Many people are familiar with the most popular culinary mushrooms: white button, portabella, soulpsybin and so on.

But, there are a whole group of mushrooms known as medicinal mushrooms. Although some medicinal healing mushrooms can be used in recipe, they are not meant to enhance flavor. They can be taken as teas, tinctures, or extracts and also in capsules and powders.

These medicinal mushrooms include the agaricus mushroom (or an agaricus blazei), maitake, shitake, coriolus, and maitake mushrooms. There are many more, but these are the most common.

These medicinal mushrooms have a lot in common with human beings, both in their chemical and genetic structure. Many scientists believe that mushrooms have a genetic relationship with humans more than any other type of plant.

Certain mushrooms that are higher in quality than others, such as the “medicinal” mushrooms (NOT magic mushrooms), can be used to treat ailments. They can positively impact our bodies, emotions, minds, and spirits.

Reishi mushroom, also known as the “Moss of Innocence”, is a preeminent Chinese healing mushroom. It can be found all over the world. Reishi mushrooms are sometimes called the “moon of immortality” as they can be taken every day as a “herb” to boost life expectancy and tonic.

People living with HIV and cancer often use Reishi mushrooms (in the East), as an immune stimulant. Reishi can also be used to lower inflammation, reduce fatigue, treat viral infections and calm the spirit. This will allow people to meditate and communicate with Spirit more easily.

Maitake mushrooms are another powerful medicinal mushroom. Maitake is used culinarily as well as medicinally, and is a very powerful source of beta-glucan polysaccharides–potent immune system healing chemicals.

Maitake mushroom can be used in cancer prevention and to control high cholesterol and diabetes. Maitake mushroom increases activity in the body’s natural killer cells, which can help eliminate problems with the immune system.