Cancer Treatment Tip: Medicinal Mushrooms

This article is from  naturalhealth365.com

Top 3 medicinal mushrooms to prevent cancer

Sun. Aug. 11, 2013 by Michelle Marks, staff writer 

(NaturalHealth365) Did you know that there are literally dozens of edible medicinal mushrooms with compounds to prevent cancer? The nutrients inside each one of these mushrooms are perfectly designed to help regulate and balance our immune system. In fact, researchers have found that beta glucan polysaccharides, found in medicinal mushrooms, can actually help detoxify carcinogenic agents from the body.

Not all mushrooms are created equal. If you’re interested in adding mushrooms to your diet – look to consume varieties that have been touted for years to help prevent cancer and other degenerative diseases. Keep reading to discover three of the most popular ‘anti-cancer’ mushrooms.

The magic of Maitake mushroom

Maitake mushrooms have gone through numerous clinical studies proving the power of this medicinal mushroom in preventing cancer. Known as a polypore mushroom, with its first discovery in Japan, the maitake mushroom has been used for centuries to enhance immune function. Here’s a short list of the health benefits of maitake mushroom:

Helps to regulate blood pressure and normalize cholesterol.
Regulate insulin levels in the body.
Support healthy immune system activity.
Activates macrophages – which eat up cancerous cells.
Inhibits the growth of tumors.
Lessens the negative side effects of chemotherapy.
And, probably most importantly, improves liver function.

Why is the Shitake mushroom so popular?

Many people may recognize this edible mushroom as a tasty addition to many oriental dishes like, miso soup. What is not commonly known is that the shiitake mushroom is one of the best medicinal mushrooms to prevent cancer. Clinical studies have discovered a phytochemical called lentinan which has been thought to help prevent cancer, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, hepatitis, AIDS, herpes and other viral conditions.

As suggested earlier, shitake mushrooms can act like an “immune modulator” – up or down-regulating the immune system as needed by the body. The essential compounds are often extracted from the mushroom and made into a pill form for the most potent and quickest means of digestive absorption.

Discover the power of Reishi mushrooms

The reishi mushroom is also known as “Lingzhi” in Chinese. Unlike other edible mushrooms, reishi contains bioactive (natural) chemicals that have been studied and confirmed through scientific research to prevent cancer. This mushroom has the ability to keep one’s immune system functioning at a very high level.

Keep in mind, there are six different types of reishi and top herbalists will say that the “red” reishi is the most potent (medicinal) variety. Reishi contains over 90 percent indigestible fiber and has quite a bitter taste. So, for those less ‘daring’ – you may want to purchase this mushroom in capsule, tablet or extract form at your local health food store.

Interesting to note, Japanese researchers suggest that we can enhance the immune-building power of reishi by taking a quality vitamin C supplement – at the same time.

Cancer prevention does not have to be complicated. Develop a delicious, superfood daily diet; incorporate easy-to-implement detoxification techniques; utilize what’s available to trigger emotional healing and, when needed, consume a healthy dose of quality supplements to greatly improve the quality of your life and (naturally) live cancer free.

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