Medicinal and Edible Fungi as an Alternative Medicine for Treating Age-Related Disease
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 2014-04-29
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Summary
This research examines how certain medicinal mushrooms can be used to treat various age-related diseases. Traditional mushrooms like Cordyceps, Agaricus, and Ganoderma have shown promising results in treating conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. These fungi contain natural compounds that can help reduce inflammation, boost immunity, and protect against cellular damage.
Impacts on everyday life:
• Provides natural alternatives to conventional medications for age-related conditions
• Offers potential dietary supplements for disease prevention
• Demonstrates the value of traditional medicine in modern healthcare
• Suggests new ways to maintain health during aging
• Shows how common mushrooms can have powerful health benefits
Background
Age-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer involve epigenetic modifications that accumulate over time. These changes are influenced by lifestyle and diet, suggesting dietary components could affect disease progression through epigenetic modifications. Traditional medicines, particularly medicinal mushrooms, have gained interest due to their diverse bioactive compounds and therapeutic properties.
Objective
To review and evaluate the potential of medicinal and edible fungi as alternative treatments for age-related diseases, examining their therapeutic properties and mechanisms of action.
Results
Cordyceps sinensis showed ability to regulate insulin sensitivity and decrease plasma cholesterol levels. Cordymin demonstrated protective effects against diabetic osteopenia. Agaricus blazei Murill exhibited anti-inflammatory properties and effectiveness against cancer, hepatitis, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. Ganoderma lucidum showed promise in cancer treatment and demonstrated ability to accumulate trace metals, with selenium-enriched proteins showing potential in asthma treatment.
Conclusion
Medicinal and edible fungi demonstrate significant potential as alternative treatments for various age-related diseases through their diverse bioactive compounds and therapeutic properties. These fungi show particular promise in treating conditions like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory conditions.
- Published in:Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
- Study Type:Review,
- Source: 10.1155/2014/638561