Ron Teeguarden (one of our favourite tonic herbalists here at SuperFeast) suggests in his epic book, The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs, that “It is possible to live long and to live well” [1]. We would have to agree here, however, we feel in order to do so, the human organism requires a little help from nature. This is where the medicine of the medicinal mushrooms come in, particularly those present in our Mason’s Mushroom blend.
Our founder Mason is deeply passionate about reducing degenerative disease through lifestyle factors, with particular focus on the daily diet. This is the intention behind the creation of our Mason’s Mushroom blend.
At SuperFeast we’re not just here to put herbs in jars, (although we love doing that!) we are here to share our authentic enthusiasm and belief in the magic of these healing herbs. We want as many people across the globe to be able to access the powerful medicine that these tonic herbs embody, and to be able to experience the profound shifts in health that we have all had on our own unique journeys using medicinal mushrooms.
Adaptogenic in action, these potent tonic herbs allow the body to develop a deep resilience against the many stressors of modern life.
In nature, as in life, adaptability is the root of all evolutionary success. So in order for us humans to live long, buoyant and fruitful lives, we must stay adaptive, with resilience being a key element in the cultivation of vibrant health.
As nature's unifier’s, medicinal mushrooms, exist in the wild as a series mycelial networks.
Within the body these potent herbs work to unify our physical components, particularly our major organ systems e.g. the lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, spleen and immune system. While also assisting unification on a subtle energetic level, working to ground and anchor the spirit into its physical manifestation, the body [1].
With gut issues and autoimmunity on the rise, the potent medicine of these tonic herbs is becoming increasingly more significant as immune systems across the globe are in dire need of healing and support.
Naturally high in polysaccharides, particularly beta-glucans, medicinal mushrooms provide deep nourishment to the immune cells and microbiome [2]. In this regard, medicinal mushrooms are a safe and much needed dietary ally in the epidemic of dis-ease in our western landscape.
Ok so now we’ve got that cleared up….
WHAT IS MASON’S MUSHROOMS?
Masons Mushrooms is a super-blend of 8 of the worlds most potent medicinal mushrooms, intentionally crafted to nourish, tone and support the organ systems of the body. With particular focus on the gut and immune system. This signature blend helps to cultivate immunity, support the nervous system, gut health and hormonal function. These powerful adaptogenic herbs have been revered in ancient herbalism for centuries for their unique ability to boost vitality and encourage longevity.
The blend includes the 10:1 herbal extracts of:
- wild chaga
- semi-wild reishi
- semi-wild lion’s mane,
- cultivated cordyceps CS-4
- semi-wild agaricus blazei
- semi-wild shiitake
- semi-wild poria
- semi-wild maitake
NUTRITIONAL CONSTITUENTS
Chaga: inotodiol; inonoblins A-C; phelligridins D, E, and G; trametenolic acid; 3beta-hydroxylanosta-8, 24-dien-21-23-lactone; obliquol, lanosterol, betulin.
Triterpenes; vanillic-, syringic-, ferulic, and p- hydroxybenzoic, acids; and 21, 24-cyclopentalanosta-3- beta,21,25-triol-8-ene; and 3 beta,22,25-trihydroxy-lanosta-8-ene. Melanin; allomelanins [3].
Reishi: polysaccharides, amino acids; adenosine, steroids; ergosterols, protease, lyzsomes, lipids, triterpenes, alkaloids, vitamin B2 and C, minerals; zinc, manganese, iron, copper, germanium, beta glucans, Choline, Betaine, Beta sitosterol, Ling zhi-9 protein [3].
Lions Mane: beta-glucoxylan, glucoxylan, galacoxyloglucan protein, hericonene A and B (phenols), calciferol, ergosterol, polyhydroxysteroid, ergostane derivatives [3].
Cordyceps: cordycepin, cordycepic acid, galactomannans, polysaccharides, sterols [6].
Agaricus Blazei: ergosterol, double stranded RNA, beta glucans, glucomannan, mannogalactoglucan, proteoglucans, riboglucans [6].
Shiitake: polysaccharides, lentinan, lignins, KS-2 (alpha mannan peptide) glycoproteins, eritadenine, methyl sulphide, ergosterol, ergocalciferol, 33% protein, 47% complex carbohydrates, xylose, arabinose, B12, and 37 enzymes. Shiitake’s molecular structure is said to closely resemble that of the helix of human DNA [3].
Poria: triterpenes; pachymic acid, dehydropachymic acid, polyporenic acid C, polysaccharides [7].
Maitake: ergosterol,ergostra-4,6,89(14),22-tetraen-3-one;1-oleoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-palmitoylglycerol, as well fatty acids palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acid;phospholipids - phosphatidyl choline, phosphatydl serine, beta-D-glucans; grifolin, grifolin-LE, MT-2, LELFD, and grifolin NMF-5N; beta 1,3 glucans [3].
TOP 5 BENEFITS OF MASON’S MUSHROOMS
As we’ve addressed above, medicinal mushrooms, particularly those present in the Mason’s Mushroom blend, primarily influence the health of the gut and immune systems. When the gut is healthy we can expect the immune system to follow suit, after all over 70% of our immune tissue is located in the gastrointestinal tract.
From this standpoint it is a no brainer to assume that imbalances in these important systems can lead to imbalances in other systems of the body, particularly the nervous system and endocrine system. As Hipporcrates, the godfather of health, famously said “all disease begins in the gut” and contemporary science is affirming this more and more each day.
In this regard our Mason’s Mushroom blend can be beneficial in supporting healthy hormonal function, mood regulation, gut dysbiosis, autoimmunity, adrenal health and energy production, amongst many other things. And it’s mostly due to the mushrooms potent prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions within the microbiome.
IMMUNITY & MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
Medicinal Mushrooms contain a group of active chemical constituents known as polysaccharides, particularly beta glucans, which act as biological response modifiers within the immune system. These biological compounds assist the activation of various protective chemical reactions that occur as a part of the body’s immunological and inflammatory cascades. Beta glucans increase the activity of interleukins, interferons, natural killer cells, tumor necrosis factor, macrophages, B and T lymphocytes, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and granulocytes, the infection-fighting cells that develop within the bone marrow. Beta glucans enable the body to recognise and label potentially cancerous cells, allowing the immune system to elevate its response against these undesirable “foreign” cells.
IMMUNITY & MASONS MUSHROOMS
GUT HEALTH & MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
As we explored above, beta glucans are polysaccharides. On a molecular level polysaccharides consist of long sugar bound chains. These chains cannot be completely broken down within the digestive tract and therefore are reduced into smaller chained molecules called oligosaccharides through the process of partial digestion. The oligosaccharides, or indigestible portion of the beta glucans then becomes available as prebiotic food for the bacterial communities within the gastrointestinal tract to consume [3].
This enables beneficial bacteria to grow strong and proliferate, an action that inhibits the space in which pathogenic organisms are able to occupy within gut. Gut health has become a hot topic in the contemporary health sphere of late, with research suggesting that medicinal mushrooms, through their probiotic action, have the ability to not only harmonise the human microbiome but to also reduce the development of degenerative disease.
The fermentation of prebiotics by the gut microbiota produce beneficial compounds such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA’s). SCFA’s strengthen the integrity and function of the gut wall. This helps the body to modulate its ability to metabolise glucose and lipids, as well as tone the immune system and inflammatory response [5]. SCFA’s also assist in the production of cellular energy.
The interaction between our gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and the oligosaccharides (prebiotics) present in medicinal mushrooms is thought to be one of primary reasons that these potent herbs produce such powerful actions within our gut and immune system as a whole.
GUT/BRAIN CONNECTION & MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
By now we’re all fairly familiar with the interconnection between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain, these systems work synonymously within one another to send and receive messages throughout our bodies on a daily basis. A disturbance in one of these systems will be mirrored by a disturbance in the other. Leaky gut is a great example of the interplay that occurs here, when our gut’s are inflamed our brains tend to be too. The gut-brain axis (GBA) is the bidirectional communication pathway activated here, operating between the central and enteric nervous systems, the GBA links the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with our peripheral intestinal functions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/
GUT HEALTH & MASONS MUSHROOMS
Reishi has been shown to enforce the integrity of the body’s intestinal barrier, reducing the incidence of metabolic endotoxemia caused by chronic low grade inflammation in the gut.
Chaga, Reishi and Shiitake have been found to favourably influence the balance of desirable (Bacteroidetes) gut bacteria to that of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Firmicutes) in the gut.
MASON’S MUSHROOMS RECIPES
