The Health Benefits of Mushrooms

There is, perhaps, no other food source surrounded by such mystery and magic as mushrooms. Mushrooms are actually the fruit of mycelium, which is a "filamentous, cobweb-like cellular network." The cobwebby mycelium exudes enormous suites of enzymes, antimicrobial agents, antiviral compounds, as it grows in the ground beneath our feet and in the forests around us. Mycelium is the cellular foundation of our food webs, creating the rich soils so necessary for life. Mycelium is a digestive membrane that also destroys many environmental toxic wastes, and has spawned a new science -- called "Mycoremediation" … Partnering with mycelium improves environmental health -- outside and inside our body. About 100 species of mushrooms are being studied for their health-promoting benefits. Of those 100, about a half dozen really stand out for their ability to deliver a tremendous boost to your immune system, which might, in turn, help fight or prevent cancer.