Mycotherapy is the use of medicinal mushrooms to improve
your health, it plays a key role in Traditional Chinese Medicine but many
functional practitioners like myself also use these mushrooms.
It is a factor to consider when looking at the different
cultural experiences of menopause. Asian cultures have long consumed mushrooms
and in general, they have a much milder experience of the transition compared
to the average western women who don’t traditionally eat medicinal mushrooms.
Please note the standard mushrooms purchased in a western supermarket aren’t
the ones we are talking about here.
Medicinal mushrooms are adaptogenic meaning they help you
adapt to stressful situations and reduced the stress burden on your body. They
are organ tonics good for the liver, kidneys, and lungs, as mentioned above
they help improve thyroid function but by reducing the level of thyroid
antibodies, they help regulate blood sugar levels by improving insulin
sensitivity. They are also antimicrobial and anti-viral. Yes, they reduce ALL
of the factors discussed that predispose a woman to a more intense menopausal
transition and more! Yes more, some are also specific hormone regulators.
Additional general benefits of medicinal mushrooms
include:
·
Immune strengthening (as well as reducing
antibodies they can also strengthen a weak immune system)
·
Anti-inflammatory agents
·
Provide Cardiovascular support (improve
cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure)
·
Increase detoxification
·
Improve digestive function (by providing
prebiotics, a food source for the good probiotic bacteria)
·
There are many different varieties of medicinal
mushrooms and I’m more likely to prescribe a mushroom complex than a single
variety so you will receive multiple benefits.
If I’m looking at immune modulation due to an auto-immune disease I’ll
use a product with a base of maitake, shitake, reishi. If it's more
menopause-related symptoms let's take about a few varieties that shine for
different reasons.
Maitake - GROWTHS
I think of maitake as the mushroom for reproductive
growths. Many women transitioning into menopause will find themselves with the
diagnosis of fibroids. Fibroids have a few different triggers for growth.
Estrogen dominance is one but another less commonly considered factor is
insulin-like growth factors. Maitake helps reduce abnormal growths by
regulating insulin sensitivity. This action can also help trigger ovulation in
perimenopausal women with PCOS as this is another reproductive growth
associated with insulin resistance.
Post-menopausal women can still benefit from taking Maitake. As it may help slow down osteoporosis by stimulating osteoblasts and reducing bone loss.
Reishi - HORMONE REGULATOR
Reishi mushroom is a hormone regulator. It may reduce hot
flushes by supporting the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian) axis. This
action may help regulate estrogen production. While also increasing the
sensitivity of estrogen receptors, making the amount of estrogen you have to go
further.
It may help reduce pelvic inflammation and its associated
pain.
Reishi has research suggesting it may help reduce
abnormal growths especially those linked with breast and ovarian cancer.
It may help improve sleep and energy levels
Many TCM practitioners think of Reishi as a supporter of
spiritual growth and intelligence. Yes, please.
Cordyceps - ENERGY and SEXUAL DESIRE
One of the key benefits of taking cordyceps is having
more energy. This may be due to the increase in blood oxygenation. I find
exhausted women are less likely to want to particulate in sexual activities.
Cordyceps may help provide a healthy libido and may increase your sexual
satisfaction by improving blood flow to your genitals.
Increased blood flow may also increase your exercise
performance and boost strength.
This mushroom may also provide a healthier HPA axis and
therefore better hormonal balance.
It may also improve sleep.
Lion’s mane - COGNITION AND MOODS
The active constituents of Lion’s Mane easily cross the
blood-brain barrier and promotion healthy cognition and brighter moods. It does this by producing nerve growth
factors and brain-derived neurotrophic factors these produce new neural
pathways and strengthening existing ones, while also supporting the production
of myelin sheaths that surround your nerve pathways. Essentially meaning a healthier and happier
brain, one that promotes learning and memory, while relieving you of your
menopausal mood swings, irritability, anxiety, or depression. Historically this
mushroom was reserved for Royals only.
Studies
The depression study, which was published in the Journal
of Affective Disorders, analyzed data from 24,699 women and men, average age
45.5, and reported that mushroom consumption was associated with lower odds of
depression, even after taking other major risk factors like medications, diseases,
sociodemographics into consideration.
Specifically, compared with participants who ate no
mushrooms or ate very few mushrooms, those who ate them regularly—with a median
intake of 4.9 grams of mushrooms per day (for reference ½ cup of mushrooms is
44 grams) — were 69 percent less likely to have depression. The researchers
hypothesize that the benefits could be due to high amounts of an amino acid
called ergothioneine many mushrooms contain, which acts as an antioxidant and
could protect against cell damage in the brain.
This study echoes older research that found that women
who consumed baked goods containing lion’s mane mushrooms (which is one of the
varieties that is popular in the mushroom coffee drinks and other supplements)
for four weeks reported significantly fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression
than those who ate placebo baked goods that contained no lion’s mane mushrooms.
New pre-clinical research on lion's mane mushrooms found
that the active compounds in the fungus had a significant impact on the growth
of brain cells in the laboratory setting. This supports findings from a 2013
study on lion’s mane, which reported that it has neurotrophic (i.e., is
nourishing to the nerve cells) properties and that regular consumption might promote
nerve and brain health.
Other studies in the past several years have reported
that the polysaccharides found in mushrooms may make them particularly good for
strengthening immunity and that mushrooms act as an adaptogen, helping the body
be more stress resilient.
Regarding menopause symptoms specifically, there’s
evidence in animal research that the phytoestrogens found in the mushroom
cordyceps (which is a functional rather than culinary mushroom) can help
prevent bone loss related to estrogen decline.
Suggested Use
For menopause, it is advisable to use 2000 mg per day of
Cordyceps and Reishi in tablets. It is important to associate vitamin C to
improve the absorption of the active ingredients of Medicinal Mushrooms in the
intestine.
There are no known side effects of Medicinal Mushrooms in
Menopause; they can be used in combination with conventional medicine. It is advisable
to take them for at least three months or for longer periods, in order to
consolidate health and well-being and protect the body, obtaining an effective
preventive effect.
Sources and Additional Information:
https://www.menopausenaturalsolutions.com/blog/mycotherapy-for-menopause
https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/mushrooms-for-menopause
https://hifasdaterra.com/en//clinic/menopause/
https://www.funghienergiaesalute.com/medicinal-mushrooms-and-menopause