Vital mushrooms
Vital mushrooms have a tradition dating back thousands of years. They are highly valued in Asian medicine, where the goal is not to treat a patient, but to keep the body healthy.
Old health cures newly packaged
They have complicated names such as Cordyceps, Reishi, or Shiitake – vital mushrooms, the new trend after superfoods. Knowledge about the so-called vital mushrooms originates in Asia and has a long tradition and is highly prized there.
Although not all vital mushrooms are as well-known as their relative, Penicillium notatum, known as penicillin, it is worth taking a closer look at them and the ways they can improve our health.
From the market to dietary supplements – vital mushrooms
The dealers in Chinese markets offer their customers a variety of fungi. Fresh, dried, and powdered, they are considered indispensable there. For Asians, they represent food, spice, and medicine. In Europe, fungi also featured in medical knowledge in the Middle Ages. Records of Paracelsus, Hildegard von Bingen, and many preserved abbey books contain notes on the use of fungi.
Healing mushrooms in traditional Chinese teaching
In China, fungi have always been used as a decoction or broth. They are blended individually for each buyer. Due to their high nutrient density, vital mushrooms are also valued in natural medicine as a helpful dietary supplement. They contain B complex vitamins and other vitamins. Their mineral content such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron is considerable, especially when they are dry. They also supply essential amino acids.
Vital mushrooms as a dietary supplement
Taking vital mushrooms in a prepared form as a nutritional supplement is a safe way to take advantage of their benefits. High-quality products are free of pollutants and impurities. Healthy soil is already an important prerequisite during cultivation. Gentle production helps to preserve the benefits of the vital mushrooms.
Heroes of nature
Even when the world was young, people explored their natural habitats in order to use selected wild plants such as herbs, berries or mushrooms specifically for their purposes. We too find it fascinating to see what Mother Nature has to offer in her repertoire and present our “11 Heroes of Nature” in our blog.
For a more vital life – mushrooms
Medicine has also discovered the strength of vital mushrooms. A lot of potential is attributed to them, and further research places great hope on them. These valuable vital mushrooms are already popular as food supplements.
Cordyceps – Asia’s favorite
The Chinese caterpillar fungus Cordyceps sinensis originates from the 3,000 to 5,000 meter high slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and Nepal. There, the vital fungus undergoes an extraordinary life cycle. While the fungus survives the winter underground as a parasite of a caterpillar, in the spring it grows finger-shaped through the caterpillar to the surface of the earth. It is considered to be extremely versatile.
Shiitake – more than just food fungus
The Shiitake fungusLentinula edodesis a known food mushroom in this country. It is used in Japan and China for the preparation of medicinal dishes. Shiitake mushrooms are easy to grow, and the cut surfaces of felled trees are both substrate and basic food at the same time.
Reishi – shiny mushrooms with many good properties
For 4,000 years, reishi mushrooms have been thought to have magical powers. Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is the most popular of the vital mushrooms. It is particularly popular in traditional Chinese teaching and is considered a symbol of long life in China. Ganoderma lucidum is known in the English-speaking world as the reishi mushroom. Reishi mushrooms are cultivated. They are pulverized or used as an extract in tea infusions, as a natural supplement, or medical fungus, and are a component of natural cosmetics.
In combination with the immune classic vitamin C, medicinal mushrooms are particularly recommended during the cold and wet season. The water-soluble vitamin helps to maintain vitality in stressful situations by reducing tiredness and contributing to the normal functioning of the immune system. So don't leave your immune system out in the rain!
