Thursday, June 18, 2009

Mushrooms, Immune System, & Healthy Eating


I've recently been reading about so called "Super-Foods". Amongst these super-foods, there is usually listed what are sometimes referred to as Medicinal mushrooms.

These are mushrooms which have been found to have abilities to help boost the immune system.
Maitake, Shiitake, Reishi, Coriolus, and Agaricus are often mentioned in these types of reports.

They have been show in studies to help in some cancer cases. They also help with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

If you look into these studies, you will find the credit is usually given to "beta-glucans" that are contained in these mushrooms.

Look a little further and you will find that it isn't necessary to buy exotic mushrooms to get beta-glucans. Some of the best sources of beta-glucans are oats and barley. Smaller amounts are also found in rye and wheat.

Beta-glucans come from the bran of whole grains. You won't get them in most processed grain products. Luckily oatmeal still contains the whole grain and is a good source. Even better would be to use oat groats, because they are less processed.

Beta-glucans also seem to work better when they are soluble. So go a head and soak your oats in water and cook them if you desire. The goodness is there. Barley drinks made from whole barley grains would also be very healthy and help to boost the immune system.

What is my point?

The point is, you don't have to buy fancy supplements, from strange places, to get good nutrition and immune system support. Eating good wholesome foods that are readily available works very well to build a healthy body.

If you want to buy capsules made from these mushrooms, that is fine. I used them while dealing with my cancer. They can be helpful. But even more important, is to eat good wholesome, healthy foods, every meal of every day.

If you would like a great guide to eating healthy, and to learn how it can boost your immune system, as well as normalize your weight, GO HERE.

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