100 cleaneating.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019
’Shroom
Boom
A-List ’Shrooms
Do you want to rev up your
energy before a workout?
Have a deadline that you
want to be uber-sharp for?
Get to know the benefits of
these powerful medicinal
mushrooms so you can
select the right one — or
ones — for your needs.- ’Shrooms Have
Superpowers
One major claim to fame that
medicinal mushrooms have is
their ability to act as adaptogens,
which support your adrenal
glands and help you adapt, or
manage stress, keeping the
body in balance. But the benefits
of mushrooms are far more
wide-reaching than just stress.
Mushrooms can impact the
immune system — in some cases
acting as an immune booster,
and in others downregulating
an overactive immune system.
They can help calm anxiety,
boost mental focus, help provide
energy for a workout and even
have disease-fighting properties.
A surprising benefit of medicinal
mushrooms? Some varieties
may also support liver health.
“If you think about it, mushrooms
are like the livers of the earth,
decomposing materials and
metabolizing nutrients from
the soil,” explains Mary Bove, ND,
director of medical education
at Gaia Herbs, “And they support
this same activity in the body
when consumed.”
Long considered a nutritional underdog, mushrooms
are finally getting the attention they deserve in the
wellness world. With wide-ranging benefits like stress
management, energy support and cognitive and gut
health, these functional fungi are worth getting to know.BY ANDREA GOURGY, ILLUSTRATIONS BY JENSINE ECKWALLCORDYCEPS
Boosts energy, contains antioxidants and
supports the liver and kidneys. Use it before a
workout or to get moving in the a.m. TRY: Om
Energy, which combines cordyceps with a variety
of mushrooms and yerba mate, a caffeinated tea,
to support stamina. $20, ommushrooms.comLION’S MANE
Supports brain cells and new cell
growth in the body and impacts the
enteric nervous system. Use it to
enhance mental clarity and focus.
TRY: Gaia Mushrooms + Herbs Mental
Clarity, a blend combining lion’s mane
with other mushrooms and herbs
geared towards supporting cognitive
function. $35, gaiaherbs.comIt turns out the humble mushroom is a
nutritional superstar. Often outshined by
other veggies like kale and cauliflower,
mushrooms are finally having their
moment. While culinary mushrooms
like cremini and portobellos have solid
nutritional benefits, the fungi that are
getting the most attention are part of a
class called medicinal mushrooms. Known
as such due to their medicinal properties,
they are being used for a wide range of
conditions including fatigue, hormone
imbalance and mood. (For the record,
they are not the same as psychedelic – or
“magic” – mushrooms; they will not make
you high.) And while they’re relatively new
to North America, they’ve been used in
Eastern medicine for centuries.Why are mushrooms so darn
powerful? The answer may lie in
their DNA. Sandra Carter, founder
of Om Mushrooms, points to the fact
that mushroom DNA is more similar
to mammals than plants. “It’s that
similarity in DNA that really helps to
activate a lot of the health and wellness
properties beneficial to us,” Carter
explains. But with so many varieties
on the market – think cordyceps, reishi,
chaga and more – you may need a
primer on these functional fungi before
diving in. Here are four things you
should know about ’shrooms before
incorporating them into your routine.ILLUSTRATIONS^ BYJENSINE^ ECKWALLCOURTESYOFBRIGHT^ ART^ LICENSING