Medicinal Mushroom tinctures have become increasingly popular over the last decade, initiating the development of a variety of mushroom tinctures intended for daily use. Interestingly enough, tinctures have been present for millennia and have been used for both medicinal and botanical, purposes. The benefits of these tinctures vary per mushroom, so for the sake of this article, we have chosen some of the most important benefits and advantages pertaining to medicinal tinctures.
1 – BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM
Many types of fungi are known to contain compounds that can boost the immune system in various ways. One of the ways in which it can do this is through antioxidants, which are molecules that fight compounds that can cause harm to your health. Luckily enough, all mushrooms are known to contain antioxidants, however certain strains contain higher levels than others. The most suitable tincture for this would be the Chaga mushroom as it is said to have the highest concentration of natural antioxidants.
Other immune-boosting functions include:
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Detoxification of liver
2 – REDUCTION OF DEPRESSION/ANXIETY
In this day and age, a large proportion of our society is either dealing with, or has experienced, depression or anxiety. According to a study by BMC Complementary Therapies, certain mushroom tinctures can have antidepressant effects, especially ones like the Reishi species. The reason behind this is that it contains high levels of a compound known as triterpene, which is known to have beneficial effects for your nervous system in general.
3 – ALTERNATIVE TO STIMULANTS
Nowadays, many of us seek healthier alternatives to caffeinated drinks such as coffee or energy drinks, which have unwanted side effects such as anxiety, jitters, and a crash. Lucky for you, mushroom tinctures are the perfect substitute! Mushrooms such as the chaga species contain long chain polysaccharides (a compound that processes your food into energy) which don’t cause the crashing sensation you get from other stimulants.
SUMMARY
The benefits of mushroom tinctures are not restricted to the three mentioned above. There are certainly a handful of other perks that come with taking tinctures such as improvement of metabolism or help with sleep. We scoured the web looking for them. In brief, notable benefits worth considering are:
• Antioxidant support
• Alternative to caffeine
• Help with sleep
• Supporting of cognitive heath
• Metabolism boost
• Aids in weight loss
• Reduces depression and anxiety
• Prevents and treats diabetes
• Immune system boost
• Reduce cancer risk
• Inflammation reduction
As not every benefit listed above has been scientifically proven, research around the health benefits of ancient mushroom strains like the Reishi, Chaga, and Lion’s mane continues. We are sure many more will be discovered in the coming years.
With that being said, if you are already taking medicine for other preexisting diseases, it is important to consult with your doctor to see whether these are suitable for you.