Hattiesburg Fungi

Health Benefits & Medicinal Qualities

Mushrooms are teaming with medicinal compounds which are currently being researched. Oyster mushrooms are best known medically for their cardiovascular and cholesterol controlling benefits.

In addition, they have been shown to have the following qualities: Anti-tumor, stimulate immune response, Anti-inflammatory, Antiviral, Antibiotic.

Anecdotal reports suggest oysters mushrooms improve liver and kidney function and help gastrointestinal disorders. Research on mice suggests that oyster mushrooms contain anti-tumor properties (Ying 1987, Weil 1987).

According to renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, “Oyster mushrooms contain a natural isomer of Lovastatin ®, an FDA approved drug for lowering cholesterol.” Stamets is currently conducting research with the NIH, testing the potential of oyster mushrooms to lower LDL cholesterol.

Andrew Weil, MD, a well known proponent of alternative medicine had the following to say: Today we know the active components of mushrooms are polysaccharides, very large, long-chain sugar molecules that are gobbled up by macrophages (large roving immune cells) in the gut wall and transported to other immune cells, setting off a chain of defensive events. The result is an increase in the number and activity of natural killer cells that protect us against bacteria and viruses and destroy malignant cells.