Functional mushrooms. What are they?

Other names for functional mushrooms:
Medicinal mushrooms:
Used to describe mushrooms that have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries in traditional medicine.

Adaptogenic mushrooms:
Used to describe mushrooms that are believed to help the body adapt to stress and improve overall health and
well-being.

Immune-boosting mushrooms:
Used to describe mushrooms that are believed to help support the immune system and prevent illnesses.

Nootropic mushrooms:
Used to describe mushrooms that are believed to improve cognitive function and mental clarity.
Shiitake, Maitake, Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Agaricus, Turkey tail, Phellinus, Poria, Hericium.
It’s important to note that while some mushrooms have been extensively studied and have been found to have health benefits, not all mushrooms have been proven to have medicinal benefits and more research is needed to confirm their efficacy. Additionally, the names of mushrooms can vary depending on the region or culture, so it’s important to check the scientific name of a mushroom to ensure you are identifying it correctly.

Some of the health supporting benefits of functional mushrooms are as follows:
Immune support:
Certain functional mushrooms possess compounds such as beta-glucans have shown to boost the immune system.

Anti-inflammatory:
Few functional mushrooms have proven to show amazing anti-inflammatory properties which might help reduce the uncertainty of chronic diseases for example the heart disease and diabetes.

Anti-cancer:
Some functional mushrooms have compounds that may have anti-cancer properties by helping in speeding up the healing process during certain chemotherapy sessions.Cognitive function:
Functional mushrooms like pom pom mushrooms have shown promising results in improving cognitive function, focus as well as memory.

Cardiovascular health:
Various functional mushrooms have been deeply studied for their possibility in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.

Traditional uses of functional mushrooms:
Reishi:
Widely known as the “Mushroom of Immortality,” Reishi mushrooms have been used since ages in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine to boost the immune system and improve overall health.

Chaga:
Chaga also known as cinder conk or dammultong in Korean. This healing functional mushroom has been used traditionally in Siberia and various parts of Russia as an amazing magical tonic to improve the overall health and longevity.

Cordyceps:
This very high potent functional mushroom has been used traditionally in China, India and Tibet to improve stamina and energy levels. It’s also used to improve kidney function and respiratory health.Lion’s mane:
Bearded tooth mushroom or pom pom mushroom. Lion’s mane mushrooms has been used traditionally in China to improve cognitive function and memory and is widely accepted by the food supplement and health industry especially in the developed nations with scientific evidence and researches.
Shiitake:
Black forest mushroom or oak-wood mushroom, shiitake has been used in various traditional Asian medicines to boost immunity and dramatically improves overall health.

Functional mushroom in dietary supplement.

An overview:
Functional mushrooms are widely used as dietary supplements around the globe in the form of powders, capsules and extracts.

Few of the most well used and well known functional mushrooms used in the dietary supplements include:

Reishi:
Also known as Ganoderma lucidum is mostly used in dietary supplements to improve overall health and boost the immune system.Chaga:
Chaga or Inonotus obliquus mushroom is widely used as a dietary supplement to improve longevity and overall health.
Cordyceps:
Cordyceps or Yarsagumba mushroom is popularly used as a sports dietary supplement to improve stamina and energy as well as to improve kidney and respiratory function.

Lion’s mane:
Lion’s mane also known as Pom Pom mushroom as we all know is used as a dietary supplement to improve memory, focus and cognitive function as well and have long dated medicinal uses in the traditional Japanese medicine and continue to be popular in Japan even today.

Some examples of functional mushrooms commonly used in Japan include:

Shiro-tamogitake:
This functional mushroom is commonly and popularly used in Japan as a dietary supplement to lower cholesterol, improve cardiovascular health and blood pressure.

Hime-matsutake:
This mushroom is widely used in Japan as a dietary supplement to improve longevity and overall health.

Yaki-Matsutake:
Used in Japan as a dietary supplement to improve stamina and energy levels. In Japan, several functional mushrooms are used as ingredients in traditional Japanese dishes in soups, teas and stews. Functional mushrooms are also used in precise combinations with other ingredients, such as minerals and herbs to create dietary supplements and traditional Japanese medicine.