A LOT ABOUT MUSHROOMS

I have eaten them since a child and had no idea of their benefit until becoming a holistic veterinarian. Very recently I discovered that most of the mushrooms I ate in salad bars were raw, and it is best to cook mushrooms. For the last few years I tell my friends to not eat raw mushrooms. A bit of research gives a much more moderate view, which I recommend for most topics, especially food and exercise. There is never too much love and positive thinking!

Well, is it dangerous to eat them raw? Are they still beneficial?  More than with other foods, there was a lot of different opinions and the bottom line is that it really does not matter!

  • In a Holistic Actions seminar by Dr. Ihor Basko, a veterinarian passionate about mushrooms in the diet and as supplements for many medical conditions, mentioned that breeds who originated in areas where people ate a lot of mushrooms (usually cooked) could derive more nutrition from them.
  • Many types of mushrooms have a lot of chitin (that is what makes shells of insects hard) which is difficult to digest, needing an enzyme. Some said that when cooked, it is easier to break down, others said no.
  • Enhanced availability of some vitamins and nutrients but less of others.
  • Some say agaritine breaks down with heat, so its potential to damage DNA (found in portobello, white button, and crimini mushrooms) would be less when cooked. Others say the quantity would need to be large to cause a problem.
  • A 2009 showed enhanced cancer protection from cooking mushrooms.
  • My moderate thinking is now EAT MUSHROOMS – cooked and raw – as part of a varied diet. (Non-poisonous ones, of course.)

Medical benefits of mushrooms 

Did you know that medicinal mushrooms (we are not talking about the ones that grow on the side of the walking trail) have been used for many years to support humans and animals. Some of the mushrooms have been even called the mushrooms of immortality.

In veterinary medicine they have been used to

  • Activate immune system
  • Cancer prevention and therapy
  • Geriatric medicine
  • Prevention of degenerative diseases, and much more.

Miraculous beneficial life of mushrooms
Only in the last decade have I learned the incredible benefit of the world of fungi. The underground mycelium provide a network for trees to communicate with each other and even send nutrients to each other, help tree roots absorb nutrients, and even neutralize organic wastes into simple, easily absorbed nutrients.

This is why there is much debate in the current mushroom field as to make products only from the fruiting body (what looks like a mushroom to us) or to also use the mycelium. Part of this depends on how much of the growing medium is harvested with the mycelium and if it is organic.

They can detoxify our dead bodies (which are full of polluting chemicals even before embalming). In the last decade mushroom burial shrouds are made, especially for those choosing more natural burials (not in the concrete box which under most cemetery plots.)

They eat the plastic in the oceans, clean up oil spills, clean many pollutants when land is being remediated. One speaker showed photos of fungi in bags of straw placed where a factory was sending toxins into a stream. The water flowing through the bags had none to very little of the toxins just above the bags.

Mushrooms have been used most extensively in Chinese medicine for thousands of years, as well as by every wise woman and shaman in indigenous cultures.

Dr. Ihor Basko spoke for the Holistic Actions Academy weekly seminar. This wise veterinarian from Kauai (the Garden Isle of Hawaii) knows so much about mushrooms – their uses, their chemistry and most importantly their spirit. Watch on youtube: free seminar

In 2015 I was in awe as I listened to Dr. Cornelia Cho’s presentation on environmental mediation abilities of mushrooms at the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Conference.

Mushroom are in the Fungi Kingdom of fungi, also called fungus kingdom, is filled with over 100,000 edible, hallucinogenic, poisonous and medicinal mushrooms.  Over 700 are used for food and as medicine. . They are easily administered with little or no side effects.

Medical mushrooms contain polysaccharides, lysozymes, and triterpenes, which have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor properties; many different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, and sterols

Most are well known for their anti cancer effects. They modulate tumorigenesis and carcinogenesis at different stages.

Some mushrooms contain compounds that stimulate the immune system, and assist healing of the liver, kidneys, and heart tissues. edema, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, uterine infections, prostate problems, diseases of the kidneys, and inflammation.

Before we get into the details of the mushrooms, I want to quote Dr. Basko about the “spirit of mushrooms”.  True for plants as well, it is very important to learn “the personality of the plant by experiencing it in its natural form and environment. Growing medicinal plants or mushrooms in your garden, or looking for them in the wild, will give you a greater understanding and appreciation of their nature.”  When hunting for mushrooms, remember that they thrive in moist, damp forests with lots of dead organic matter.

Even more details and learning about the spirit of mushrooms are in any writing by Paul Stamets. I love Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Save the World (2005).

In general, mushroom products are useful for any health challenges/stress and to build general immunity. Definitely they need to be researched it your pet has cancer. It may help young animals build the needed immune system to live in our stressful and polluted world.

Now some mushroom benefits.

Button mushrooms – Agaricus Bisphorus
I grew up thinking these were the only mushrooms around, and they are the most common cultivated ones. They mature into Crimini, then into Portobello mushrooms? All three have antioxidants, B vitamins (except Vitamin B12), copper, phosphorus, potassium and selenium, and L-ergothioneine, an antioxidant that isn’t destroyed by cooking.

Maitake mushrooms have been used medicinally for 3,000 years in China and Japan for an incredible range of healing powers. Called “dancing mushroom” in Japan, we call them chicken of the woods (or hen of the woods) as they look like a dirty white chicken sitting on the side of the tree.

The high amount of β-glucans may make it more effective than the Turkey Tail mushroom in its antitumor effects that derive from enhancing the immune system response through activation of macrophages, T cells, and NK cells.

Maitake is also high in phospholipids and certain lectins, thus supporting brain function, nerve function, and regeneration.

It lowers blood pressure, decreases cholesterol (through mevinolin, a secondary metabolite found in many fungi), is hepatoprotective, lowers blood glucose and is anti-diabetic, and boosts immunity to fight infections.

Reishi mushrooms are identified by color – black, blue, white, yellow, purple, red (most commonly cultivated variety) and called “Grass of Heaven”, “Herb of Immortality” and “Emperor of Mushrooms”.

Reishi is rich in polysaccharides, polypeptides, and 16 types of amino acids, coumarin, organic acids. Lysosomal enzymes, triterpenes and microelements.

Reishi can increase energy, improve digestion, relieve pain, regulate the immune system, support the cardiovascular system, alleviate allergy symptoms, and stimulate the bone marrow. It is anti-viral and anti-bacterial, antihypertensive and liver protective.

In people, its potent antioxidant properties may ward off brain deterioration, so great to think of trying in any elderly pets.

The cancer benefit is by activating cytokines and natural killer (NK) cells. As a supplement during chemotherapy or radiation, it helps reduce fatigue, appetite loss, bone marrow suppression and risk of infection.

Shiitake mushrooms are the second most cultivated mushrooms in the world, considered one of the world’s healthiest foods. They are a symbol of longevity in China, the elixir of life in Japan.

They are a rich source of protein and contain vitamins A, B6 and C as well as copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, niacin, pantothenic acid, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, thiamin, zinc and dietary fiber.

The 50 plus enzymes aid digestion.  

They enhance vital energy, reduce blood pressure, decrease blood cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease, and fight cancer.

By stimulating white blood cell production, antibodies, and interferon; and inhibiting prostaglandins, it has antibiotic and antiviral effects that can help resolve upper respiratory and problems and other “infections”.

Cordyceps has antitumor, antimutagenic, antiangiogenesis, antiaging, endocrine balancing, and hypoglycemic effects. Cordycepin, the active ingredient, is immune stimulating, anticancer, antivirus, and anti-infection effects. Polysaccharides and glycoproteins, are involved in these activities.

It also down-regulates the immediate hypersensitivity reaction stimulated by lipopolysaccharides.

Turkey Tail is a multicolored mushroom resembling the colors of a wild turkey’s tail feathers. A 2012 pilot study showed significant delay in onset of metastases and the longest survival times reported in canine hemangiosarcoma.

Turkey Tail is antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-allergic, immuno-modulating, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, hypoglycemic, and hepatoprotective.

Chaga  Supports the immune system and has anti-cancer properties.

Why are mushrooms so powerful?  More research is being done, and much still needs to be done. One example is how the Beta-glucans found in mushrooms help heal your pets. These make up to 50% of the cell wall (also in yeast, seaweed & grains).  Once ingested, they bind to receptors on white blood cells in the intestine, which then carry them to other organs such as spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow and reticuloendothelial tissues. Their metabolites increase immune competence.

Great info…but which one should I give my pet? Feed mushrooms as part of the regular diet. Read and learn more about each kind, but since they have similar effects, try different ones and track the benefits in your Healthy Animal’s Journal.

Purchase combination products specifically for animal health. Work with a holistic veterinarian who is trained in the use of mushrooms for the most beneficial effects tailored to your animal’s needs.

Mushroom extracts can also be found in liquid, powder or compressed tablet form. These and fresh ones can be purchased in human health food stores and farmer’s markets. You need to research the sourcing – if wild crafted, are they leaving enough for future mushroom growth; if farmed, is it done sustainably; how about the processing and shipping? Fresh or dried mushrooms can be cooked and included in foods, or steeped as a tea (to be cooled and added to a pet’s food).

The concentration of desired mushroom-derived compounds can vary depending on the fungal source, the volume consumed, and the preparatory process.

To sum it up, find companies you are comfortable with ( I like OM for me and their pet company Mushroom Matrix), feed fresh mushrooms (I lean towards mostly cooked) and observe any changes.