"Muscle" Mushrooms

Everything that you've heard and read is probably true!

The Mystery of Mushrooms...The Good, the Bad and the Human Comedy

Poison, love potion, hallucinogenic, truth serum, demon seed, destroying angel, jack o' lantern, puffballs and miracle cure for
everything from sagging libido to fading heartbeat - mushrooms in all their numerous identities and marquee nicknames have
become the stuff of mythology. And the fact that these prolifically growing fungi have species that number in the thousands has
provided us with the opportunity to gain an even clearer perspective on them - specifically which ones are worth considering for use
as both food and healthy systemic supplements rich in fiber, protein, and vitamins C and E.

In fact there are approximately 3300 species of mushrooms in 38,000 varieties to be exact-
more than two-dozen kinds of Red Mushroom alone-so it is little wonder that they have been
both praised and vilified throughout recorded history.

Historically, the ride for mushrooms has become a series of slides and ladders that makes for a
fascinating chronicle all its own. Although the Greek pharmacologist, Dioscordes, the Roman
physician Pliny and an infinite number of Asian herbalists have always found varieties of
mushrooms useful as therapeutic foods and herbal compounds, common people in the middle
ages thought their very sudden and prolific appearance very often acted as warning signs for
the presence of demons.

Since mushrooms, being naturally occurring crops that are born of their own spores, tend to
spring up everywhere in moist climates, the denizens of the European countryside lived in a
constant state of terror. And, in certain countries, anyone caught cooking with them or using
them were suspected of being involved in the practice of black magic and were often persecuted and occasionally executed for
witchcraft and demonism. (Of course, this would tend to discourage one's inclination to indulge in further culinary exploration or
additional medicinal formulations that included mention of these tiny little flavor buds.)

In the last fifty years or so, much due to the passionate imagination of world famous French and Italian chefs and the rapid rise in
popularity of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, mushrooms have become the darling of the beau mond and the rage of the
international gourmet kitchen.

Today incarnations such as Portobello, porcini, oyster, button and (even) shiitake
mushrooms roll trippingly off the tongue of even the average seeker of designer
entrees, soups, sauces and salads at local bistros and in trendy restaurants. Among
these, only Shiitake mushrooms enjoy a reputation for providing at least some
therapeutic benefit. And they are usually too expensive to be embraced as a part of the
average daily diet. And though few of the others offer any notable therapeutic
reputation, several varieties of commonly consumed mushrooms do offer a reasonable
spectrum of nutrients that have helped validate them as an acceptable part of the
modern supplement world.

No doubt about it, all good things set aside, mushrooms - though they grow like plants
and are often harvested in the same ways - are still a fungus. Some varieties can be
factories for Candia albicans in the human system, or what is commonly referred to as
"yeast infections," which are quickly identified with genitourinary and reproductive complications among modern women.

Since almost all processed foods are virtual "yeast factories," the bombardment the average American undergoes on any given day
in this industrialized society is mind-boggling. And mushrooms of any kind only account for a minuscule portion of it. Nevertheless,
although there are other presentations of high Candida foods, many varieties of mushroom should not be eaten in great quantities if
you're experiencing respiratory problems such as colds or an outbreak of flu.

On the other hand, some varieties of mushrooms are found to be rich in selenium, antioxidants and synergistic blends of other trace
minerals. And a particular family of Asian mushrooms has come to qualify as crossover foods that are actually proving to be
good for you in a number of surprising ways. Not surprisingly, many of them are simply too expensive to use as a part of the daily
diet and are either purchased as pricey food supplements, over-the-counter herbal formulas or (in some countries) concentrates
that are sold by prescription.

Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) are the best known among the so-called therapeutic mushrooms and are renown for
their purported ability to fight free-radical formation in the human system. Easy to cultivate and harvest in local atmospheres in
North America, they are - though expensive - the one "Muscle mushroom" that is both edible and affordable in massive quantities.

Maitake mushrooms. Related to Shiitake mushrooms, the Maitake is slightly less flavorful and contains slightly greater
concentrations of antioxidants and synergistic blends of nutrients. It is also smaller, more delicate
and more perishable when grown. For that reason, Maitake mushrooms are seldom used as a food
outside the Pacific Rim and are more often than not used in herbal compounds, powders and
capsules.

Hiratake (Pearl) Oyster Mushrooms. Hiratake mushrooms, commonly (and occasionally

incorrectly) referred to as "Oyster" Mushrooms are best known medically for their reputed
cardiovascular and cholesterol-controlling benefits. Recent studies have found that dried oyster
mushrooms lowered cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as serum very low density lipoprotein
(VLDL) in blood plasma. Of course, there are 20 plus different varieties of "oyster" mushroom, and
these Hiratake are more than likely not to be found in your grocery produce shelf. Even if they
were, eating them in a cooked form would tend to "soup" the nutrients out of them. It seems, as
well, that the Hiratake is at its most potent in a freeze-dried or dehydrated presentation - which, it
turns out, is the case with most of the "therapeutic" mushrooms.

Cordyceps. (Cordyceps sinensis) When it comes to

assessing healthful qualities and therapeutic value of certain mushrooms the Cordyceps
mushroom has recently become the muscle mushroom flavor of the day. A very small
club-shaped mushroom that grows apparently as a result of subterranean hibernations
of native caterpillars in certain kinds of soil, the Cordyceps is now prized for its
purported ability to restore vitality, increase sexual potency, clear the lungs and
enhance endurance. To date, no conclusive clinical data has been established to
validate these claims, but it has served to give this apparently magical fungus a new
surge in both popularity and product development that show great promise for future
benefit. And in terms of its broad spectrum of therapeutic and nutritional potential,
Cordyceps an be ranked as a reasonably close second only to the venerable Red.

That brings us to the now legendary Red Mushroom - scientific name: Ganoderma
Lucidum. Ganoderma Lucidum has been used in soups, broths and in healthy
"herbal" brews virtually for thousands of years where it has come to be held in high regard as a kind of "longevity tonic." Known in
China as Ling zhi (or "herb of spiritual potency"), the red mushroom has become a regular part of the normal Chinese regimen for
such things as longevity, systemic balancing, and high level maintenance of the respiratory system as well as the ultimate tonic for
prevention of just about everything that ails the human body.

However, even in various parts of China, Indonesia and Malaysia where they grow so
prolifically in the wild, red mushrooms are highly delicate, infamously perishable, and
fall easy prey to insects wherever they do grow. Red mushrooms are much better
developed if carefully cultivated on environmentally controlled farms and allowed to
flourish in ideal circumstances free of insect infestation and the vagaries of rough
weather.

Although we've only covered the "A-List" of muscle mushrooms, there are several other
varieties that have shown modern to dramatic nutritional and therapeutic potential.
And if you'd like to examine them in chart form along with their alluded to beneficial
properties, click here.