Promote Gut Health
Did you know that frequent mushroom consumption can promote healthy digestion and overall gut health? That’s right, they do! A healthy gut in turn, has a significant impact on many vital functions of the body such as boosting immunity, promoting good heart health, preventing chronic illnesses, curbing instances of inflammations, maintaining management, regulating sleep and also contributing to positive mental health. The gut is made up of microbiota, also known as the gut microbiome. A balanced diet consisting of regular mushroom intake can stimulate the growth of beneficial microbiota which in turn will prevent the body from a host of illnesses & also limit the damage caused by injury or infection in the body.
This immunity also refers to a strengthening of the gut barrier which prevents it from absorbing harmful substances across the gastrointestinal tract. Healthy gut bacteria can even affect your mental state by producing mood-altering neurotransmitters like dopamine, which regulates pleasure, learning and motivation, & serotonin, which plays a role in happiness and appetite. For those struggling with inconsistent sleep, studies also suggest that a healthy composition of your gut microbiome can play a role in how well you sleep. This tells us that there are multiple beneficial reasons to incorporate fresh mushrooms as part of your balanced diet, ultimately enhancing your wellbeing.
Enhance Brain Functions
An increasing number of scientific studies are being conducted to identify foods that can enhance one’s brain power. While the objective is sometimes to enhance existing capabilities, the larger body of research is focused on finding ways to deter cognitive decline vis-a-vis basic brain functionalities such as memory, concentration, productivity and even language fluency.
It is here that exotic mushrooms rise head and shoulders above other superfoods in terms of their benefits for nerve regeneration and regenerative cellular capabilities. One such mushroom that categorically stands out for enhancing brain functions is the lion’s mane.
mushroom. Renowned world over among contemporary nutraceuticals, consumption of lion’s mane extracts are known to sharpen the mind, do away with brain fog, increase productivity & perhaps even enhance creativity.
The human brain, for several reasons over time, is potentially subject to decline. One of them is the inadequate supply of ergothioneine. Ergothioneine is a compound which is not made by the body and has to be ingested from external sources. It can however, be found in several components of a healthy & well-balanced diet, especially in exotic mushrooms like lion’s mane and golden oysters. This is also why consuming lion’s mane is extremely beneficial for those who show early signs of Alzhimers and dementia. As a true superfood, they provide mental clarity to a fatigued mind and also support other healthy brain functions, including concentration & recall. People who take regular meals with mushrooms have also been known to show signs of better mental health, with regards to mild depression as well as anxiety
Promote Heart Health
A portion of mushrooms in your diet will not only be easy on the palate, but also be beneficial for your heart health. This is because micronutrients found in mushrooms prevent cells from sticking to blood vessel walls, thereby curbing plaque build-up within the arterial walls. This ensures a continuous supply of blood to the heart, and also decreases unnecessary stress on the heart muscle to pump blood around the body. So mushroom rich meals are sure to keep your blood pressure in control & promote a healthy you.
Strengthen Bones
Mushrooms that have been exposed to ultraviolet light in the growing process tend to have high levels of Vitamin D. A regular diet consisting of frequent mushroom consumption provides the body with ample Vitamin D, which in turn ensures the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, that help to strengthen your bones & teeth. Vitamin D also aids in the production of proteins in the body which kill bacteria and fight off viral infections. Essentially, mushrooms as part of a healthy diet lower the risk of osteoporosis (brittle bones and decreased bone mass).
Support weight loss
If you are looking to manage your weight, then look no further than mushrooms. With a low calorie, high fiber & water content, mushrooms have a tendency to make you feel full and content after a meal. The high pectin concentration in mushrooms makes them a good source of soluble fiber, which slows down digestion and makes you feel fuller for longer. Furthermore, mushrooms also contain very little fat, high protein and a significant amount of copper, a mineral that supports fat metabolism. Alongside this, they’re also known to maintain blood sugar levels, which provides greater endurance to the body. So they can definitely be a vital addition to your meals if you exercise regularly.
Boost Immunity
We all know that a robust and immune body is the result of a consistent well-balanced diet. This is because a functional and proactive body is the outcome of consuming a variety of micro and macro nutrients. Let us take a look into how exotic mushrooms are one of the finest superfoods available to benefit the human body in a myriad of ways.
Mushrooms are a great source of micronutrients, which lend themselves to a whole host of immunity boosting properties for the body. They help your body fight off infections because, among other things, chitin found in mushrooms makes for probiotics which are extremely beneficial for gut health and overall wellbeing. A healthy gut, in turn, ensures that vital functions of the body perform optimally. The absence of strong immunity makes one’s internal functions & organs more susceptible to break-down and degeneration with time, which ultimately manifests itself externally in ways such as low stamina, frequent inflammations as well as illnesses. It also quickens the aging of the whole body, including cell degeneration, decreased bone & muscle density and also deterioration of some nerve and cognitive functions.
Another way in which mushrooms provide substantial immunity support, is through providing amino acids called ergothioneine as well as B-glucans, which have antioxidant properties. As modern scientific research continues to reveal, consuming antioxidants is one of the best ways to curb inflammations and help fight off viral infections.
Breaking down the food we consume is an essential and continuous process within the body. The imperative process that regulates this function is the thyroid hormone metabolism. A key mineral required for the body for this function is selenium; an apt dietary source for which is exotic mushrooms.
Anti - cancer properties
It has been known through several studies that exotic mushrooms may contain potent anticancer compounds, which have shown promising anti-cancer activity. These include mushroom-derived polysaccharides, terpenes, lectins & antioxidants. Mushroom-derived polysaccharides exhibit potent antitumor activity against several tumor metastasis cells, especially in conjunction with chemotherapy.
Terpenes are another class of compounds, well known for their bioactivity, and many mushroom-derived terpenes have shown potential anticancer properties.
Mushrooms are also a rich source of carbohydrate-binding proteins known as lectins, which have been known to exhibit cytotoxicity/anticancer properties.
Breast cancer has shown promising results in being the most vulnerable to mushroom nutraceuticals. Mushrooms have shown much improvement in breast cancer related fatigue, QOL (quality of life), sleep disturbance, appetite and also depression. Mushroom consumption is also associated with a positive impact on inflammation for obese women who are more susceptible to breast cancer. Advanced stage lung cancer and colon cancer too have shown positive results in conjunction with mushroom extracts.
Anti-aging properties
The concept of aging is not only limited to the idea of wrinkly skin & weaker eyesight. Aging also happens on a cellular level internally, impacting the body’s organs and their functionality. It is here that superfoods provide those essential macro and micro nutrients which can curb, to some extent, the aging process.
Speciality mushrooms are chalk full of antioxidants, especially ergothioneine and glutathione, both of which help the body fight against oxidative stress, caused by the release of free radicals in the digestion process. This is a pivotal utility provided by mushrooms because build-up of free radicals leaves a person more susceptible to build-up of toxins within the body, making the worn out cellular and tissue structures more vulnerable to cancer as well as neuro-degenerative illnesses such as Alzhimer’s.
Exotic mushrooms are also a great source of beta-glucans, a type of polysaccharide that has been shown to stimulate the immune system and promote longevity of the human body.
A good example of this is maitake mushrooms, which contain anti-inflammatory compounds that facilitate faster skin renewal, improve skin elasticity and prevent dark spots, uneven pigmentation and premature wrinkles. Similarly, there are other exotic mushrooms, which are rich in antioxidants that stimulate cell growth and healing, making them an excellent mushroom for reversing the effects of aging, revitalizing damaged skin and improving overall skin health.