Functional Mushrooms Influence Immunity – Post 3 of 3

Mushrooms have always fascinated me. They were the stuff of “fairy rings” in magic lore from my youth. Some were dubbed “magic mushrooms” back in the 1960’s (am I showing my age?)  I’ve always loved the many wonderful flavors of mushrooms in recipes from almost any cuisine. They show up unbidden in the back yard (don’t let the dog eat them!). They peek out of crevices on treks through the forest. Mushrooms brazenly even show up along city paths. It’s no wonder it seems like they’re everywhere. There are over 50,000 varieties. And today we’re going to learn a bit about how functional mushrooms can be used to naturally support your immune system.

Medicinal AKA functional mushrooms have been appreciated for centuries by cultures around the world for their beneficial effects on our health. Current research touts their immune-modulating properties as well. This post highlights the seven mushrooms that we have chosen to add to our Vital Flora Immune Biome Probiotic.

What do Functional Mushrooms contain that Support Our Immunity?

There are three specific types of compounds found in mushrooms that positively impact our immune systems:

What is important to know about our functional mushrooms?

As we consider our functional mushrooms, it’s helpful to understand a bit about their life process. It’s important to note that the beneficial compounds we seek for immune health are created at different stages of the mushroom’s growth.

Some beneficial compounds are created in mycelium and some beneficial compounds are created in the fruiting body.

Mushrooms used in Vital Flora Immune Biome are exclusively grown indoors in growing rooms.

The growth medium for mycelium is organic rice.

All other growth medium is organic sorghum, calcium, gypsum (natural mineral used for fertilizer) and reverse osmosis water.

7 Immune Supporting Mushrooms We Use

Himematsutake

• Latin name: Agaricus blazei
• Part used: Mycelium / Fruit Body
• Modulates innate immunity
• Reduces allergic responses
• Reduces inflammatory levels
• Increases defense against infections

Chaga

• Latin name: Inonotus obliquus
• Part used: Mycelium / Fruit Body
• Strong immune modulator
• Antiviral
• Antifungal
• Antimicrobial

Maitake

• Latin name: Grifola frondosa
• Part used: Mycelium / Fruit Body
• Increases major immune cells
• Strong beta-glucan content
• Fights growth of abnormal cells
• Helps stabilize high BP, glucose, cholesterol

Reishi

• Latin name: Ganoderma lucidum
• Part used: Mycelium
• Enhances white blood cell activity
• Helps restore immune dysfunction
• Helps develop antibodies
• Inhibits release of histamine

Shitake

• Latin name: Lentinula erodes
• Part used: Mycelium
• Increases Secretory IGA
• Lowers chronic inflammation
• Increases natural killer cells
• Increases viral defenses

Turkey Tail

Latin name: Trametes versicolor

• Part used: Mycelium / Fruit Body
• Increases immune cells
• Increases antiviral cytokines
• Enhances production of Lacto/Bifido bacteria
• Inhibits growth of abnormal cells

Cordyceps

• Latin name: Cordyceps sinensis or militaris
• Part used: Mycelium / Fruit Body
• Bidirectional immune modulator
• Cytoxicity to abnormal cells
• Strong antioxidant
• Improves lung function

Dazzling, aren’t they? As though a mushroom’s esteemed place in Chicken Marsala could get even better! Of course, in our formula, we’re not talking about the lowly button mushroom. Instead the talented functional mushrooms I’ve introduced above.

Vital Flora Immune Biome Probiotic delivers seven functional mushrooms along with 60 unique strains of probiotics, 60 billion cultures per capsule, coupled with seven different prebiotics in a once-daily, delayed-release capsule. Take advantage of the best immune support imaginable!