And Then There Were Mushrooms Everywhere

I was wandering around the internet early this morning and came across an article heralding all the wonderous benefits mushrooms have and how healthy they are for you. The article didn't list their sources of information,  how they were good for you specifically, or how to prepare them to get the most benefit from them. I get funny about things that call themselves informational articles that don't actually contain much information. The topic tends to hijack my brain. I get all geeky, hit the books, research like mad, and then my brain gets so full of whatever I've gotten obsessed over, it explodes and I'm left with something like mushrooms falling straight out of my head. If you want the low down on these little nutritional jewels, read on!

One of my favourite books on nutrition:

The book is written by Jonny Bowden who is a Ph.D. and C.N.S. What's really great about it? I'll tell you:

• Easy to read. The book is written in a way that the average person can understand without getting overwhelmed or going into a coma from boredom. 
• Informative. Jonny Bowden didn't rely on his opinions about any of the foods he included in here. He went to specialists, lists studies in case you want to read more information about a topic he mentions and did his due diligence. The information is well presented and succinct. You can't go wrong with it.

This book was the first thing I ran to for verification of some facts. Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., gives a lot of information on Maitake, Shiitake, and Reishi mushrooms. This trio of mushrooms have amazing effects on bodies. How?

• Immune Systems. The low down is they all seem to stimulate the immune system because of the Beta-glucans in them. 
• Cancer treatment aids. This hits close to home since I've had cancer. Countries have now acknowledged certain components of mushrooms  are great at counteracting the toxicity of radiation and chemotherapy. According to Robert Roundtree, M.D., they've even found that maitake mushroom extract can shrink tumors in mice. It's believed that the lentinan in shiitake mushroms can help prevent some of the damage that results from anti-cancer drugs. And the Reishi mushroom has been found to reduce side effects during chemotherapy. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is getting in on some of the Reishi love and has it listed on their "about herbs" website. They have references to clinical studies showing just how reishi helps out cancer patients if you want to take your research a step further.   
• Stress. If you're wigging out, physically or mentally, reishi might be able to help. Roundtree recommends it for stress cases like myself or for endurance athletes. 
• Nutrients, nutrients, nutrients. You would be amazed at all the nutrients packed into these tiny little nuggets. 

{nutritional values provided by whfoods.com}

{nutritional values provided by whfoods.com}

{nutritional values provided by nutritiondata.self.com}

I was unable to discover any data for Reishi mushrooms. If someone else would like to contribute to this article, please let me know!

For maximum nutrient content, raw is without a doubt the best way to eat mushrooms. If you want to incorporate them in a dish but retain as much of the nutritional value as possible,  sautee them in some vegetable broth for 7 minutes according to whfoods.com. You can add them as toppings to many different things as a quick nutrient boost to your meal!

None of this post is intended to substitute for any medical care. Please be smart and proactive. Visit your doctors and ask questions when in doubt.

Hopefully, I've provided some food for thought as well as for your body with my attempt at an "informative" health post!

xoxo