Mushrooms, long prized for their medicinal properties, are being explored as a tool to boost immunity and fight viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Gordon Saxe, director of research at the Center for Integrative Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine, was the principal investigator of three studies that evaluated whether mushrooms are therapeutic for COVID-19.first
In the early days of the pandemic, Dr. Andrew Shubov, director of inpatient integrative medicine at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, said he was frustrated by the lack of effective treatments for COVID-19. . “People are using drugs that are increasingly toxic and ineffective,” he told JAMA.2
Saxe, Shubov and colleagues believe mushrooms and Chinese herbs may be the answer, due to their potent antiviral properties. One fungus, agarikon, was also previously found to inhibit two types of influenza (H1N1 and H5N1) as well as herpes. These immune-boosting effects are part of the reason why Saxe chose mushrooms in their COVID-19 studies.3
Three studies are underway using mushrooms to treat COVID-19
Chinese Mushrooms and Herbs for COVID-19, known as MACH-19, is a multicenter study led by the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UCLA. Their trials, still recruiting, include people who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and are isolated at home with mild to moderate symptoms.
Two of the three studies have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as Phase 1 clinical safety trials for investigational compounds for the treatment of COVID-19.4 Additional testing details are as follows:5
first. Mushroom-Based Products for COVID-19 – Conducted from December 2020 to December 2022, this study is testing a blend of half agarikon and half turkey tail mushroom in capsule form.
2. Chinese Herbal Formula for COVID-19 – Conducted from July 2021 to December 2022, this study is testing 21 Chinese herbs from Taiwan, known as Qing Fei Pai Du Tang, used as a remedy for COVID-19 in China.
3. RCT of a mushroom-based natural product to enhance immune response to COVID-19 vaccination – This trial is evaluating whether a medicinal mushroom capsule, given at the time of COVID-19 injection, can Antibodies or not.
According to Saxe, “Mushrooms may not only increase the number of these antibodies, but also enhance T-cell immunity against virus-infected cells. Furthermore, because fungi bind to receptors on human immune cells, they can modulate our immunity – strengthen it in some and calm it in others. vaccine-related side effects.”6
A fourth trial could also soon be launched to explore whether medicinal mushrooms can boost immune responses to COVID-19 booster shots. Safety data from the three trials are initially expected by the end of 2021, while efficacy data will take another year. Saxe says:7
“We hope these treatments will reduce the need for hospitalization… Fungi have the advantage that they co-evolved with us. So bacteria, viruses, and other fungi prey on the same species.” They’re predatory to humans. And fungi have developed sophisticated defenses against those pests, and we believe they can hand those things over to us when we eat them.”
Impressive antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of mushrooms
Writing in the journal Immunology, researchers from the University of Oslo Hospital in Norway also highlight the potential therapeutic effects of fungi on COVID-19, especially the severe pneumonia that often follows infection. coincide.8 They looked at lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus), wood hen (Grifola frondose) and Basidiomycota Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM).
Extracts of these three substances were found to significantly reduce bacteria in the blood and increase survival in mice with pneumococcal sepsis. Their anti-inflammatory effects also lead to improvements in symptoms and quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Due to their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, “such mushroom extracts may have prophylactic or therapeutic effects against pneumococcal superinfection and often severe pneumonia,” the researchers explain. complicate COVID-19 infection”.9
Long-chain polysaccharides, especially the alpha and beta glucan molecules, are primarily responsible for the beneficial effects of mushrooms on your immune system. In one study, adding one or two servings of dried shiitake mushrooms was found to have a beneficial, modulating effect on immune system function.ten
Despite having at least 126 fungal medicinal functions, polysaccharides have received particular attention and have been the subject of several studies.
According to the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, “[T]The most important substance for modern medicine are polysaccharides with anti-tumor and immunostimulating properties. Several fungal polysaccharide compounds have undergone phase I, II and III clinical trials and are widely and successfully used as a drug in Asia for the treatment of cancers and other diseases. “11
Chaga Mushroom Fights Flu
As noted in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, more than 14,000 species of fungi have been identified (more than 140,000 are believed to exist), with more than 2,000 of which are edible and/or medicinal. .twelfth
Some of these species show promise as an antiviral against influenza viruses that can cause pandemics.13 For example, research from the State Research Center for Virology and Biotechnology in Russia identified the chaga mushroom (Inonotus Obquus) as having the “widest range of antiviral activity” against the subtypes different influenza viruses.14
Chaga mushroom contains polysaccharides with antiviral and immunomodulatory effects, and in mice it was found to have effects similar to the drug Tamiflu against pandemic influenza viruses.15 In addition to antiviral effects, test-tube studies have shown that chaga mushrooms have antibacterial, immunostimulating, and anti-tumor activities.16 and as noted in the Journal of Internal Medicine also have anti-inflammatory effects:17
“The Chaga mushroom (which grows mainly on the bark of birch trees in Northern Europe, Siberia, Russia, Korea, Northern Canada and Alaska) possesses a powerful enzyme system and a strong defense system due to its parasitic way of life. They have shown promising results in reducing the inflammatory responses associated with COVID-19.”
Reishi can help achieve a ‘COVID-free world’
Other species of fungi have also been praised for their ability to fight COVID-19, with reishi, also known as reishi, emerging as an exemplary player.18 As noted in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, functional foods and pharmaceuticals made from medicinal mushrooms are significant in the fight against COVID-19:19
“COVID-19 manifests in a multitude of diseases, some with symptoms while others are asymptomatic. Among them, immune deregulation (i.e. cytokine storm) is the most notable manifestation. of COVID-19. As a result, the regulation of compromised immune systems has become central to the fight against COVID-19.
Immunoregulation is the regulatory process to maintain a balanced immune system: it does not allow all immune cells to function fully. In this regard, food and nutrition-based approaches that enhance immune defense and modulate compromised immunity appear to be a protective measure against COVID-19. “
Mushrooms contain several immunomodulatory substances, including lectins, proteins, polysaccharides, and terpenoids, while Ganoderma lucidum alone contains more than 400 bioactive compounds.20 Various immunomodulatory substances isolated from fungi have been shown to be:21
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Prevents replication of respiratory syncytial virus (fungal immunoregulatory protein (FIP)-fve) |
Reduced IL-6 expression and inflammation (FIP-fve) |
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Enhancement of trained immunity, an innate immune response that generates an antibody-free memory to pathogens that persist for months (β-D-glucan) |
Improves both upper and lower respiratory tract infections and boosts immunity (fungal-derived beta-glucan) |
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Reduce levels of common cold phenomena by 1/4 (β-D-glucan) |
Alleviation of influenza (H1N1 and H5N1) in mice |
The effects are so strong that researchers from the People’s Republic of Bangladesh believe that fungal-based treatments can be used to achieve a “COVID-free world”. They explained:22
“Although the exact mechanism of the antiviral effect is unknown, an overall enhanced immunity seems to be consistent. This enhancement may occur through direct immune stimulation or through via TRIM [trained immunity]. Therefore, the use of β-D-glucan as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent seems appropriate. “
Strong immunity is key, mushrooms help
Building strong immunity has been described in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences as a “primary weapon in the fight against COVID-19.” Researchers have listed many conventional approaches to building strong immunity, from good sleep and meditation to vitamins C and D, along with medicinal mushrooms:23
“Medicinal mushrooms have been used since ancient times for the prevention and treatment of infections and infectious diseases, and various medicinal mushrooms have been studied for their immune-boosting abilities. More than 270 species of medicinal mushrooms are known to have immune-boosting properties, some examples include: cordyceps, lion’s mane, shiitake, shiitake, reishi, and turkey tail that are beneficial to human health.”
As one of nature’s most powerful immune system builders, mushrooms also make a useful supplement during times of good health and illness.
In fact, researchers from the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms have recommended “rapid action in preparing mushroom foods for people with COVID-19” and asked the World Health Organization to The World Health Organization “spreads fungal-based prevention and treatment against SARS-CoV-2.” They point out that the fungus is easily accessible and simple to distribute when needed:24
“Since the preparation of mushroom powder is simple and does not require complicated handling and storage, the supply of mushroom powder to patients with COVID-19 and its comorbidities throughout different regions of the world It will also be less cumbersome for aid agencies.”
Basidiomycetes mushrooms, including reishi, almong, pom-pom, and maitake mushrooms, are commonly consumed in China and Japan for cancer prevention due to their ability to alter immune responses and provide nutritional support in chemotherapy process.
These fungi also show promise as preventive and therapeutic treatments for COVID-19 as well as helping to limit immune system overreaction and inflammation, as noted in the Journal of Medicine. Medical.25
Mushrooms act as tonics for health
It’s not just your immune system that benefits when you eat mushrooms, as the medicinal herbs have a host of powerful medicinal properties, including:26
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Anti-tumor |
Immune conditioning |
Antioxidants |
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Heart |
Anti-hypercholesterolemia |
Anti-virus |
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Antimicrobial |
Anti-parasitic |
Anti-fungal |
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Detoxify |
Protect the liver |
Anti-diabetes |
Mushrooms can be used medically in supplement and extract form and enjoyed as a dietary supplement. If you like mushrooms, consider growing your own at home. For more information on the many health benefits of mushrooms, check out the infographic below.
