Most of us have heard of and/or cooked with a few of the most common culinary mushrooms like portabella white button, etc.
But, there's a class of mushroom called medicinal mushrooms, and these healing medicinal mushrooms aren't designed for flavor-enhancement, though they can be used in recipes. They are often taken in tea form, in tinctures and extracts, and also in capsules as powders.
The medicinal mushrooms that are used include the reishi and agaricus mushrooms (or the agaricus blazei mushrooms) as well as maitake, shitake and coriolus mushroom. There are many others, but these are some of the most sought-after.
Medicinal mushrooms such as these share much in common with human beings in terms of genetic and chemical structure. Numerous scientists believe that mushrooms are closer to human beings genetically than almost every other plant.
Based on this that certain "higher level" mushrooms, frequently referred to as "medicinal mushrooms" (NOT magic mushrooms! ) they can help to heal and affect the mind, body, emotions and spirit of humans who consume the mushrooms.
Reishi mushroom is one of the preeminent healing mushrooms of China (though it is also found in other regions of the world as well). Reishi mushroom is often described as "the mushroom of immortality" because it is able to be consumed everyday as an invigorating "herb" and it useful in extending life.
Reishi mushroom is often utilized (in the East) to boost the immune system for people with HIV and cancer. Reishi is also purported to help reduce inflammation, reduce fatigue, aid in healing viral issues in the body, and to aid in relaxing and calming the mind, allowing people to meditate and connect with Spirit much more easily.
Maitake mushroom is one of the most powerful medicinal mushrooms found in the world. 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 is used in the prevention of cancer as well as in helping to manage high cholesterol and diabetes. Maitake enhances the activity of natural killer cells in the body, thereby helping to rid the body of diseases of the immune system.
There are many more popular kinds of medicinal mushrooms and I've written more full descriptions of them on my blog, Magic mushrooms canada which is linked below.
A final thought If you're thinking of checking into the healing potential from medicinal mushrooms, if you take them supplementally alongside an Vitamin C supplier (preferably a natural plants-based Vitamin C source) it is possible to triple the efficacy of both medicinal mushrooms, and triple the efficacy of Vitamin C! Powerful information for having the best health you've ever had!