Blog
Discover Top 10 Mushrooms For Your Health
4 min

Discover Top 10 Mushrooms For Your Health

4 min

With so many varieties of mushrooms available, there's plenty that our funghi friends offer in terms of potential health and well-being benefits for users. What's more is that these mushroom extracts can be purchased in supplement, capsule and powdered formats, meaning that they can easily slot into your daily life.

With a long history of traditional usage that can be traced back to a variety of medicinal practices, mushrooms are still being harnessed for their potential health and well-being benefits to this very day. With the advent of simple and reliable extraction methods, supplements, capsules and powders taken from a wide variety of mushrooms are now available. There's never been a better time to sample what mushrooms can do for you.

What are the potential health benefits of mushrooms?

So just what can mushrooms do for you, and what kind of possible well-being and health benefits do you open yourself up to if you take them? It's certainly no secret that mushrooms contain massive amounts of fibre, vitamins and various other nutrients. However, that’s not all mushrooms have to offer. Other possible mushroom benefits include being rich in antioxidants, supporting the immune system and some may even help to bolster heart health.

Top 10 mushrooms for your health

Of course, not all mushrooms are made equal, and so depending on what benefits you’d like, you’ll have to tailor your choices to the correct fungus.

1. Turkey Tail

Turkey Tail

Otherwise known as Coriolus versicolor, the Turkey Tail mushroom has a long history of use in Asia, including China and Japan.

While these mushrooms are bound to stop you in your tracks visually, there's more than meets the eye with this fungal friend. Turkey Tail is packed full of antioxidants and has the potential to support the immune system and even promote gut health. Typically available in powdered and capsule supplement form, it's easy to slot this mushroom into your daily life by taking it first thing in the morning or adding it to a variety of meals during the day to experience all the benefits that Turkey Tail has to offer.

2. Reishi

Reishi

Whether taken as a tincture, powdered extract or as capsules, Reishi is another mushroom that's steeped in a long history of use. Also known as Lingzhi, which translates to “spiritual potency”, this is a mushroom that has been used for thousands of years since ancient China and still very much has a place in the world today.

It's thought this mushroom has the potential to not only enhance the immune system but also promote sleep readiness and even alleviate moments of pressure, making Reishi the perfect choice for daily consumption.

3. Lion's Mane

Lion's Mane

With a furry appearance that's very much reminiscent of its namesake, there are no prizes for guessing why Lion's Mane is named the way it is.

This mushroom is otherwise called Hericium erinaceus and is typically found in North America, and can be a little tricky to find in the wild in Europe. However, what's on offer here is not only a delicious flavour that's perfect for many dishes when prepared fresh, but it's the potential benefits that are bound to be the biggest draw. Users open themselves up to the possibility of regulating blood sugar, the reduction of high blood pressure and the reduction of inflammation.

4. Wood Ear Mushroom / Juda's Ear

Wood Ear Mushroom / Juda's Ear

Rich in vitamin B and massive levels of antioxidants, there's already plenty of love for Wood Ear Mushrooms. These funghi have the potential to aid the immune system and even aid digestion and bolster gut health. Wood Ear Mushrooms are native to China and have long been used for medicinal and culinary purposes.

However, in more modern times, Wood Ear Mushrooms really lend themselves well to more supplemental uses, with many users taking a daily capsule before food.

5. Porcini

Porcini

Loaded with protein, potassium, iron and zinc, not to mention a huge source of vitamin B and antioxidants, there are many reasons to check out Porcini mushrooms. And we haven't even talked about their sweet and nutty flavours! Whether you're sampling these mushrooms fresh or as a supplement, there's plenty to gain here. It's thought that Porcini mushrooms have the potential to reduce inflammation and promote digestive health.

There's even research (Westerterp, 2004) that suggests these mushrooms can help on the road to weight loss. This is one shroom that should be on your radar.

6. Shiitake

Shiitake

Shiitake mushrooms, scientifically referred to as Lentinula edodes, are native to East Asia and are certainly no strangers on plates in many restaurants. While they, of course, provide some amazing flavours, Shiitake mushrooms also have a range of potential health and well-being benefits for users that shouldn't be missed.

Dried Shiitake mushrooms have long been utilised in traditional medicine, and thanks to readily available supplements and powders, it's never been easier to sample their possible benefits. Being able to strengthen your immune system and even potentially boosting your heart health are just two of many possible benefits on offer with Shiitake mushrooms.

7. Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster Mushrooms

Otherwise known as the Pleurotus ostreatus, the Oyster mushroom is packed full of iron, vitamin D and niacin. All of these combine to bring plenty of possible benefits to users.

Whether eaten fresh or in supplement form, Oyster mushrooms are versatile and can be used with a wide variety of dishes and even smoothies! Sampling the delights of this fungus will potentially boost your immune system, regulate blood sugar levels and may even have a positive impact on the health of your heart. Couple that with large amounts of antioxidants and nutrients, and your body is in for a treat.

8. Chaga

Chaga

With Siberian shamans referring to the Chaga mushroom as the “gift from heaven”, you know you're in for something extraordinary here. Ok, so while "being from heaven" might set your expectations a little high, there's still plenty to get out of the Chaga experience.

Typically grown on the side of hardwood trees in cold locations, Chaga is a robust and resilient fungus that, when harvested, showcases a variety of possible health and well-being benefits for users. With the potential to boost your immune system, fight inflammation and lower cholesterol, the Chaga mushroom can be easily purchased fresh or in capsule form to get a daily fix.

9. Enoki Mushrooms

Enoki Mushrooms

You may know this variety as Winter or Golden Needle mushrooms. The Enoki mushroom can be found throughout North America, Asia and Europe and has plenty to offer users.

Not only do Enoki mushrooms have an alluring and unique appearance, but they also have the potential to impact your health and well-being, regardless of whether you use them fresh or as a supplement. Enoki mushrooms are highly nutritious and rich in antioxidants, but they also have other possible benefits which might improve brain function. One study (Yang et al., 2015) carried out on animals, showed that the use of Enoki mushrooms improved memory and overall brain function. However, more research is needed before any concrete evidence can be drawn.

10. Cordyceps

Cordyceps

You might recognise this type of mushroom from a particular video game TV adaptation, but we can assure you that you won't be turning into some kind of zombie by taking Cordyceps. Far from it, in fact!

Cordyceps have long been harnessed for their possible health and well-being benefits and still very much have a place in modern times. Cordyceps are even utilised in a wide variety of other products, such as skin care, sports nutrition and heart supplements, just to name a few! So if you're looking for a possible boost in physical performance, potential anti-ageing capabilities and even the reduction of inflammation, Cordyceps could very well be the way to go.

Make the most of mushrooms

As you can see by this point, our fungal friends have plenty of possible benefits to offer, and there are many ways we can take them too. As mentioned, mushrooms can be easily eaten fresh, but there are many other methods that are even more effortless.

From tinctures to powdered extracts and supplement capsules, there are consumption methods that will suit everyone. What's more, you can even look to grow your very own at home if you fancy it. With that in mind, simply head over to the Zamnesia Shroomshop and Healthshop to get your hands on some of the finest shroom-based products around today.

Zamnesia
Zamnesia
Zamnesia is an otherworldly expert in all things cannabis and psychedelic. Combining that specialist knowledge with hours of scrupulous research, Zamnesia creates outstanding content around the clock. Thanks to their divine personality, we're proud to say Zamnesia has become our ear-to-the-ground for everything to do with mind-altering substances.
References
Healthshop Products
Search in categories
or
Search