Fwd: The_Medicinal_Power_of_Mushrooms?

[Guest guest]

Here's an interesting column from Dr. Weil on mushrooms. I didn't know

about shiitake mushrooms having cholesterol-lowering properties. Mushrooms

are used in TCM.

 

Victoria

 

>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

>

>I've been trying to include more mushrooms in my diet because I heard you

>say that they're really good for you. But now I've been told that certain

>ones are carcinogenic! Can you give me the straight scoop on this?

>

>

><font size=-1>(Published 2/22/00)</font> Mushrooms are a big favorite of

>mine, but if you're just learning about their medicinal properties, I don't

>blame you for being confused about which ones are -- or aren't -- good for

>you. In general, I advise against eating a lot of the cultivated white or

> " button " mushrooms found on supermarket shelves across the nation. They are

>among a number of foods (including celery, peanuts, peanut products, and

>salted, pickled, or smoked foods) that contain natural carcinogens. Just

>how dangerous these natural toxins are is unknown, but we do know that they

>are not present in other kinds of mushrooms that offer great health

>benefits.

>

>Instead of white mushrooms, I suggest you look for the more

>[http://aginfo.psu.edu/PSA/s99/guide.html] exotic varieties which are

>becoming increasingly available in this country. Some are edible and can

>make a delicious addition to your diet, but some are strictly medicinal

>mushrooms, and they come dried or in capsule form. Here's a brief guide to

>my favorites, in alphabetical order:

><UL>

><LI>Cordyceps: A Chinese mushroom used as a tonic and restorative. It is

>also known for improving athletic performance. You can buy whole, dried

>cordyceps in health food stores and add them to soups and stews, or drink

>tea made from powdered cordyceps. You can also get cordyceps in capsule

>form. To treat general weakness, take cordyceps once a day, following the

>dosage advice on the product. For health maintenance, take it once or twice

>a week.

>

><LI>Maitake: This delicious Japanese mushroom is also called " hen of the

>woods " because it grows in big clusters that resemble the fluffed tail

>feathers of a nesting hen. You should be able to find it dried or fresh in

>Japanese markets, gourmet foods stores, or upscale supermarkets. Research

>indicates that maitake has anticancer, antiviral, and immune-system

>enhancing effects. It may also reduce blood pressure and blood sugar.

>

><LI>Reishi: Strictly a medicinal mushroom -- not a culinary one -- reishi

>is hard and woody and has a very bitter taste. Like maitake and other

>related mushrooms species, reishi can improve immune function and inhibit

>the growth of some malignant tumors. It also shows significant

>anti-inflammatory effects, reduces allergic responsiveness, and protects

>the liver. You can buy dried, ground mushrooms and use them to make tea if

>you don't mind the bitterness. Otherwise, I suggest buying reishi tablets

>or capsules, which are available in health food stores. Follow the

>recommended dosage, and take reishi every day for at least two months to

>see what it can do for you.

>

><LI>Shiitake: These meaty and flavorful mushrooms contain a substance

>called eritadenine which encourages body tissues to absorb cholesterol and

>lower the amount circulating in the blood. One Japanese experiment showed

>that eating 90 grams (about three ounces) of fresh shiitake a day lowered

>serum cholesterol 12 points in a week -- it even counteracted cholesterol

>increases caused by adding butter to the diet. Shiitakes also have

>antiviral and anticancer effects. Dried shiitakes, available at all

>Oriental grocery stores, are also effective. Fresh ones are becoming

>increasingly available thanks to domestic cultivation of this delicious

>mushroom.

></UL>

>

>Are there any drawbacks to eating mushrooms? It's rare, but some people are

>allergic, and some find them hard to digest. To learn more about the

>health-promoting effects of mushrooms, check out [http://www.fungi.com]

>www.fungi.com, the Web site of Fungi Perfecti, an excellent source for

>information about medicinal and gourmet edible mushrooms.

>

>Dr. Andrew Weil

>http://www.drweil.com

>

 

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[Guest guest]

Shiitakes?

If you happen onto a good bargain of shiitakes dried, go for it.

I keep mine (as I do with the seaweeds) in huge glass jars and they seem

to keep as long as I've needed them to.

 

You can't just throw them into soups and stews in the dried state. If

you do that they get tough.

After rinsing them off, soak them in hot water for about 10 to 15

minutes. My Korean friend told me to squeeze them a few times to make

sure their absorbing the water evenly. Once they're rehydrated they're

easy to cut to the appropriate size for cooking.

I use the soaking water as part of the recipe.

 

Penel

[Guest guest]

>Shiitakes?

>You can't just throw them into soups and stews in the dried state. If

>you do that they get tough.

>After rinsing them off, soak them in hot water for about 10 to 15

>minutes.

 

Thanks for the info on shiitakes. I'm starting to cook with them more and

more. I started using them because they're one of the things that help a

lot of people with CFIDS.

 

I usually cut them up after soaking and cook them with brown rice. I tried

putting the whole mushrooms in, but they were sort of yucky for both my

husband and myself. A big lump of mushy fungus. But cut up into small

pieces and mixed the the brown rice and seasonings, they taste ok. It may be

silly, but sometimes I can take things in small sections that I can't in big

pieces.

 

Victoria

 

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[Guest guest]

I can buy lovely fresh shitakes at the health food store. I buy about 6 or

7 each week and add them to tofu scramble along with scallions which I eat

for breakfast most days.

 

Lynn

 

 

 

Judy Fitzgerald <victoria_dragon

Chinese Traditional Medicine <Chinese Traditional Medicine >

Sunday, October 15, 2000 11:04 PM

Re: [Chinese Traditional Medicine] RE: Fwd: The_Medicinal_Power_of_Mushrooms?

 

 

>>Shiitakes?

>>You can't just throw them into soups and stews in the dried state. If

>>you do that they get tough.

>>After rinsing them off, soak them in hot water for about 10 to 15

>>minutes.

>

>Thanks for the info on shiitakes. I'm starting to cook with them more and

>more. I started using them because they're one of the things that help a

>lot of people with CFIDS.

>

>I usually cut them up after soaking and cook them with brown rice. I tried

>putting the whole mushrooms in, but they were sort of yucky for both my

>husband and myself. A big lump of mushy fungus. But cut up into small

>pieces and mixed the the brown rice and seasonings, they taste ok. It may

be

>silly, but sometimes I can take things in small sections that I can't in

big

>pieces.

>

>Victoria

>

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