Chaga and reishi mushrooms are known as the King and Queen of mushrooms due to their many health benefits, which meant they used to be exclusively used by Asian royalty. Nowadays, they are available to all via your local health food shop.
The mushrooms are very different to normal edible fungi that you would use in cooking. Chaga mushrooms look more like lumps of coal, and only the inner part can be used. The mushrooms are usually taken in a powdered form. The powder is steeped in hot water to make tea, which is easy to drink.
Health Benefits
Researchers have found many health benefits to consuming Chaga and Reishi mushrooms. They share similar properties, making them almost interchangeable for health purposes. The list below highlights their main benefits:
- Both mushrooms are high in antioxidants, and this is what makes them medicinal.
- Research has shown the mushrooms can lower blood sugar
- Those with inflammatory diseases can also benefit, as the mushrooms are naturally anti-inflammatory and can also boost the immune system.
- Chaga and reishi mushrooms contain adaptogens which boost the adrenal glands. This means that the amount of adrenaline produced is controlled.
- Adding powdered mushrooms to coffee inhibits the caffeine’s anxiety-inducing effects.
- Reishi mushrooms can also be used to control hair loss. They reduce the levels of DHT(dihydrotestosterone) in the body, which causes male-pattern baldness.
- Chaga and reishi mushrooms can help with lowering cholesterol by stopping the chemical from synthesizing in the cell.
- Reishi mushrooms improve liver function by flushing out toxins from the organs.
- Reishi may also be able to reduce stress and depression, working in a similar way to antidepressants to suppress overproduction of serotonin.
The media grew excited by chaga and reishi mushrooms when it was thought that they could help cancer patients. It has been suggested that chaga mushrooms can slow the growth of cancer, while reishi might shrink tumors.
While scientists have had success with chaga mushrooms in a test tube environment, and also in one study concerning a live animal, to date, the mushrooms have not been tested on humans.
This means that there is no scientific proof that chaga or reishi mushrooms can cure cancer in humans. Always consult with your doctor before trying new treatments for a medical condition.
Final Thoughts
Chaga and reishi mushrooms share many health benefits. They have been found to be high in antioxidants, which helps them to lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. They are an anti-inflammatory which boosts the immune system. Research is being undertaken into claims that the mushrooms may be beneficial to reducing cancer. Chaga and reishi are easy to digest if their powdered form is turned into tea, so why not consult your doctor and try a cup?
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Sources
https://chagahq.com/reishi/
https://chagahq.com/chaga-mushroom-benefits/
https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/reishi-mushroom-benefits/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chaga-mushroom#what-it-is
https://chagahq.com/chaga-mushroom-cancer/
https://us.foursigmatic.com/blog/why-mushroom-coffee-is-the-next-big-health-movement
https://www.hairlossrevolution.com/reishi-mushroom/