Mushrooms and your Health

In Asia, mushrooms are an enduring symbol of longevity, and the Chinese have used them medicinally for some 6,000 years. But until Americans started developing a taste for more exotic cuisines, the most nutritious types of mushrooms, such as Asian shiitakes and maitakes, were nowhere to be found on supermarket shelves or dinner tables. Fortunately, all that has changed, as shiitakes and their brethren have become immensely popular for their meaty, smoky, hearty goodness. They deserve to be equally popular for their healing goodness.

Mushroom Immune Power
Asian mushrooms have potent immunity-building powers.
Shiitakes contain a compound called lentinan that revs up the immune system, strengthening the body against infection and disease. Studies have shown that lentinan is even more effective than powerful prescription drugs in fighting influenza and other viruses. It has also been shown to slow the AIDS virus in the body.

Lentinan may offer protection against cancer as well. When fed to lab animals with tumors, lentinan, in the form of dried mushroom powder, inhibited tumor growth by up to 67 percent.

Another Asian mushroom, maitake, contains beta-glucan, a compound that has been shown to reduce tumors; researchers believe it may be even more effective at fighting disease than lentinan.
Mushroom Heart Protection
Eating shiitakes is good for your heart. Shiitakes contain a compound called eritadenine that has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. One study showed that a group of women eating three ounces of shiitakes a day for a week reduced their cholesterol levels by an average of 12 percent. Shiitakes and other Asian mushrooms also appear to thin the blood and help prevent dangerous clots.

More and more markets now carry Asian mushrooms, particularly the popular shiitakes, but if you don't find the fresh version, dried mushrooms are a convenient and nutritious alternative. To prepare dried mushrooms, put them in a pan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and add them to your recipe. You can use the water to make soup stock.

Many people think that if certain foods are good, a lot is better.
This is not always the case, and high doses of certain food are actually toxic.

Read about the healthy food, research the vitamins and minerals and check with your health care provider if you are unsure about how much to eat and how much may be too much.