“Keep Your Brain Young with the Power of Mushrooms: Rich in Antioxidants and Anti-Inflammatory Properties”

Text/Wang He

Normally, brain function declines with age, and this, coupled with viral attacks, accelerates the aging process. Fortunately, there are miraculous substances in nature that can help reverse this trend. The famous Chinese medicine doctor Hu Naiwen introduced how to use mushrooms to keep our brains young.

Dementia is a disease that affects the functioning of the brain. It can have a severe impact on a person’s cognitive and behavioral abilities, leaving a person without the ability to lead a normal life.

The most common type of cognitive impairment is Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to the degeneration of brain function caused by age factors, since the outbreak of the epidemic, many studies have also focused on the impact of infection or vaccination on the brain and nervous system.

A study published in the journal “Nature Medicine” in November 2022, after a comprehensive analysis of US federal health data, found that compared with uninfected people, people infected with the new coronavirus had the first symptoms after infection. During the year, the risk of developing neurological diseases increased, including stroke, cognitive and memory impairment, migraine and seizures.

Another study, published in Nature Medicine in 2021, found that people vaccinated against the new coronavirus had an increased risk of developing neurological complications compared with a control group, and the risk of developing these complications after a confirmed test was positive. The risk is greater.

Mushrooms may prevent brain degeneration

How to manage the risk of dementia? Hu Naiwen, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor of Shanghai Tongdetang National Medicine, pointed out in his YouTube program “Hu Naiwen’s Lecture” that mushrooms have a certain effect on the prevention of cognitive impairment, because mushrooms are rich in ergothioneine (Ergothioneine), which is A natural compound with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that protects nerve cells from damage may be an important element in the prevention of dementia.

When fresh shiitake mushrooms are stored, they must be wrapped with dry kitchen paper towels and put into a fresh-keeping bag. There is no need to seal them, and they can be refrigerated in the refrigerator. (Shutterstock)

Hu Naiwen mentioned that a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2019 conducted a six-year follow-up survey on 663 elderly people over the age of 60. Compared with subjects who ate less than one serving (150g per serving) of mushrooms per week, those who ate more than two servings of mushrooms per week had an approximately 50% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.

Hu Naiwen said that mushrooms are generally divided into two types: fresh mushrooms and sun-dried mushrooms. Dried mushrooms exposed to the sun usually contain more vitamin D, which can help the body absorb and balance calcium.

Medicinal mushrooms, poisonous mushrooms, edible mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms refer to fungi with medicinal effects such as Cordyceps sinensis, Poria cocos, Ganoderma lucidum, and Antrodia cinnamomea. However, many wild mushrooms are poisonous. Do not eat them by mistake, otherwise they may damage physiological functions and even endanger life. Edible mushrooms include xiuzhen mushrooms, hongxi mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, coral mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and straw mushrooms.

Among them, xiuzhen mushrooms are petite in appearance and have a relatively short shelf life. When you buy them, you should cook them while they are fresh. They have a smooth taste and are suitable for stir-frying shredded pork. Hongxi mushroom is delicious and suitable for soup or cold salad, but it is not suitable for barbecue, which will affect the taste.

What is more special is Flammulina velutipes, which is low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, and is often used as a weight loss food. The mushroom chitin contained in Flammulina velutipes can increase the number of probiotics in the intestinal tract, thereby improving constipation.

Hu Naiwen reminded that when adding Flammulina velutipes to the hot pot, it is best to cut the Flammulina velutipes into three or four sections, which is convenient for the elderly and children to chew and digest. Due to the high fiber content of Flammulina velutipes, he suggested that people with poor gastrointestinal function should not eat too much Flammulina velutipes.

The fifth mysterious taste of human beings – umami

It has long been believed that the sense of taste consists of four basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. In 1907, Japanese chemist Ikeda Kikunae successfully extracted sodium L-glutamate from kelp soup and found that it was the substance that could produce umami. Mushrooms are rich in glutamic acid, so adding a little shiitake mushrooms to stir-fries or stews will have a particularly delicious taste.

Here are a few mushroom dishes:

1. Mushroom health pot: prevent brain degeneration
practice:Prepare fresh shiitake mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, hongxi mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, 1/4 cauliflower, 1/4 pumpkin (sliced), 5 red dates, a small handful of wolfberry, 1,000ml of water, and cook all the ingredients in the pot , cooked and ready to eat.

Drinking mushroom soup can keep our brain young. (Shutterstock)

Hu Naiwen said that eating in this way is low in calories, high in fiber, and gives you a sense of satiety, which not only maintains health, prevents dementia, but also does not lead to obesity.

2. Mushroom Chicken Soup: nourishing and beautifying
practice:Prepare 8 dried shiitake mushrooms (or flower mushrooms), half a chicken and cut into pieces, 1 piece of ginger and cut into 10 slices, 6 red dates, 1,500ml of water, 300ml of shiitake mushroom water, and some salt. Wash the shiitake mushrooms, soak them in 300ml room temperature water until soft, then cut them into 1mm thick slices for later use. Boil 1,500ml of water, put the chicken pieces into the pot, and skim off the foam. Then add shiitake mushroom slices, ginger, red dates, water and salt for soaking shiitake mushrooms, boil until boiling, then switch to low heat and cook slowly.

The longer the mushroom chicken soup is cooked, the better. (Shutterstock)

Hu Naiwen emphasized that the longer the cooking time, the better, and almost all the nutrients will be released in the soup.

[Key points for selection and preservation of shiitake mushrooms]

Hu Naiwen shared that when choosing fresh shiitake mushrooms, you can pay attention to the following two points:

1. The gills should be distinct and radial, arranged neatly and not stacked together.

2. Fresh mushrooms are tall and elastic, with a dry surface and clean color without softening, water seepage or discoloration.

Hu Naiwen reminded that fresh shiitake mushrooms do not need to be soaked in water when cleaning, so as to avoid the loss of aroma, flavor and taste. You can pat the shiitake mushrooms lightly to remove the sediment inside the gills, and then quickly rinse the dirty parts with running water, or wipe off the surface dust with a paper towel dipped in clean water.

However, it is best to cook the shiitake mushrooms that have been soaked in water as soon as possible to avoid discoloration and mold. Moldy shiitake mushrooms should never be eaten because of possible negative effects on the liver and body.

Hu Naiwen said that when fresh shiitake mushrooms are stored, they must be wrapped in dry kitchen paper towels and put into a fresh-keeping bag. There is no need to seal them, and they can be refrigerated.

3 types of people eat shiitake mushrooms with caution!

Hu Naiwen reminded that the following types of people are not suitable for eating shiitake mushrooms:

1. Mushrooms contain a lot of purine, which can easily induce or aggravate gout, so patients with gout or chronic kidney disease should not eat more shiitake mushrooms.

2. Shiitake mushrooms are hairy, and people with inflammation should not eat them, so as not to worsen the inflammation.

3. Pregnant women should not take shiitake mushrooms to avoid skin allergies in their children. ◇