Do you eat mushrooms? I love them, white button mushroom, Portobello mushroom, fragrant mushrooms (Shiitake in Japanese name) etc. are used in many of our dishes.
Immune function, particularly natural and cell-mediated immune
response, is critical to preventing and controlling infection and
tumor. Nutritional food is one of strategies to efficiently modulate
the immune cell response. Mushrooms have been among foods that possess
immune modulating properties.
The most common mushroom in the US is the white button mushroom
found in every supermarket and available year round. Studies indicate
that they can enhance natural and cell-mediated immune response, and
promote efficient defense mechanisms against microbial invasion and
tumor development.
Fragrant
mushroom has always been one of my favorite ingredients added to our
family cuisine – the taste is delicious! That’s why one of my
must-packed items from my China trip is dried fragrant mushrooms. They
have long been reserved as both a delicacy and medicinal food. Fragrant
(or Shiitake) mushroom can strengthen immune system through its
component called lentinan, which stimulates the production of T
lymphocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells, as well as
interleukins, the biologically active modifiers of inflammation and
immunity.
In short, various strains of mushroom (white button, shiitake,
maitake, etc.) have strong immune impact, which contribute to their
anti-tumor properties. They are available fresh in many U.S.
supermarkets and oriental grocery stores. Plus they are easy to
incorporate into your daily diet.
Advice: It’s always safe to clean mushrooms
thoroughly and cook them before consuming them, in order to avoid
carcinogens or toxic compounds from any pesticides and any pathogens on
the surface of raw mushrooms.
Photo credits: by Bura ; by frankenstoen
