No pun intended
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Why I love mushrooms so much
Hey, Matt Cook here, and if you ask me — mushrooms are a strange and fascinating species.
They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and can be found all over the world.
Some are edible and delicious, while others are poisonous and deadly.
But today I’m focusing on their therapeutic benefits rather than their taste…
…because some can be regarded as actual treatments.
For centuries, mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments.
In fact, some of the earliest written records of medicinal mushrooms date back to ancient China and Japan.
Today, modern science is uncovering the many health benefits of mushrooms, from boosting the immune system to fighting cancer.
Their therapeutic properties come from many different compounds that they contain.
The strange thing is, not all of the compounds have been discovered yet – there is more to be uncovered.
But one is commonly known – because it’s one of the most beneficial ones among others.
Beta-glucan.
Beta-glucan is a compound found in the cell walls of many types of mushrooms, including shiitake, reishi, and white button.
It has been shown to have immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory effects.
But today’s study is about a different and (not very popular) benefit of beta-glucan.
Its preventative effects against heavy metal toxicity.
This study was conducted at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran. It was published in the Innovative Journal of Pharmaceutical Research.
This recent study looked at the potential of beta-glucan to protect against uranyl acetate (UA) toxicity.
In simple terms, uranium. Namely, a SUPER TOXIC heavy metal.
The researchers used isolated kidney mitochondria from rats to study UA.
They looked at the effects of UA on mitochondrial function and the ability of beta-glucan to prevent these effects.
The results showed that beta-glucan prevented UA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, including the production of harmful reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation.
“Beta-glucan (150 nM) attenuated UA-induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, lipid peroxidation and glutathione oxidation.”
“Beta-glucan and BHT also prevented the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and mitochondrial swelling following the UA treatment in isolated mitochondria.”
Uranium caused oxidative stress and cell damage, but beta-glucan prevented that.
“UA also decreased the ATP production in isolated mitochondria significantly inhibited with beta-glucan pre-treatment.”
“Our results show that beta-glucan prevented UA-induced mitochondrial outer membrane damage as well as release of cytochrome c from mitochondria.”
That’s amazing… really amazing.
Moreover, it also boosted mitochondrial function and prevented kidney deterioration (nephrotoxicity).
“Our results showed that beta-glucan may be a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant and suggested this compound as a possible treatment candidate for prophylaxis and treatment against DU-induced nephrotoxicity.”
Uranium is one of the most harmful heavy metals out there.
There are lots more. And they can lead to some severe health issues.
Beta-glucan can protect your body, metabolism (mitochondria), and kidneys.
The results of this study seem very promising.
I already eat a good amount of white button mushrooms due to their beneficial effects on gut health.
But I will look into other medicinal mushrooms as well.
They have some strong research behind them.
