Medicinal mushrooms have finally gained some well-deserved attention in the media. Science has uncovered many incredible health benefits that offer hope for both chronic and acute conditions. Furthermore, many “alternative” healthcare providers are using them with their patients with amazing results.
But there is a sneaky fact I want you to understand so you don’t waste your money.
First, let’s look at some of the top medicinal mushrooms on the market and their basic benefits:
Reishi: Enhances immune function, increases energy thus reducing fatigue, helps balance sleep issues, reduces stress, and has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Maitake: Increases tumor fighting cells, reduces cholesterol especially LDL, increases longevity.
Shitake: Supports immune function, enhances cardiovascular health, lowers blood cholesterol levels, and is anti-aging.
Oyster: Promotes immune and cardiovascular health, has antibacterial properties, helps healthy blood sugar levels, highly nutritious containing ergothioneine, a unique antioxidant.
Lion’s mane: Excellent for memory, brain health, cognition, brain injury or disorders. Helps relieve mild symptoms of anxiety and depression. Reduces risk of heart disease while also managing symptoms of diabetes and protects the digestive tract from ulcers.
Turkey tail: Enhances immune function, high in antioxidants, improves chemotherapy response, improves digestive function, and increases stamina.
Cordyceps: Improves athletic performance, improves immune function, may be anti-cancer, improves energy levels and general health, treats respiratory disorders like chronic cough and bronchitis, kidney issues like waking to urinate often.
Morel: Stimulates the immune system, demonstrates antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and some anti-tumor properties. They are also higher than most mushrooms in vitamin D.
Chaga: This mushroom is going extinct, so it’s best to Not use this one unless you are incredibly ill. By limiting your intake now, we can help it make a strong come-back. They fight inflammation, support the immune system, both prevent and fight cancer, lower cholesterol and blood sugar, and slow the aging process.
Psylocibin: This is a psychedelic mushroom you may have heard about or experienced at a party. But it’s not just for fun, it is actually medicinal. It is still illegal in most states but has been decriminalized in Colorado and is legal in Oregon. MAPS is using it during “end of life care” to help people dying to transition with less fear, more ease and peace. It’s also being used in minute doses that do not cause any psychedelic affects called micro doses; to treat depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It has been used with cancer patients to improve their spiritual wellbeing and decrease hopelessness. These magic mushrooms can help you dissolve your ego and connect to Oneness in a life-changing way.
Now that you are more familiar with some potent mushroom varieties and their particular benefits, I’m ready to reveal the sneaky fact…
Science has discovered many health benefits from the “fruiting body” of different varieties of mushrooms. It’s the part of the mushroom you’re familiar with, the top cap and stem, and it’s also the part that has been shown to be highly medicinal. All mushrooms contain Vitamin D, an important nutrient for bone health and immune function. Even the common button mushroom has therapeutic benefits.
On the other hand, mycelium is the vegetative part and is key in reproduction of fungi. It’s the part from where the fruiting body grows. It is like a network of thread-like filaments intertwined. It can look like a brick after it’s grown. But the mycelium doesn’t grow on its own, it needs large amounts of food or substrate on which to grow. Mushroom growers start by placing spores onto agar and allowing it to germinate. Then they drop the agar into grain (like hydrated and sterilized rye or millet) and inoculate the grain with the liquid culture. Those spores turn into mycelium. Therefore, the mycelium grows on grain and it’s impossible to separate it from the grain. Sadly, there is very little mycelium and loads of grain.
Unfortunately, many mushroom products on the market contain mycelium and Not fruiting body. This is cheap to grow and the product it renders is mostly grain. So if you think you’re getting something good, you’re not. It’s sneaky and I hope to continue to make you an informed consumer, so you can save your money and get products that actually work.
Please continue to read labels. If it says Mycelium, then avoid the product, regardless of whose name is on the label. There are some very well-known mushroom experts, with expensive products, that are using mycelium and therefore their products are expensive grain. I believe you deserve better.
Instead, look for fruiting body dried mushrooms or extracts. I prefer powders as I then add them to cacao (raw chocolate) to make a brain and immune boosting hot chocolate drink. Here is a link to my recipe: Brain Boosting, Stamina Stimulating Cacao Drink. If you find a product that has a ratio like 100:1, avoid it. Retailers have other sneaky ways of confusing you and convincing you that you’re getting something good but in reality, it’s a scam to extract more cash from you.
Just to be fair, mycelium are cool. They are thought of as being part of the “consciousness” of the mushroom. It is valuable but there is no way to remove it from all of the grain, so to raise the price seems very unfair because as a consumer you are buying mostly grain.
You can consider buying mushroom grow-kits and doing it yourself at home. I’m currently growing my own oyster mushrooms. I call them my little mushroom babies, although they are hardly little, more like gigantic!
I have some Pro-Tips for you!
I used to chop my culinary mushrooms and only sauté them in a little oil but I learned that I was doing it all wrong. I was missing out on many of the medicinal properties so I want to share what I’ve learned.
How to Cook Mushrooms for Dinner:
- My mushroom cultivation teachers taught me to never cut or chop a mushroom, rather to pull them apart with my fingers, as if I’m pulling apart string cheese.
- Add mushrooms to a pan, add water so that the mushrooms are touching but not completely floating in it. Water extracts certain nutrients and oil extracts others.
- Do not cover. Stir frequently and allow mushrooms to cook in the water. Allow the water to cook down and become brown.
- Add an oil and cook more. I prefer avocado or coconut oil as these do well with high heat, unlike olive oil.
- After adding the oil, add what other condiments you may desire such as diced garlic, onion, cilantro, or veggies.
- Stir frequently.
- You will know they are done when they are tender and or become a bit crispy. Both options are scrumptious. I was always afraid of over-cooking them but I learned that is nearly impossible.
- Serve hot with a pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of coconut amino acids.
You may also consider buying high quality tinctures of mushroom extractions and adding them to hot tea. I recommend a double or triple extraction. It’s important to have both an alcohol extraction as well as a water extraction as there are medicinal properties that will be extracted with water that will not be with alcohol and vice versa.
How to Make Mushroom Tea:
Finally, you may be inclined to make tea with the dried fruiting body. Depending on how much you desire or if you have a health condition that would benefit from various mushrooms; you may consider using your crockpot. Quantity of water and mushrooms vary. Basically, I like to do about ½ my large crockpot of water and mushrooms and put it on low for a day. I then keep it warm and drink 1 cup twice a day. The harder mushrooms like Reishi take longer to cook than the softer ones like lion’s mane. When you’ve finished half of the water, add more. When that is all gone, then you’re ready to add your soggy mushrooms to alcohol and let sit in a dark, cool place for 4-6 weeks. Strain out the mushroom parts and you have your very own tincture. If you don’t drink the tea, you can save it and add it to the alcohol after 4-6 weeks for a “double extraction” tincture.
The science of medicinal mushroom cultivation, preparation, cooking, creating tinctures and enjoying can be a creative outlet. I’m growing simple oyster mushrooms for cooking and love singing to them and spraying the mycelium with water each day. Other mushroom cultivation can be fraught with challenges of contamination (mold and bacteria), too much or too little moisture, and temperature control. And if cultivation isn’t your thing, just buy some at the store and cook them up. Either way, they are very healthful and tasty.
Blessings of Vibrant Health,
Kristin Grayce McGary
LAc, MAc, CFMP(R), CST-T, CLP
Health & Lifestyle Alchemist