Mushrooms have been recognized since time immemorial, not only for its nutritional value but also for its medicinal properties as well. Evidence suggests that the ancient Egyptians and the Chinese relied on these edible fungi to maintain good health and promote long life. Early Greeks and Romans, on the other hand, consumed them during battles as mushrooms were believed to give remarkable strength.
Today, mushrooms are most famous for their culinary uses, but they are steadily gaining recognition for their many therapeutic and health benefits. Given that not everyone can prepare and consume large amounts of mushrooms to experience their nutritional advantages, many are taking mushroom supplements to reap similar benefits.
Edible mushrooms are packed with essential nutrients such as potassium, selenium, vitamin D, riboflavin, and niacin, among others. As such, regular consumption of mushroom food supplements can do wonders for your health and beauty.
What are the Health Benefits of Taking Mushroom Supplements?
Given the national contents of edible mushrooms, they are believed to offer the following physiological benefits:
- Reduce the Risk of Age-Related Diseases
Mushrooms have always been known for its antioxidant contents. But a recent study found that these edible fungi are the ultimate sources of specific antioxidants (ergothioneine and glutathione) that prevent the occurrence of age-related diseases such as heart ailments, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Promote a Healthy Heart
Mushrooms contain nutrients that contribute to a healthy heart such as vitamin C, potassium, and fibre. One study found how people with vitamin C deficiency are more prone to suffer from cardiovascular ailments, which suggests that having enough of this vitamin can have the opposite effect.
Potassium, on the other hand, helps control blood pressure, which can significantly lower the chances of hypertension that can damage the heart. Taking fibre-rich foods/supplements like mushrooms can lower cholesterol that is harmful to your cardiac health.
- Lower the Risk of Diabetes
Several studies reveal how fibre can be effective in lowering blood sugar levels. Keep in mind that high glucose levels in the blood can lead to Type 2 diabetes and other serious medical complications.
What are the Beauty Advantages of Taking Mushroom Supplements?
Mushrooms are high in antioxidants and other nutrients that provide the following beauty benefits:
- Heal Common Skin Issues
Mushrooms contain anti-inflammatory properties that can address common skin problems such as acne, eczema, and rosacea. These properties help fight redness, swelling, and itchiness.
- Prevent Premature Skin Aging
Your skin is regularly exposed to free radicals, such as pollutants, smoke, and environmental chemicals that damage your skin’s health. These free radicals that cling onto your skin can cause the onset of aging signs like wrinkles, fine lines, dryness, and sagging complexion.
Fortunately, you can fight the harmful effects of free radicals by taking mushroom supplements as they are rich in oxidation-inhibiting substances called antioxidants. These substances protect your skin and prevent damage caused by free radicals, thereby keeping your complexion fresh and young-looking.
- Fight Hair Loss
Mushrooms also contain high amounts of iron, which is effective in stimulating the production of red blood cells. Note that healthy red blood cells are necessary to strengthen your hair and alleviate hair loss.
Given the many advantages mentioned above, it’s not surprising how people in the early centuries regard mushrooms as “Food of the Gods.” If you want to experience these benefits, you can simply take mushroom supplements regularly instead of going through the troublesome and expensive process of preparing and cooking mushrooms every day.
Melinda is a freelance writer.
Melinda Myers is a horticulturist, certified arborist, gardening expert, television/radio host, columnist, and author with more than 30 years of horticulture experience. She earned her B.S. in Horticulture from The Ohio State University and her M.S. in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Before launching her own business in 2006, she was a tenured associate professor at the University of Wisconsin Extension Service and a tenured horticulture instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Her numerous awards include two Garden Media Awards from the Garden Writers Association, the Garden Communicator of the Year Award from the American Nursery & Landscape Association, the Gold Leaf Award from the International Society of Arboriculture, the Perennial Plant Association Garden Media Promoter Award, and the American Horticultural Society's B. Y. Morrison Communication Award for effective and inspirational communication. Ms. Myers is the author and coauthor of more than 20 gardening books, including Can't Miss Small Space Gardening and Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide. She is also a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Gardening How-To, and Wisconsin Gardening. A seasoned media presence, Ms. Myers hosts the nationally syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment and appears regularly on various national and local shows. For more than 20 years, she hosted The Plant Doctor radio program, seven seasons of Great Lakes Gardener on PBS, and the nationally syndicated YardWorks!
