Mushrooms are an ideal food - they contain almost no fat, sugar and salt but are a valuable source of dietary fiber.
Niacin helps to control the release of energy from protein, fat and carbohydrate. Riboflavin is also essential for the breakdown of carbohydrate, fat and protein into energy. It is also needed for healthy skin and mucous membranes, especially those in the cornea. Thiamin controls the release of energy from carbohydrate, needed for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. Folate is essential for the formation of red and white blood cells in bone marrow. B6 is essential for breaking down protein for use in building new body tissue. Biotin is necessary for the release of energy from fat.
Collectively, these B vitamins in mushrooms may help to relieve stress, depression and fatigue.
Mushrooms are also one of the few dietary sources of Vitamin D - for strong healthy hair, skin and nails.
Mushrooms are a good source of the minerals potassium, selenium, copper and phosphorus. Mushrooms contain more potassium than most other vegetables and fruits. This mineral can have a positive effect in lowering blood pressure. Selenium has anti-oxidant properties, rendering harmful free radicals safe and is therefore implicated as an anti-can cer agent. Copper is a vital mineral required to make collagen. Lack of copper is linked with osteoporosis and heart disease. Phosphorus is the companion nutrient to calcium.
Mushrooms are a good source of easily absorbed, high quality vegetable protein, containing more than most other vegetables.
The most well known (in the West) "medicinal mushrooms" of traditional Asian medicine are Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake, and Coriolus Versicolor .
Mushrooms are adaptogens to the immune system, i.e., their complex polysaccharides and other components have the capacity to regulate and equilibrate disordered immune function, as well as to act as an invigorating tonic for the immune system.
Shiitake (Lentinus edodes) has been revered in China and Japan as both a food and a medicinal herb for thousands of years. It is high in soluble fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Maitake (Grifola frondosa) was used traditionally as a tonic and adaptogen, and along with shiitake and reishi, was used as a food to help promote wellness and vitality. The polysaccharides present in maitake have a unique structure (branched beta-1,6-glucans) and are among the most powerful studied to date.
The Reishi derived polysaccharide has been found to be one of the most effective inducers of glutathione S-transferase activity in liver cells, an enzyme critical to the clearance of environmental chemicals from the body.
The Reishi polysaccharide showed potent ability in the laboratory to protect DNA from attack by metal-catalyzed free radical (Fenton) reactions and by ultraviolet light. It was also protective against hydroxyl radical-induced DNA strand breaks.
