Mushrooms—the more you discover, the more it transports you to a magical world showcasing the wonders of nature. I entered through the magician’s door and found 10 more doors striking the gong of mystery in my heart. And when I chose one of those doors, I found myself with another 100 magical doors full of mystery and intrigue.
It all started 5 years ago when I watched a documentary on YouTube about mushrooms, and it filled me with so much awe that I’ve never stopped being fascinated.
My hope is that in writing this article, you, too, will feel fascinated with the miracle of mushrooms. Here, we’ll cover mushrooms in the vegan context and how you can use them to fuel a healthy lifestyle.
Key Takeaways
Are Mushrooms Vegan?
I know some people don’t think of mushrooms as vegan, so I’d like to address that right away. Some vegans believe that, because it isn’t a plant, it isn’t vegan.
I’d argue against this point because what harm does eating mushrooms do? You’re not harming animals, and when you consume them you get tons of health benefits.
Each mushroom has its own magical benefits. For example, Lion's Mane has been shown to potentially help with mild Alzheimer's disease as well as mild cognitive impairment, according to a human research from Angelo State University
My other argument for mushrooms is that some vegan leathers use mushrooms to make their leather handbags. This is mostly from commercial oyster mushrooms, but also reishi.
I also know some vegans don’t eat mushrooms because they taste weird.
I understand. I’ve eaten shiitake mushrooms myself.
I eat them for their anticancer properties because if it saves me from getting cancer in the future, I would consider them well worth the slight dislike of eating them.
What cancers does the shiitake help with? I’ll cover that soon as well as what each mushroom tastes like and why you may want to add them to your diet….
The Health Benefits of Mushrooms for Vegans
I’ve never been one to long for eating meat, honestly, but many vegans like to eat mushrooms because of the meaty texture. The biggest reason to eat mushrooms, I’d argue is because many of them are extremely healthy (many of them are also superfoods) and each one comes with its own health benefits. Let’s take a look at a few mushrooms and their health benefits.
Reishi Mushrooms
Often used in Chinese traditional medicine, the reishi mushroom is documented as strengthening heart function, improving memory, and detoxifying the body. It has a woody, bitter, and slightly earthy flavor. The reishi mushroom has over 400 nutrients with compounds that lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Because of the high antioxidants in reishi, it protects your body from cell damage and chronic inflammation, which reduces your risk of getting chronic diseases.
Some also believe that it boosts your immune system and lessens your fatigue.
Important to note that while the FDA has never approved it as a treatment for cancer, some studies have been done in both China and Japan. They found that it helps to strengthen your immune system to fight lung cancer.
Lion's Mane Mushrooms (Hericium Erinaceus)
Some students take Lion's Mane extract because it improves their focus and helps improve the growth, survival, and function of neurons in the brain (also known as nerve growth factor synthesis). You can get through the brain fog with Lion's mane mushroom supplementation, as well as improve your cognitive function and overall brain health.
The anti inflammatory effects have been shown to potentially reduce mild symptoms of anxiety and depression. You might take this to build the dopamine receptors in your brain to feel happy again, and to prevent the acute and chronic effects of inflammation in your body.
Some people like this one because of its slightly sweet flavor sharing many resemblances to lobster, crabs, or scallops.
This mushroom is also sometimes called the hedgehog mushroom.
Shiitake Mushrooms
Some people like this one for its meaty texture. If you’re wondering what it tastes like, some say earthy and smoky.
Well known for helping the body regulate its immune system, they also promote good circulation and lower blood pressure, and they’re also said to prevent the effects of aging.
This is because they’re an excellent source of copper, which helps with collagen production to keep you looking young.
Shiitake was revealed to be ineffective when it came to prostate cancer, but studies have suggested the oral use of shiitake could help extend the survival rate of patients with stomach, colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers. Larger studies would need to be done to prove this.
Shiitake also is one of the few mushrooms with a high level of vitamin B12, making it perfect for vegans. If you struggle to get your vitamin B12, this is a perfect choice. Just be sure to choose the dried one, which will have 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12.
Maitake Mushrooms
This is a big one for cancer. Containing a compound known as Beta-D-glucans, this compound will help the immune system fight cancer, especially liver, lung, and breast cancers. It has been shown to prevent tumor growth.
If you have fibroids, for example, and they keep coming back (60% of the time, they do), maitake can help to naturally reduce their growth. Maitake can also improve fertility health. This mushroom can also help you with weight management.
For the strongest immune support, you might combine shiitake mushrooms with maitake mushrooms since they both help with the immune system and can both fight cancer. Regular consumption of either one is best for good results.
In terms of flavor, there’s a slightly spicy flavor but not hot either. Maitake mushrooms have a deep earthy flavor.
Cremini Mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms, which come from the same species as portobello mushrooms, are widely available in grocery stores.
Cremini mushrooms support a healthy immune system because it contains beneficial bacteria for the gut microbiome. These bacteria helps improve digestion and boosts the body's immune function.
Cremini mushrooms also play a role in cancer prevention, especially against breast and lung cancer. This is because it contains what's called aromatase inhibitors which block the production of estrogen. Estrogen is a female hormone that promotes the growth of some forms of cancer tumors.
Lastly, cremini mushrooms help reduce pregnant women's risk of developing high blood pressure.
Vitamins, Minerals, and Protein - Why Vegans Should Eat Mushrooms
What vitamins and minerals you get will depend on the mushroom, but they are all rich in vitamins and minerals. Some people with kidney disease will choose the shiitake mushroom because of its meaty texture as a replacement for meat, due to it being healthier for their kidneys than meat.
Mushrooms also contain vitamin D, which help the body absorb calcium.
All varieties of mushrooms are low in calories and contain modest amounts of fiber. Mushrooms also contain many of the essential amino acids that you’d eat in meat.
What Mushrooms are Superfoods?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Mushrooms were some of the first complex life forms on land with some believing they diverged from other life 810 million years ago.
One single network of mycelium (the thread-like network of mushrooms) can stretch 4 square miles in a forest covering the root system of all the trees. Did you know that trees use the network of mycelium to communicate with each other about resources, nutrients, and defense? If you’re looking for something seriously cool, you need to learn about mushrooms and maybe even add them to your vegan diet.
All the mushrooms I mentioned above are probably found at your local grocery store.
