Relishing Medicinal Mushrooms Part III

Chanterelle

Chanterelle (Cantharellus spp.) mushrooms are among the most delicious of mushrooms available in the fall and the spring. In a talk at the 2012 North American Mycological Association annual event, David Arora introduced the audience to the fact that over 50 species of chanterelle mushrooms are harvested commercially in Zimbabwe. This mushroom is eaten and used as medicine worldwide, and has a wide variety of textures and flavors. For us at Food Is Medicine, these morsels are always a treat, especially when used in confections. Cal Stamenov, Chef of Bernardus Lodge in Carmel, CA combined this fragrant mushroom with caramelized white chocolate at the 39th annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair…let your mental taste-buds feast on that!

Chanterelles have all eight essential amino acids, are 21% protein when dried, and are a good source of iron and potassium. Because of its high content of both vitamin A and beta-carotene, this mushroom has been indicated for night blindness and eye inflammation in China, as well as a treatment for vitamin A deficiency. It is known to remove radioactivity from the body as well, though this property also holds true for the environment, so be sure of where you are picking your delicacies!

In Tanzania, in combination with other mushrooms, Chanterelles are used in a powder prescribed to help combat the ravaging effects of HIV/AIDS with good results. The hot water extracts of this mushroom shows promise against many bacteria as well. Not a bad report card for a mushroom that would be as delicious even without these amazing properties.

Oyster

Next we turn our attention to the tree mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, or oyster mushrooms. There is significant research underway to find ways to access a compound in oyster mushrooms that mimics the opioid pathway for pain reduction, without the side effects or addiction associated with these popular pain medications. Oyster mushrooms are a nerve tonic, and some constituents reduce acute neuropathic pain quite effectively. In Finland, an over the counter medicine called Remesan, which is 2/3 dried oyster mushroom, is used internally for easing growing pains in children as well as used externally to get rid of warts and other skin blemishes and keep them away!

Water extracts of oyster mushrooms showed significant inhibitory effects on tumor growth, preventing the DNA of tumor cells from repairing and causing cell death. Breast cancer and prostate cancer were inhibited by water extracts of these fungi; and in Robert Roger’s book The Fungal Pharmacy, he reports that in vitro studies of oyster mushrooms showed a 100% inhibition rate of sarcoma 180, a common cancer cell line used in laboratories to perform tests…100%!! (Rogers).

Like shiitakes, oyster mushrooms can be used to lower serum cholesterol, acting as a natural statin drug with no contra-indications with alcohol consumption. Rats fed a diet of just 2% oyster mushrooms lost weight and increased the body’s ability to metabolize fats that had previously been stored in the adipose cells. In fact, these mushrooms prevented further adipose cells from forming while minimally part of a normal diet! While these mushrooms are available commercially as a nerve tonic, they are still not available for cholesterol reduction, despite their effectiveness. But you can use them in your kitchen without FDA approval.

Morel

Though perhaps not consumed in even near the volume of the first four mushrooms, the morel mushroom (Morchella spp.) is nevertheless one of the prizes for mushroom lovers. It is widely available commercially, but not nearly as easy to find and collect wild as perhaps the chanterelle. Nutritionally, morels have 17 unique amino acids, magnesium, and accumulate gold (as well as lead: picking morels in mining areas or polluted areas can be very hazardous). There is a mystique to the morel, and essence of the morel earned it many names, some vulgar (star-sore), and some just bizarre (‘molly moochers’ West Virgina), some consistent such as ‘dryland fish’ (Kentucky), and ‘land fish’ by the Mohawk. This mushroom was believed to be the work of the devil in Poland; called star sores, penis, ears, and land fish by various Native American tribes. This is a weird mushroom!

Morel mushrooms are quite poisonous when raw, even lethal, containing more dangerous levels of hydrazines like the Agaricus suite. However most, if not all, the toxins are evaporated and removed by cooking through the air; to this end, when cooking larger batches of morels, proper ventilation is recommended. Despite this factor, certain extracts seem to exhibit kidney protective action against pharmaceutical toxicity associated with cisplatin, a cancer chemotherapy agent, and gentamicin, a potent antibiotic. No study has shown these medicines are effective in whole consumed mushrooms however, requiring extraction by methods not used in the kitchen (yet?)(6).

Morels contain gastro-irritants when eaten raw, but they act as a digestive system tonic when properly prepared and eaten. They soothe the stomach and intestines with medicines that are sized to be delivered to the appropriate spot in the body, and take much longer to be absorbed. In addition, they contain compounds that act as red blood cell destroyers in their raw form (hemolysins), but these two are also destroyed in cooking, and the prepared mushrooms boost the immune system with polysaccharide actions similar to other fungi. The mushrooms have been used for a long time in Chinese medicine for regulating Qi, as well as decreasing phlegm and shortness of breath, and acute asthma (7). Regardless of the cure or nutrition, this is a case where flavor trumps all, and provides another delicious and healthy reason to get out in the woods in the spring and summer, and to pay attention at the farmer’s market!

We hope covering the very basics of these five well-known mushrooms will stimulate the desire to explore medicine in the food you love even further. Amazingly, Food Is Medicine hasn’t come across an edible mushroom described that does not also have elsewhere a description of its medicinal value. Not one! Each specimen has its own strengths and weaknesses, and of course there are mushrooms more potent than others, but not one single mushroom that we eat had zero effect on our mind, body, or soul!

It is no wonder we are more enthusiastic than ever about the scientific and clinical data being collected about these mushrooms than ever before… but more than likely, we have not yet realized the full benefits that we will receive worldwide when we choose to adopt these ancient medicines into our diets as a regular food.

References

1. Rogers, Robert, RH. “The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichen of North America.” Norht Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA. 2011

2. Wayne, R.R. PhD; “Growing mushrooms the easy way: Home cultivation with Hydrogen Peroxide.” 2010; Randall R. Wayne. http://www.mycomasters.com/

3. Agricultural Research magazine, USDA; July 2010, “Researchers study benefits of white button mushrooms.” http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul10/immunity0710.htm

4. Tanis, David; “Not an exotic mushroom, but a satisfying one.” New York Times. January 11th, 2013; City Kitchen.

5. Stamets, Paul; Fungi Perfecti informational website. “Fungi Perfecti Host Defense Supporting Natural Immunity.” 2013; QN Organic. http://www.fungi.com

6. Nitha B, Janardhanan KK; “Aqueous-ethanolic extract of morel mushroom mycelium Morchella esculenta, protects cisplatin and gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in mice.” Food Chem Toxicology 2008 Sep. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18692113

7. Haynold, Bernd. Sourced from Wikicommons. Found on http://healing-mushrooms.net/archives/morchella-esculenta.html August 2008.