Cooking with medicinal mushrooms

Are you curious about medicinal mushrooms? Not sure how to prepare or cook with them? Here we look at the health benefits of seven medicinal mushrooms and the many ways you can incorporate them in your cooking.

- LISA GUY

The use of medicinal mushrooms as a food and medicine dates back thousands of years. Traditional and folk practitioners have revered these special fungi for their healing properties.

Medicinal mushrooms are particularly popular in China and other East Asian countries, where they are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for promoting health and longevity.

Due to their outstanding health benefits, medicinal mushrooms have grown in popularity and have now become a valued functional food and culinary delight.

There are over 10,000 different types of mushrooms known, but only certain mushrooms are classified as medicinal.

These mushrooms have a long history of medicinal use, and their biologically active compounds exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities that support good health and wellbeing. The most valuable and well-studied medicinal mushrooms include shiitake, reishi, cordyceps, turkey tail, maitake, lion's mane and chaga. These mushrooms have a myriad health benefits, including strengthening the immune system and promoting longevity. They have been found to enhance cognition and memory, increase stamina and energy, reduce inflammation and promote adrenal and nervous system health. Many of these mushrooms also offer protection against cancer, type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Health benefits of medicinal mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms are nutritional powerhouses and make a wholesome addition to the diet. Mushrooms are rich source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, including B vitamins, vitamin D, iron, potassium and selenium.

Mushrooms are also a great source of chitin, which is a type of insoluble fibre found in fungal cell walls. Chitin gives mushrooms their meaty texture and gut-healing properties. Chitin acts as a prebiotic, which boosts the growth of beneficial gut microbiota and reduces intestinal inflammation.