In previous blog articles we’ve discussed the benefits of mushrooms for fighting stress, boosting brain health, improving athleticism, and optimising men’s health.
In this article, though, we’ll be switching to an equally important topic: how medicinal mushrooms can benefit women.
It turns out that the collection of vitamins, minerals, and unique antioxidants in mushrooms can regulate and restore female health in several ways. Here’s a closer look at eight of the very best benefits shrooms offer to women.
- Mushrooms: 8 Women-Centric Benefits
- Balance Your Hormones
- Improve Your Metabolism
- Give Your Gut a Boost!
- Feed Your Mind
- Get Your Glow On
- Give Your Immune System a Hand
- Relax and Unwind
- Reduce Cancer Risks
- Mushrooms for Women: FAQs
Mushrooms: 8 Women-Centric Benefits
When it comes to women’s health, hormonal health is everything. A woman’s hormones are the master controllers of her health, wellness, and overall wellbeing. Hormones also control a woman’s stress level, sleep cycle, fertility, mood, digestion, body composition, and much, much more.
In addition to being of utmost importance, though, a woman’s hormonal status is surprisingly delicate. Hormone levels can fluctuate depending on any number of things — some of these fluctuations are natural and helpful, while others are not.
Thankfully for all the women reading this, medicinal mushrooms have the ability to restore and rebalance hormones! Many of their other benefits stem from this one, which is why it’s mentioned first in the list below…
- Balance Your Hormones
Hormone imbalances are becoming increasingly common in women of all ages. In young women PCOS and endometriosis are on the rise; in older women infertility and premature menopause are getting more common. [1]
The good news is that mushrooms may be able to correct hormone-driven health problems from the inside out. This ability is so broad we’ve separated it into four sub-categories:
- Mushrooms for fertility
- Mushrooms for pregnancy
- Mushrooms for menopause
- Mushrooms for bone health
Mushrooms for fertility
Mushrooms may promote female fertility in several ways. Cordyceps Sinensis mushrooms might be especially great for boosting fertility. It’s thought that cordyceps mushrooms possess anti-aromatase qualities that help regulate a woman’s estrogen and progesterone levels.
Maitake mushrooms can also foster improved fertility by helping you regain your insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity can normalise ovulation and help the body direct energy toward sexual function.
Mushrooms for pregnancy
Reishi mushrooms may boost fertility, too. Reishi is known to reduce the body’s cortisol levels, reducing inflammation and setting the stage for a safe, low-stress pregnancy. This is a pretty big deal considering that stress is one of the biggest barriers to healthy gestation. Some women say that reishi use:
- Reduces insomnia
- Reduces overall stress
- Normalises sleep patterns
- Reduces shortness of breath
- Calms the mind (i.e. reduces anxiety)
- Calms the nervous system (i.e. reduces jitters)
The ancients attested to reishi’s value during pregnancy — albeit using different perspectives than we do today. These ancient Taoists believed that pregnancy requires high levels of life force energy, or jing. A mother who nourished her own jing, they thought, would be able to pass jing onto the child, setting them up for a truly vital life. Maintaining high jing can promote calm, collected energy levels throughout pregnancy. Some women who’ve tried this approach say their babies come out calmer and healthier, too!
Important note: clinical evidence regarding the use of medicinal mushrooms during pregnancy is limited. Don’t hesitate to talk to your GP before introducing new mushrooms into your routine. And, when in doubt, refer back to the mushrooms species early practitioners regarded as safe during pregnancy. They likely believed the things they did for a reason.
Mushrooms for menopause
Menopause is a natural, normal part of every women’s life. The term just refers to the point in a woman’s life when she stops menstruating. Menopause marks the end of a woman’s fertile years. Many women experience undesirable side effects from menopause, including:
- Fat gain
- Hot flashes
- Mood swings
- Hair thinning
- Reduced libido
- Sleep problems
Menopause may be unavoidable, but it doesn’t need to have a devastating effect on your overall health. Proponents of traditional Chinese medicine have long believed that reishi mushrooms may help women get through menopause (and other parts of normal aging) gracefully. More recently, animal studies affirm that reishi consumption may: [2]
- Reduce insomnia and promote deep, restorative sleep
- Reduce estrogen-driven weight gain/water retention
- Improve body composition and energy levels
Mushrooms for bone health
Osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease, is one of the least desirable consequences of menopause. But medicinal mushrooms may help with this, too.
The isoflavones in some mushroom species, particularly Cordyceps Sinensis, may have mild phytoestrogenic activity. Translation? They slightly mimic the biological action of estrogen. Animal studies show that cordyceps’ estrogen-balancing effect helps bones stay in an active, always-remodeling state. This effect may reduce the risk of osteoporosis in the long run. Here are the technicalities from a 2014 rodent study: [3]
“The beneficial effects of CSIF on the improvement of osteoporosis in rats were attributable mainly to decrease ALP activity, TRAP activity, CTX level, and IFN-γ level. At the same time, CSIF also increases the OC and estradiol levels in ovariectomised osteopenic rats. The histological examination clearly showed that dietary CSIF can prevent bone loss caused by estrogen deficiency.”
The idea that mushroom isoflavones may combat osteoporosis becomes even more alluring when you consider that normal treatment options have harsh side effects. One such treatment option, hormone replacement therapy, can actually increase one’s risk of developing breast, ovarian, and/or endometrial cancer. Mushrooms don’t have this side effect — if anything they do the opposite. [4]
The isoflavones in mushrooms confer other health benefits, too. Their status as natural anti-inflammatory compounds means regular consumption may decrease one’s risk of both cancer and heart disease. Isoflavones are true hormonal regulators; in some cases they raise estrogen levels, in other cases they reduce them. [5]
- Improve Your Metabolism
Most people reading this probably wouldn’t mind being a little thinner. If that’s the case for you, here’s some additional good news. Medicinal mushrooms may improve body composition. Regular consumption may lead to:
- Improved digestion
- Reduced insulin resistance
- Improved insulin sensitivity
- Regulated blood sugar/blood pressure/blood lipid levels
Maitake is thought to be one of the best shrooms out there for metabolic health, but plenty of other species have pro-metabolic properties, too.
- Give Your Gut a Boost!
Quite a few of the active ingredients in many mushroom species have gut-protective properties. Said species are incredibly rich in polysaccharides, including:
- Beta-glucans
- Alpha-glucans
- Hemicellulose
- Galactans
- Mannans
- Xylans
- Chitin
Once ingested these polysaccharides function as prebiotics, fueling the beneficial bacteria located throughout your gut. Over time mushroom consumption may help rebalance and diversity your gut flora. Reishi/Lingzhi mushrooms may be so gut-protective that they can make amends for poor dietary choices (not that we’d recommend this approach): [6]
“[Reishi] also showed strong anti-inflammatory activity and it acted as an immunomodulator in inflammation induced by a high-cholesterol diet. The recent advancement in research has shown the link between gut microbiota and the treatment of various ailments. The constituents of [reishi] make it one of the important prebiotics used to increase bacterial flora. In particular it is rich in polysaccharides, terpenoids, and total phenols.”
- Feed Your Mind
Cognitive sharpness is one of the most important qualities a person can possess. Unfortunately, it’s also yet another health marker that can be damaged by menopause’s hormonal swings.
The good news is that medicinal mushrooms may help. Lion’s Mane mushrooms are among the most brain-boosting mushrooms of all; in addition to antioxidants it contains highly bioactive erinacines and hericenones. These compounds stimulate the production of new brain cells by upregulating the production of NGF, or nerve growth factor. It’s a tangible process — many Lion’s Mane users soon find themselves thinking out of the box with more ease.
Reishi is yet another mushroom that supports cognitive function. It may not do so as directly as Lion’s Mane, but its calming properties mean it’s able to put you into the mental framework required for deep work.
Mushrooms can even be used to combat multitasking and other self-sabotaging behaviours. (Contrary to popular opinion, women aren’t always good at multitasking. Almost no one is!) Using nootropic shrooms like Lion’s Mane might make it easier for women to focus on the task at hand and see it through til its completion. [7]
- Get Your Glow On
Medicinal mushrooms may also benefit the health of your skin. Too good to be true? Nope. The antioxidant polysaccharides in shrooms provide your skin with a biochemical ‘buffer’ against oxidative wear and tear. The vitamins and minerals in mushrooms may reduce oxidative stress within skin cells, too.
Reishi, the ‘mushroom of immortality,’ might be the very best shroom for those who seek glowing, dewy skin.
“[Reishi] is most beneficial for beauty with its anti-inflammatory, anti-redness, antioxidant, anti-wrinkle benefits,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jeannette Graf tells Covateur. [8]
Food scientist Regan Schneider agrees. “Along with its potent antiviral and antibacterial properties, reishi contains beta-glucans, which are responsible for attracting water from the environment to your skin, resulting in a healthy and hydrated complexion,” Schnieder explains in the same article. “This, in turn, creates the perfect groundwork for the synthesis of ceramides, which are the building blocks in the protective layer of your skin that keeps environmental aggressors out and hydration in.”
One more bit of good news for now: mushrooms provide the same vitamin D that sunlight does…without the accompanying potential for UV-induced damage. They really do provide the best of both worlds!
- Give Your Immune System a Hand
The importance of having a healthy immune system has risen to the forefront of public awareness in recent years. Strong immune function can prevent small pathogenic infections from becoming big problems. It can also help you evade food or environmental allergies and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Suffice to say that one’s immune system is deeply important.
Might mushrooms be the solution? Possibly. They’re one of nature’s richest sources of several classes of immune-boosting compounds, after all. Turkey Tail is thought to be among the best mushroom species if improved immunity is what you’re after. It’s rich in polysaccharides, terpenoids, lectins, amino acids, and a whole host of other immune-regulating substances.
- Relax and Unwind
Let’s face it: life is stressful. Between concerns about the economy, wars, and certain viral infections, it’s all too easy to feel on edge all too often.
But this is yet another realm where medicinal mushrooms may be of assistance. As true adaptogens, mushrooms are capable of reducing stress hormone production, bolstering nervous system function, and much more. Many mushrooms feel calming in a way that’s hard to describe with words — but easy to understand once you’ve tried them. The ancient Taoists believed some mushrooms could strengthen the energy centers around the heart, allowing a person to embrace their nature without anxiety or fear.
Feel free to brew up a batch of mushroom tea if you can get your hands on fresh shrooms. Reishi-infused golden milk lattes are one of many proverbial favourites.
- Reduced Cancer Risks
One of the most exciting things about medicinal mushrooms is their anti-cancer properties.
Chaga mushrooms shine the brightest in this area. These tree-loving fungi can slow the development of various types of cancers.
Studies out of South Korea show that Chaga mushroom may slow cancer progression in those with lung, breast, and/or cervical cancer. In case you’re wondering, researchers credited this ability to three different compounds: 3beta-hydroxy-lanosta-8,24-dien-21-al, inotodiol, and lanosterol. [9]
Mushrooms for Women: FAQs
Do mushrooms contain vitamin D?
Yes, virtually all mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight contain vitamin D.
What other nutrients do mushrooms contain?
Potassium, calcium, iron, B vitamins, selenium, and a whole host of powerful antioxidants.
What are the health benefits of mushrooms?
Mushrooms are a true superfood! It’s somewhat hard to identify any health metrics that they don’t improve.
Can mushrooms stave off Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases?
While we can’t make any medical claims, study findings seem to be going in this direction.
Do mushrooms improve heart health?
Yes, mushrooms may improve many of the most important heart health markers.
Do medicinal mushrooms have side effects?
The mushrooms we’ve described here rarely have any side effects.
How can I prepare fresh mushrooms?
Softer mushrooms are delicious in stir-fries, while harder mushrooms can be prepared into teas. And virtually any gourmet mushroom goes great in soup.
Mushrooms for Women: Closing Thoughts
Well, there you have it! It turns out that some of mushrooms’ best qualities are uniquely helpful to women. Hopefully this article inspired you to try out a new shroom or two.
And, if you go the supplement route, be sure to opt for a product that’s free from heavy metals and glyphosate. Sourcing matters, too — your best bet is to look at European-made brands. At Hirsch Organic we source our 100% organic mushroom powders from some of Europe’s best cultivators.
Last but not least, don’t forget to enjoy the journey. Who knows? Mushrooms may help you get back to your spiritual essence, just as the Taoists believed they could…
