The Benefits of Mushroom Powder

There are many validated health benefits to adding just 1/2 teaspoon of this mushroom extract to your morning cappuccino, coffee, hot cocoa or matcha latte to make a powerful elixir. Below are some of the many health benefits based on research studies. Oh and P.S. you cannot taste it!

1. Cardiovascular benefits. Mice that were fed fermented chaga and cheonggukjang extract in a study had reduced serum triglycerides and body fat and increased serum

HDL (good cholesterol) when compared to a control group, (1) Having a higher HDL to cholesterol ratio is important in protecting against heart disease.

2. Anti-inflammatory/Immunity benefits. Cordyceps can alleviate chronic allergic inflammation, (2). Reishi (which is used in the popular Wildfoods mushroom extract) inhibits inflammation in human colon cancer cells, (3). Cordyceps also reduce Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) cytokines which may be involved in inflammation related cancers, (4). Lion's Mane extract increases the powerful antioxidant, superoxide dismutase, which helps to decrease lipid peroxidation (8). Lipid peroxidation leads to oxidative damage and has been seen in diseases such as cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis and heart failure.

3. Metabolic benefits. A study done on rats confirmed that cordycep extract lowered insulin resistance and blood glucose levels, offering protection against the development of type II diabetes. (5). Reishi also reduces obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation via changes in the gut microbiome, having a protective effect against the development of type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, (9).

4. Cognitive Benefits. Treatment of reishi to mice yielded an increase in neural progenitor proliferation and improved cognitive performance and memory, having a negative correlation with the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. (6) Lion's Mane mushroom extract leads to peripheral nerve regeneration post injury, also supporting the improvement of cognition, (7).

5. Digestive Benefits. Lion's Mane extract protects the stomach's mucosal lining from substances such as alcohol, reducing the likelihood of ulcers, (8). In fact, the extract reduced ulcers more than the pharmaceutical antacid drug in the experiment. The polysaccharides in the mushrooms help to proliferate the beneficial gut microbiota. Lion's Mane also alters the composition and activity of the gut microbiota, which improves the overall immunity and nutrition status of the host, (9). Reishi helps to maintains the integrity of the intestines, decreasing the incidence of toxins leaking out of the intestines, (9).

My favorite Non-GMO brand is WildFoods because they work with small farmers and have tight quality control of their shrooms!

Sources

1) New Findings from Kangwon National University in the Area of Obesity Reported (Secondary Fermented Extract of Chaga-Cheonggukjang Attenuates the Effects of Obesity and Suppresses Inflammatory Response in the Liver and Spleen of High-Fat .). Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week. 2019:3224.

2) Roupas P, Keogh J, Noakes M, Margetts C, Taylor P. The role of edible mushrooms in health: Evaluation of the evidence. Journal of Functional Foods. 2012;4:687-709.

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3) Hong K, Dunn DM, Shen C, Pence BC. Effects of ganoderma lucidum on apoptotic and anti‐inflammatory function in HT‐29 human colonic carcinoma cells. Phytotherapy Research. 2004;18:768-770.

4) Taofiq O, Martins A, Barreiro MF, Ferreira ICFR. Anti-inflammatory potential of mushroom extracts and isolated metabolites. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2016;50:193-210.

5)CHOI SB, PARK CH, CHOI MK, JUN DW, PARK S. Improvement of Insulin Resistance and Insulin Secretion by Water Extracts of Cordyceps militaris, Phellinus linteus, and Paecilomyces tenuipes in 90% Pancreatectomized Rats. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 2004;68:2257-2264.

6) Huang S, Mao J, Ding K, et al. Polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum Promote Cognitive Function and Neural Progenitor Proliferation in Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Stem Cell Reports. 2017;8:84-94.

7) Wong K, Kanagasabapathy G, Naidu M, David P, Sabaratnam V. Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers., a medicinal mushroom, activates peripheral nerve regeneration. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2016;22:759-767.

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8) Wong J, Abdulla MA, Raman J, et al. Gastroprotective Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae) Extract against Ethanol-Induced Ulcer in Rats. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. 2013;2013:492976-492976.

9) Jayachandran M, Xiao J, Xu B. A Critical Review on Health Promoting Benefits of Edible Mushrooms through Gut Microbiota. International journal of molecular sciences. 2017;18:1934.