Book: The Health Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms

Book Author: Mark Stengler

     This book is a very quick and valuable read.  The book details where medicinal mushrooms originate, specific conditions that they are used to treat, and medical contraindications or concerns.

     One of the biggest take home points is that medicinal mushrooms require a hot water and or ethanol extraction technique to access the immune enhancing beta glucans within their cells.  This is because the individual cells of mushrooms have a thick cell wall made of chitin.  Boiling the mushrooms for 20-120 minutes allows the beta glucans to be distributed in the water, which is then dried, powdered and can be placed into capsules.

In addition, it is important to use the correct dosage of the mushroom, in order to get a therapeutic benefit from these supplements.  They are often underdosed.

Finally, knowing what each medicinal mushroom is used for, is also important.  Medicinal mushrooms have a long history of being used in many cultures as well as in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The book reviewed 7 different medicinal mushrooms and their uses.  This is a brief description of the mushrooms discussed:

Agaricus- antitumorigenic effects

Cordyceps- adrenal support, asthma and tinnitus

Coriolus- Chemotherapy support, antitumorigenic and HIV

Maitaki- antitumorigenic and HIV

Reishi- cholesterol, antiviral, and immune support

Shiitake- antimicrobial, immune support

 Hericium- Stomach and cognitive enhancement.

If you want to learn more details about the use of medicinal mushrooms, dosing, adverse reactions, and individual uses of them, I strongly recommend that you read this book.  It is a quick, easy and user-friendly guide to get you started.

Be wise and be well!