditions ranging from asthma to stiff shoulders and necks, reishi mushrooms boost the immune system through their superior beta-glucans.

The last mushroom to know for keeping away colds and the flu is the maitake mushroom. Maitake mushrooms are a widely-used ingredient in cooking, similar to shiitake mushrooms. It is believed that maitake and shiitake mushrooms contain different kinds of polysaccharides that work synergistically when paired together.

Most people probably don’t want to eat three different kinds of mushrooms nearly every day to keep their immune systems strong. Some people simply don’t like to eat mushrooms.

Fortunately, mushroom extracts contain highly concentrated dehydrated mushroom powder that is about 10 times as potent as the mushroom in its original state. So if you take a supplement with 1g of mushroom extract, it’s the equivalent of eating 10g of whole mushroom.

There is a supplement that conveniently supplies all three varieties that I discussed here in each capsule called M/R/S Mushroom Formula, by Pure Encapsulations, that makes it even easier to harness the immune-boosting power of mushrooms. Not only do you not have to worry about which kind of mushrooms to be eating, but it also gives you controlled, effective medicinal doses of mushroom that can keep you healthy and feeling vital.

For those who prefer liquid forms whenever possible, I recommend Thorne Research’s Myco-Immune for the same reasons.

We hope this slide show was helpful and informative. Should you have questions, or suggestions, please feel free to fill out our Ask the Doctor form found at the Doctors Corner.

Yours in health!

Dr. Gittins