Mushrooms are one of the earth’s hidden gems when it comes to boosting your immunity. Alongside a richly nutritious diet, regular exercise, and quality sleep, you could find the winning combination for improving your overall well-being by including mushrooms in your meals.
There are seven mushrooms which you should consider adding to your diet to help boost your immunity. They offer a wide range of benefits, and can be eaten in whole or powdered forms. Let’s look at each of these mushrooms in more detail.
1. Reishi Mushrooms
Reishi mushrooms are one of the most common types of mushrooms to boost immunity. As well as helping to promote calm and relaxation, reishi mushrooms fight oxidative stress and encourage a healthy balance within your body. They can help to counteract some of the symptoms of anxiety and stress, including headaches and other tensions within your body.
In turn, this helps to de-stress your cells and body as a whole and boost your immunity as a result.
This popular type of medicinal mushroom, like many others, can be bought in powdered form and added to smoothies, juices, and other meals for easier inclusion in your diet.
2. Shiitake Mushrooms
With high levels of Vitamin D compared with some other mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms are great for boosting your immunity. Vitamin D is essential for keeping our bodies strong and healthy, particularly during the colder months when there is not as much exposure to the sun for many people.
Shiitake mushrooms have most of the amino acids which are essential for good health. This is one of their unique qualities, as very few plants and vegetables contain so many of these necessary nutrients. In particular, shiitake mushrooms include leucine and lysine, which are among the rarer amino acids you can find in your daily foods.
3. Maitake Mushrooms
These mushrooms grow mainly in Asia and the name means ‘dancing’ in Japanese. It is thought that the first people to discover maitake mushrooms literally danced happily when they found out how many benefits they could have to their health.
Maitake mushrooms can promote good heart health and keep bad cholesterol levels down. Vitamins B and C provide essential nutrients, and high levels of antioxidants and potassium encourage healthy cell regeneration. They are thought to be among the best medicinal mushrooms to include in your diet and could even prevent and fight against the development of cancer cells.
4. Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Rich in vitamins and minerals, adding turkey tail mushrooms to your diet could really help to boost your immunity. These mushrooms are high in antioxidants, which promote a stronger immune system and healthier organs. Antioxidants are vital for the body’s healthy function.
Turkey tail mushrooms are also used commonly alongside chemotherapy and other [L1] cancer treatments as adjunctive treatments in East Asia. Eating these mushrooms can help in fighting away cancer cells.
5. Cordyceps Mushrooms
These thin and unique-looking mushrooms come with a range of health benefits that can boost immunity in adults of all ages. As you age, cordyceps mushrooms can be a great addition to your diet to help prevent damage to your cells caused by the aging process. They can also boost libido and stamina. People who are active benefit from cordyceps mushrooms since they can help the body’s blood flow and encourage better use of oxygen.
6. Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
Lion’s mane mushrooms have been shown to help lower blood sugar, improving the health of those with diabetes and other insulin-related conditions. These mushrooms can also help with the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and encourage better brain health and cognitive function. In addition, they are a source of Vitamin B12, which is useful for anyone following a plant-based diet.
With many different nutrients to offer, lion’s mane mushrooms can be a fantastic immunity-boosting food to include throughout the week in your meals. Lion’s mane mushrooms are commonly included in mushroom coffees and other drinks, so you can explore this option if you don’t enjoy eating mushrooms in a solid form.
7. Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals that can promote good health in many ways. By protecting your cells and helping essential nutrients to be absorbed by the body, oyster mushrooms can improve your immune system and fight off disease.
These mushrooms can also give you more energy, making them ideal for people who enjoy regular exercise or feel fatigued and tired with their daily routine. Oyster mushrooms are even thought to help fight and prevent tooth decay and other problems.
Conclusion
There are so many mushrooms to choose from and each has a slightly different flavour and texture. Experiment with different varieties to see which you prefer.
A combination of these different mushrooms will give you the widest range of many different vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. These mushrooms can be cooked and eaten as whole foods. You can also explore powdered options, including blended powders, to include in smoothies, soups, and juices.
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