Mycotherapy is a type of unconventional medicine using medicinal mushrooms or extracts thereof for medical purposes. It is an alternative medicine, 100% natural, recognized as effective for thousands of years in Asia.
Changing in the Western world
Mycotherapy, or the use of medicinal mushrooms, known as empirical medicine, is gradually taking its place in the ranks of sciences based on scientific evidence. Indeed, in recent years, the number of scientific studies published with the aim of legitimizing and highlighting the benefits of medicinal mushrooms has been growing.
Medicinal mushrooms are also called “nutraceuticals” because they have two functions: a first nutritional function due to the nutritional richness of their components and a second therapeutic function through their properties allowing to maintain good health or to help with pathologies or symptoms of illness.
Adaptogenic mushrooms
Medicinal mushrooms are clinically recognized to have so-called “ adaptogenic ” virtues: they have the power to stimulate us in the event of a deficiency but can also soothe our metabolism in the event of strong stimulation by different stresses. They have the ability to revive our immune system when it is weakened and no longer defends itself, or poorly. They have the ability to help us when the disease requires the use of chemotherapy, anti-inflammatories or antibiotics.
Nutraceuticals contain a large number of bioactive compounds. Eating mushrooms provides us with bioavailable beta-glucan (better assimilated into the blood), enzymes, prebiotics, natural antibiotics, B vitamins, ergosterol (pro-vitamin D), trace elements, amino acids essential and other nutrients that help maintain good homeostasis in the body.
How it works ?
Polysaccharides are molecules composed of “long chain” carbohydrates. Mushrooms have a high proportion of water-soluble polysaccharides including beta-glucans which are able to activate the immune system.
Many polysaccharide extracts of mushrooms improve and strengthen immunity by exerting anti-tumor activity. Beta-glucans have no direct action on cancer cells to destroy them. On the other hand, they increase the activity of white blood cells (macrophages) which devour contaminated cells. These white blood cells are thus found in all systems: digestive, respiratory, etc. Macrophages are stimulated by beta-glucans and produce an anti-tumor factor (TNF) called the cytokine.
Each mushroom contains its own arsenal of molecules with a different tropism. But generally speaking, all medicinal mushrooms have the property of strengthening our immune system.
Bibliography:
- M. JAYACHANDRAN et al., “A critical review on the impacts of β-glucans on gut microbiota and human health”, 06/2018, in Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry , p.101-110
- Yujuan LI et al., “Maca polysaccharides: A review of compositions, isolation, therapeutics and prospects”, 2018, in Biological Macromolecules