The benefits of mushrooms for health are numerous: they prevent cancer, reduce joint pain, help breathe better, regenerate bone damage, treat infections and others that I will explain below..
It has taken decades for technology and scientific knowledge to evolve to properly classify this group of organisms called fungi. Until the sixties they were considered plants but now they have their own kingdom, the kingdom of fungi.
This kingdom comes full of health benefits: they fight cancer, take care of your eyes and skin, help you breathe better, they are antibiotics, and many other benefits that you will read in this article and that are based on scientific research..
But be careful because not all are edible, for something a warning saying: "all mushrooms are edible, but some mushrooms are edible only once".
More than 70,000 species of fungi have been identified, but around 1.5 million species are believed to exist worldwide.
Mushrooms are incredibly well adapted to almost any condition on Earth. Some fungi are microscopic and others are spread over a thousand acres. Their reproduction can be sexual or asexual, by means of spores that are more or less comparable with the higher seeds of plants..
According to a study by Kyungpook National University School of Veterinary Medicine, Republic of Korea, the fungus Auricularia auricula has great potential as an antitumor agent.
The antitumor properties of some species of fungi have been extensively investigated over the last few years, and in recent decades they have been useful in the chemotherapeutic application of some antitumor drugs (Wasser and Weis, 1999) .
Other similar studies with promising results have been done with the fungus Ganoderma applanatum, characterized by having anticancer properties.
A group of researchers from the University of Minnesota in the United States, conducted a study on the effect of the fungus Versicolor trametes in women who had recently completed chemotherapy and radiation therapy, because these treatments suppress the immune system.
The study concluded that the preparation in addition to being safe and tolerable, can improve the immune status in patients with breast cancer after standard cancer treatment.
According to a publication of the Department of Pharmacy of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, the fungus Ganoderma lucidum has been traditionally used for more than 2000 years in the treatment of various pathological conditions and recently against cancer.
This is due to its immunoregulatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective properties..
Also, this same fungus, according to a study by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New York Medical College, has great potential against ovarian cancer.
The Prince of Wales Hospital of the Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted a study to examine the effect on rheumatoid arthritis of fungi Ganoderma lucidum combined with other components of traditional Chinese medicine.
In conclusion, these mushrooms (along with other components) have analgesic effects and are generally safe and well tolerated, although no anti-inflammatory effects were found..
According to a 2005 publication in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, the fungus Chanterelle It contains essential amino acids, as well as vitamin A, so its consumption is beneficial in the prevention of night blindness, inflammation of the eyes and dry skin, according to traditional Chinese medicine.
According to the previous magazine in its volume 7, this type of fungi also helps to tone the mucous membranes and can increase resistance against some infectious diseases of the respiratory tract..
The Federal University of Pará in Brazil, carried out an investigation to verify the antioxidant benefits of the Agaricus sylvaticus, and at the end of the study they concluded that there was an improvement in the increase in the antioxidant defenses of the patients.
Scientists from the Zagreb Medical University in Croatia conducted a study to investigate the effects of fungi Trametes versicolor, Grifola frondosa, Lentinus edodes and Pleurotus ostreatus in the bones.
This study showed that the treatment that combined the extracts of L. edodes and G. frondosa significantly reduced trabecular bone loss in the lumbar spine of rats.
Therefore, in their conclusions, they indicated that medicinal mushroom extracts can be considered as a preventive treatment and / or a complement for this condition..
Scientists from the University of Khon Kaen in Thailand reached this conclusion in their study, after investigating twenty-three species of wild fungi (mostly polypores of genera Trametes, Ganoderma, Schizophyllum, Inonotus, Phellinus, and Lentinus).
All measurements clearly indicated the potential of these mushrooms as a good source of nutritious food and as an alternative medicine to promote good health and to improve the body's adaptability..
Antibiotics are substances that are used to kill bacteria that are invading and infecting our body.
Penicillin was one of the first effective antibiotics to treat and cure many bacterial infections and this is nothing more than the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum.
Also the antibiotics retapamulin, tiamulin and valnemulin are derivatives of the fungal metabolite Pleuromutilin, and thus a great variety of antibiotics come from fungi.
It is very important to only eat mushrooms that have been grown organically and are for sale in supermarkets or safe places..
If you suspect that someone has ingested an unknown wild mushroom, DO NOT WAIT for toxic symptoms to appear, as some contain amanitin and there is no antidote to death. The only remedy is to eliminate toxins before the body absorbs them and for this you must go immediately to the nearest hospital.
Fungi are important in a variety of ways:
-Egypt: More than 4,500 years ago in ancient Egypt, only the pharaohs were allowed to eat, since they believed that mushrooms were "sons of the gods" sent to earth through lightning that was announced by thunder.
-Rome: The Romans also believed that some mushrooms that sprung from the ground came from lightning.
-India: In the Hindu tradition, there was a god named Soma who manifested himself to the priests in the form of hallucinogenic liquids. Some scientists believe that Soma was the fly fungus, Fly agaric. Mushrooms are also mentioned in the Hindu Rig Veda and were eaten in the Indian subcontinent.
-Latin America: A similar legend may have existed among the inhabitants of the highlands of Guatemala and Mexico, where even today people refer to A. muscaria by a common name that means lightning.
-Paris: Mushroom cultivation originated in Paris. Melon growers in the region discovered how mushrooms could be grown and began cultivating them in 1650. In the mid-1700s it was discovered that A. bisporus could grow without light, and that the most favorable conditions for growing these were in underground tunnels and caves.
-Other countries: From France, mushroom cultivation spread to other parts of the world. The business soon began to grow and spread to England and other countries. Before 1825, the first mushroom crops were being grown in caves in Holland. In 1865, mushroom cultivation entered the United States through England and the first edible mushrooms began to be cultivated on a small scale on Long Island and New York..
Never eat any mushroom if you are not absolutely sure it is edible..
Portobello mushrooms have a robust and meaty texture, making them great for roasting, baking, and stuffing. They are great companions for barbecues.
Preparation of sautéed portobellos:
Place a dot of butter on the pan, add crushed garlic, herbs and seasonings, add the mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes until the juices run out. You can also sauté with onions and garlic.
Ingredients:
preparation:
Peel half of the garlic and crush them in a mortar, adding the parsley and a little salt. Then add a generous splash of virgin olive oil and mix everything. Reserve to use this mixture later.
Peel 4 to 5 cloves of garlic and cut the mushrooms as finely as you can with the help of a sharp knife (if you prefer, leave them a little thicker). Heat a pan with olive oil and brown the rolled garlic for a few minutes over low heat until they take on a good color.
When the garlic is changing color then add the mushrooms. Keep the heat medium and stir with a wooden paddle from time to time. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and then add the previous mixture, stirring for a few more minutes.
Ingredients:
preparation:
Place the crushed garlic in a pan and once they change color add the parsley, the light mushrooms and then the dark ones (the latter are stronger in flavor), then add the other ingredients and sauté for five minutes.
When the fondue is ready, accompany the preparation with bread and broccoli.
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