Like all health fads that start out strong, medicinal mushrooms are now under the spotlight, sparking our curiosity. Although they were considered a nutritional underdog for years, mushrooms are now gaining popularity among health and wellness enthusiasts.
Through thousands of years of empirical evidence, scientists just know where to look, so that everything is proven. The dedicated team of researchers at SuperFeast provides details and history so that you can be better informed about the different kinds available. As part of your research journey, read on to understand five ways eating medicinal mushrooms can help you.
1- Reduce the Effects of Free Radicals
It’s the same old story! Free radicals have been long known to attack parts of the human cells, leaving the body susceptible to various ailments (including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s) as well as tissue damage and premature aging. Luckily, antioxidants found in natural superfoods – such as medicinal mushrooms – work to combat that effect.
2- Enhance Training Endurance
Who doesn’t want to be stronger, and subsequently, better at exercising? Whether they’re professional athletes or sports enthusiasts, health-aware individuals will be excited to learn that extracts from medicinal mushrooms have been shown to widen the aorta (the main artery in your body that supplies oxygenated blood to your entire circulatory system). This leads to an increase in blood flow, which significantly enhances endurance during training sessions.
3- Support Your Immune System
Medicinal mushrooms are rich in proteins, nutrients, and vitamins that can support your body and strengthen your response to various stressors and infections. They keep your body’s reactions working at a desirable level, allowing for quick and efficient action whenever an external factor poses a threat to your system.
4- Promote Brain Health
Studies have shown that Lion’s Mane —a type of medicinal mushroom— has the ability to activate a very important peptide (which is a small protein in your body) known as NGF (short for Nerve Growth Factor). NGF is essential for the growth, maintenance, and survival of the neurons (the specialized cells that transmit nerve impulses) in your brain. This is specifically important because —unlike most cells— nerve cells are the hardest to regenerate after trauma or damage, if at all.
5- Improve Your Mental Health
For centuries, some types of medicinal mushrooms have been used in China and across several cultures to calm the body and mind. They commonly combine daily with meditation practices to truly enhance people’s feelings of calm and groundedness.
Just because it sounds like a fad, doesn’t mean that it’s not worth exploring. Mushrooms are one of nature’s many gifts to its creatures, rich with a myriad of compounds that can really assist the body and mind in a journey of betterment.
Thanks to the wide range of exciting benefits like supporting immunity and brain health, enhancing exercise endurance, as well as protecting the body’s tissues and improving mental health, medicinal mushrooms are now finally being taken seriously. Remember that each mushroom is unique and that you should know what you’re using it for before deciding on the best type for you.
