Wellness: The Healing Power of Mushrooms

Spring is here! At least for the most part.  Some of us are still experiencing lingering snow and frost, but in between those harsh days, spring will be making itself known.  Gardens will be tilled, flowers will be blooming, and the hunt for mushrooms begins.

Have you ever gone mushroom hunting? It’s one of my family’s favorite spring activities.  After Sunday dinner, which takes place at my mom’s house, we all bundle up in our raincoats and Muck boots and traipse through the woods.  The most common mushroom in our area is the morel.  We search around oak tree roots, under decomposing wood, and alongside the creek bed.  If we’re extremely lucky, we’ll find a large number of them all grouped together.  More often, however, we find a few at a time.

Of course, there are many mushrooms out there, not just morels, though many aren’t edible.  If you are unsure, double check the actual kind of mushroom you have.  Some are edible, some can be used for medicinal purposes, and some are poisonous.  If you simply prefer to obtain your mushrooms from the store, there are many options available to you.      

Though just the act of mushroom hunting is for fun, there are numerous reasons why you should eat mushrooms.  They are a super nutritious food rich in B vitamins and antioxidants, gathering abundant recognition in recent times for their various medicinal uses. With cancer rates on the rise, many of us seek to find a cure – the answer may just be growing on the forest floor, under a canopy of green leaves. All the more reason to keep woodlands intact and to promote tree planting and reforestation every chance we get.

These 6 mushrooms take the medicinal limelight:

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) – has a calming and soothing effect for sufferers of anxiety, nervousness, and sleepless nights. It helps to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy, at the same time improving strength and vitality of life.

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) – with anti-tumor and anti-viral properties, this mushroom can be used medicinally for most diseases where a depressed immune system is involved, such as cancer, AIDS, Candida and frequent colds.

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) – taken as a tea, in a capsule, or in the form of a mushroom broth, the turkey tail is known to lower cholesterol and enhance the immune system.  It also reduces the side effects of radiation treatment.

Chinese Caterpillar Fungus (Cordyceps sinensis) – it protects the kidneys from the side effects of chemotherapy and is considered the most widely used fungus by Chinese medicine as an anti-cancer prevention.

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) – with both anti-cancer and anti-tumor qualities, it protects the body and supports the immune system, acting as a blood purifier and pain reliever at the same time.

Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) – used to relieve joint and muscle pain, rich in B vitamins and valuable protein, with the ability to lower cholesterol, not to mention that they are super easy to grow at home…

If you are seeking to boost your immune system, research and consume all the palatable mushrooms you can find, for they are more powerful than you will ever know.

Have you used mushrooms for medicinal purposes, or do you simply enjoy them as an added flavor to your entree? Have you ever gone mushroom hunting? If so, which mushrooms do you find where you live? What added benefit do you see to making sure mushrooms are a part of your daily diet?  Let us know your stories.  Connect with us on Instagram @MapsCookingKids or on Twitter @MapsCookingKids. Until next time, agape, be kind, and happy parenting.