It’s no secret that for thousands of years, traditional health practitioners have used many different kinds of herbs and plants from all around the world for their medicinal properties and health benefits.
Natural medicine, Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Healing all focus a large part of their healing around using herbs, shrubs, roots, flowers and... mushrooms!
More recently, western cultures have begun to embrace the medicinal properties of these natural nutrients. And one of the most popular being recommended right now by alternative health practitioners is, medicinal mushrooms (liquid extracts).
First things first: There are over 10,000 documented different types of mushrooms, and not all of them fall into the superfoods category. The superfood mushrooms are a particular group of mushrooms known as "functional mushrooms".
Functional mushrooms are extremely nutritionally-dense, and full of antioxidants. Numerous studies have shown us that functional mushrooms contain an abundance of biologically active compounds that can work from within our bodies, therapeutically, to protect us from illness and you thrive.
These reasons form the bases for why functional mushrooms have been such a central healing staple in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine and healing traditions for centuries.
So which functional mushrooms should you consider adding to your self care routine?
Two of the most popular functional mushrooms are Lion's Mane and Chaga mushrooms. They're extremely popular for a number of reasons, however mainly due to their nootropic (improving cognitive function) and adaptogenic (working to counteract the effects of stress in the body) properties. Both of these mushrooms are highly regarded for their host of physical and mental health benefits.
To explore the many health benefits of mushrooms in greater depth, we've teamed up with the biotechnology experts at Life Cykel. From which mushrooms have the most health benefits to how mushrooms work to improve overall health, find all you need to know about these nutritional powerhouses.
So let’s dive into our two favourite mushroom healers, Chaga and Lion’s Mane.
CHAGA
Chaga mushrooms are a type of mushroom that grow most commonly on birch trees in northern Europe, Asia, Canada, and the northeastern United States. Used in folk medicine for centuries and centuries, Chaga contains high amounts of the pigment melanin. When exposed to the sun, the exterior of the mushroom turns a deep black, while the interior of the mushroom remains a bright orange-ish color.
The health benefits of Chaga are significant, and wide-ranging. It is believed that Chaga fights inflammation, improves and supports your immune system, lowers blood sugar, reduces blood pressure, alleviates arthritis, and that it can even prevent or slow the progression of cancer. Chaga is actually known as called kreftkjuke in Norway, which literally translates to "cancer fungus"- due to its health benefits for this disease.
Chaga mushrooms are rich in a significant range of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, including:
- B-complex vitamins
- Vitamin D
- Potassium
- Amino acids
- Fiber
- Magnesium
- Copper
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Iron
- Selenium
- Rubidium
- Cesium
- Manganese
Chaga also has a very high melanin content, which has led many to believe that it may bolster the melanin naturally found in skin, thereby protecting it, and you, from sun damage, skin cancer, wrinkles, or aging.
So, how do you eat Chaga?
In short, you don’t. It's much more common to drink Chaga. The mushroom is dried, powdered, and used to make Chaga tea, extracts, or, less commonly, the powder is packed into capsules for use as a dietary supplement. The tea, extract, or capsule can be pure Chaga, or Chaga combined with other mushrooms.
As Chaga can influence blood glucose levels, it should be used with caution in people on anti-diabetes drugs, including insulin. Doing so may cause hypoglycemia (an abnormal drop in blood sugar).
LIONS MANE
The Lion’s Mane mushroom is one of the most powerful mushrooms in the fungi kingdom. Historically, Lion’s Mane was so highly regarded that it was reserved only for the Royals. It is an easily recognisable mushroom due to its unique and beautiful appearance of white icicles, or, like it’s namesake, a shaggy lion’s mane.
A staple in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lion’s Mane is also known as hedgehog mushroom or houtou. Based on human and animal studies, Lion’s Mane has powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunostimulant properties. Its good for many, many things- including supporting your immune system.
Studies show that lion’s mane mushroom extract may actually support brain health, which could work to delay the onset of alzheimers or dementia. In addition, lion’s mane has been shown to effectively improve cognitive function. A recent study conducted on a group of elderly adults with mild cognitive impairment found that consuming 3 grams of powdered Lion’s Mane mushroom daily for four months significantly improved mental functioning during the time of consumption.
In addition to the incredibly benefits to one’s mind, Lion’s Mane has also been shown that it can aid the body in:
- Recovering from Nervous System Energies,
- Protecting against Digestive Tract Ulcers,
- Reducing the risk of Heart Disease,
- Managing Diabetes Symptoms, and
- Helping to relieve mild symptoms of Depression and Anxiety.
It is easy to see why both Chaga and Lion’s Mane have been so highly regarded for centuries. With their high content of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and their nootropic (improve cognitive function) and adaptogenic (working to counteract the effects of stress in the body) properties- these two humble mushrooms pack a health punch; and this is why we’ve decided to bring them to you from Life Cykle.
Our friends at Life Cykel believe that mushrooms have the power to shape a new future, and they are making this their mission in an eco-friendly way, and that's why we have chosen to partner with them in bringing you both a Chaga and a Lion’s Mane liquid supplement that not only brings you all the health benefits of the funghi, but also helps reduce environmental waste.
The organic Chaga and Lion’s Mane Liquid Supplements not only contain all of the nutritional and health benefits above, they were actually grown in such a manner that they reduced global waste through being fertilised with coffee grounds!
Globally, it is estimated that two billion tons of coffee waste is produced every year. Life Cykle has made it their mission to reverse this problem and turn it into something positive; they build urban mushroom farms, collecting waste coffee grounds from around the country and use it to grow the mushrooms used in their elixirs.
Order from us here today and you'll have your liquid "shrooms" at your doorstep in no time!
Tolman Self Care.
