Mushroom: The Mighty Fungus

Did you know that the “ugly” name associated with mushrooms is not bad at all?

Now, that sounds interesting.

Come, let me walk you through some interesting facts about the mighty fungus.

Mushrooms are known in the scientific community as fungi. And when we hear of fungi we tend to imagine very awkwardly. This is because we are more familiar with the disease causing type, which brings many health troubles.

Let us temporarily depart from this thought and try to converge as we journey towards unearthing the many secrets of this mighty friend of ours.

Well, mushrooms have been used for many years both as food and for medicinal purposes. People across the globe consider them as vegetable (although they don’t have chlorophyll – essential botanical characteristic of vegetables) or herb, but our Chinese neighbors treasure them as health food. Of the 14,000 over identified verities, only about 3, 000 are edible, around 700 have known natural medicinal properties, and less than 1.0% are recognized as poisonous.

Wow! Isn’t that too much for us to understand?

OK, I’ll make it simpler for you.


Mushrooms for Food

Mushrooms have been used for food throughout recorded history.

The Pharaohs considered mushrooms as delicacies and food for royalty while Greeks regarded them as strength-giving food for warriors during battle. Romans served them as “food of the gods” on festive occasions [1] [2] [3].

For these reasons, many believed that mushrooms had properties that could produce super- human strength. Consequently, they were considered as very pricey commodity.

Back in the province where I grew up, various dishes made from mushrooms are some of the favorite delicacies served specially during rainy seasons, when they are abundant. My grandmother and aunts would always advise us young kids to feed on mushrooms while they were plenty. According to them, mushrooms are packed with various types of nutrients known to make humans healthy and strong. It is for this simple reason, they would add, that dwarfs are strong and clever, as well. Delighted with this story, of course, we can’t help but convince ourselves to consume any mushroom preparations served on us.

Well, this is not a fable at all, maybe they were just handing down to us the information they learned from their ancestors in the form of tales to entice and encourage us to submit to their persuasions. Ah, kids are really difficult to win over especially when they think that mushrooms are some type of vegetables.

Today, some types of edible mushrooms are available all year-round through commercial cultivation and are widely used in cooking especially in many notable cuisines around the world. They are used for soups, sauces, garnishes, gravies, stuffing, and raw in salads. They combine well with various types of vegetables and the combination usually comes out very delectable.

Nutritional Value

Mushrooms are a great source of essential and valuable minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and selenium, nutrients often lacking in our highly processed-food diets. In addition, many species are high in dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble, and provide considerable amount of group B vitamins, ascorbic acid and vitamin D. Mushrooms, likewise, contain nearly no fat and zero cholesterol and are naturally low in sodium [4] [5].

Fresh mushrooms have about 13-46 % crude protein from their fruiting bodies [6]. This is less protein than animal sources, but more than most plants. Interestingly, mushrooms proved to be good sources of almost all essential amino acids when compared with common vegetables [7] and even contain amino acids that are scarce in grains [8].

What does this mean?

With this information on hand, we can freely combine mushrooms in our daily meals with much less worries on elevated blood cholesterol, sodium, triglycerides and sugar levels later on.

Medicinal Properties

Like most fruits and vegetables, fungi, specifically mushrooms, are also naturally blessed with potentially bioactive components known to alleviate various types of medical maladies.

I enumerated 10 of the most common edible medicinal mushrooms for your reference.

Here they go...

1. Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

Collaborative American & Chinese study demonstrated that increased intake of white button mushrooms may promote innate immunity against tumors and viruses through the enhancement of a key component, natural killer (NK) cell activity.

2. Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinus edodes)

Shiitake is one of the best known and well characterized mushrooms used for medicinal purposes. Lentinan, a highly purified polysaccharide fraction extracted from Shiitake mushrooms, is an approved natural anticancer drug in Japan. Shitakes was also found to lower blood pressure and the bad LDL cholesterol.

3. Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Proteoglycan fractions from oyster mushrooms were found to exhibit anti-tumor and immunomodulating effects in a research conducted at the Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology. Oyster mushrooms are, likewise, a natural source of statin, a cholesterol depressing drug. Studies have shown that they typically contain 0.4% to 2.7% statins on a dry weight basis.

4. Enoki Mushroom (Flammulina velutipes )

Enoki mushrooms contain a powerful polysaccharide called flammulin. Japanese and Chinese researchers have reported anti-cancer and anti-tumor activity from extracts containing this water-soluble polysaccharide. It is believed that the abnormally low cancer rates in Nagano, Japan (the center of enoki cultivation) are related to the high consumption of enoki in that region. Enoki is also thought to stimulate the immune system and be anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Blood pressure lowering and cholesterol lowering compounds have likewise been found in Enoki. Other research indicates that enoki may be useful in treating lymphoma and prostate cancer.

5. Paddy Straw Mushroom (Volvariella volvacea)

The straw mushroom is one of the common edible mushrooms and is widely cultivated in Southeast Asian countries. It has been reported to produce a hypotensive response in animals including humans. They have been used, as well, as an auxiliary treatment for cancer and diabetes patients.

6. Wood Ear Fungus “Black Mushrooms” (Auricularia auricula )

Wood Ear Fungus is widely used for its medicinal properties for many centuries in China. It is particularly useful in treating hemorrhoids, agina, diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems. Additionally, regular consumption of this type of mushroom in small doses proved to be beneficial in preventing strokes and heart attacks. Other findings from modern medecine suggest that it can also be used to lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides, cure diabetes and cancer, and reverse ageing.

7. White Jelly Fungi (Tremella fuciformis)

Known as the white jelly fungus or silver ear, is one of the most significant of the medicinal mushrooms, with a long tradition of healing in China. The extracted polysaccharides from tremella are proven to enhance cellular and immune function. White jelly fungus is also used in Chinese hospitals in conjunction with chemo and radiation therapy and for the treatment of hepatitis. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), silver ear finds its specific action on the lungs, used for coughs, asthma and bronchitis in a one-month daily use program. It is recommended for anyone smoking tobacco or other herbal products. Clinical research has also shown the fungus to be antidiabetic, antitumor, hepatoprotective, cholesterol reducing, to slow aging and prevent osteoporosis by enhancing calcium absorption.

8. Nameko (Pholiota nameko)

As with all other edible mushrooms, Namekos also have medicinal properties including immune boosting and cancer fighting properties, with up to 30% cancer fighting success rates with full recoveries worldwide. In a separate study, conducted at the Tokyo National Cancer Research Center in Japan, hydrothermal extract of nameko has been shown to suppress tumor proliferation by as much as 86.5%.

9. Monkey Head Fungus (Hericium erinaceus)

Also known as pom pom mushrooms. Hericium erinaceus is best known for its traditional use in treating chronic ailments of the stomach and digestive tract, as well as nervous system disorders. Other reported medical benefits include improving and protecting liver functions, restoring the body's natural strength, reduces cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and inhibits cancers and tumors.

10. Ganodrma - Reishi n Japanese or Ling Chih/Lingzhi in Chinese (Ganoderma lucidum)

Ganoderma is a commonly used Chinese herb and an important ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal formulations for immune dysfunction related illnesses. It has six species in the category of medicinal mushrooms of which have been reported to contain an estimated of more than 200 active elements having specific medicinal properties. Recent study carried out at the Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ehime University in Japan, have revealed that it can help prevent the spread of cancer, especially of the prostate, breast, liver and spleen. Other properties of Ganoderma such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, antidiabetic, anti-hypotensive, and protective of the liver have also been documented. Like the majority of edible medicinal mushrooms, Ganoderma was found to inhibit platelet aggregation, and to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

You see, many mushrooms thought merely as palatable food ingredient have been shown in many studies to have surprising medicinal properties. Yes, the humble mushroom could be a veritable source of natural remedy that can help promote health and longevity.

There you go, folks. I hope the reading time you spent on this rather lengthy article brought some enlightenment on the many nutritional and healthy benefits of this small yet mighty fungus.

What do you think? Are you just like me who needed a good old tale to believe that mushrooms are indeed “giants” sitting in the backyard? Do you despise mushrooms like Voltaire and Alexander Dumas?

“I confess that my stomach does not take to this style of cooking. I cannot accept calves sweetbreads swimming in a salty sauce, nor can I eat mince consisting of turkey, hare, and rabbit, which they try to persuade me comes from a single animal . . . . As for the cooks, I really cannot be expected to put up with this ham essence, nor the excessive quantity of morels and other mushrooms, pepper, and nutmeg with which they disguise perfectly good food.” Voltaire (1694-1778) [Pen name of Francois Marie Arouet]

"I confess, that nothing frightens me more than the appearance of mushrooms on the table, especially in a small provincial town." Alexander Dumas, early 19th century

Think about it!

Don’t be a stranger. Feel free to share your thoughts.

Photo Credits:

Button Mushrooms

Rosemary Chicken & Mushrooms

Growing Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms

Read More

Why Hobbies Are Good for Us?

During my high school days, I had the pleasure of collecting and exchanging stamps for a hobby. It was indeed a very rewarding past time for me since I always felt like I was acquiring unique pieces of treasures whenever a new stuff came my way. What excited me most, however, was when the new addition was acquired through “hard labor”, like I had to do some research or assignment for a senior student in order to obtain an allegedly rare stamp that was completely strange and unfamiliar in the group of collectors where I belong. Boy, it was really gratifying. I managed to continue the hobby with more passion and sense until now but still fairly puzzled on what benefits do I get from being a self-proclaimed philatelist, though it is evident to me that I am absolutely enjoying the flair and tricks of the trade.

I realized later, with the help of my researches & readings, that a hobby when enthusiastically enjoyed becomes not only pleasurable but also therapeutic.

Hobbies reduce stress, says Alice Domar, director of the Mind/Body Center for Women's Health at Harvard Medical School. They distract you from everyday worries: If you're focused on the pottery you're making, you can't fret about work, says Domar. And knitting, or anything requiring repetitive motion, elicits the relaxation response, a feeling of overall serenity, marked by lowered blood pressure.

Likewise, hobbies provide a calming sense of control, says Domar, and research suggests this strengthens immunity. You may have little say at work, but when you're woodworking, you're in charge. You get the credit -- and satisfaction -- of a job well done.[1]

We recognize that physical activity extends life, but less active recreations, like cognitive relaxation, are healthy as well. A study published in the The New England Journal of Medicine found that those who engaged in cognitive leisure activities, such as reading books or newspapers, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing board games or cards, participating in organized group discussions, and playing musical instruments, were likely to decrease risks of developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia in the elderly.

Hobbies like painting and other forms of artistic expressions are likewise demonstrated to have some influence on enhancing our well-being. This was eloquently pointed out in the article The Healing Power of Art written by Christina Grant. It emphasizes that if creative forces or energy inherently present in human body are repressed or held inside they will likely manifest negatively or take other forms such as depression, anxiety, anger, rage, cysts, tumors, and other growths in the body.

These combined evidences clearly suggest that hobbies in whatever form have to be kept or cultivated in order to enjoy good health and life as a whole.

By the way, do not forget, though, that blogging, which is a form of "writing for pleasure", is a cognitive type of hobby and is certainly beneficial to our health.

What do you think? Do you agree with these findings? Do you have a hobby that you think is not worth holding on?

Feel free to share your thoughts.

Related Health & Wellness Articles:

Guava: A Natural Source of Disease-fighting Antioxidants

Go Nuts!

Cinematherapy:Is Watching Movies Beneficial to Your Mental Health?

What Makes Filipinos Happy?

Photo Credits:

Stamp Collecting

People To Have Hobbies

I Need A New Hobby

To receive updates on new articles, subscribe to Stitches™ today.

Read More

Guava: A Natural Source of Disease-fighting Antioxidants

Recent scientific investigations have shown that guava, compared with other tropical fruits, is packed with high-grade antioxidants such as Vitamin C, lycopene, carotenoids and polyphenols.

Let us recall for a moment what these antioxidants do to our body.

Antioxidants are “superstar” chemicals recognized to help reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases such as arthritis, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, inflammation and brain dysfunction. In addition, antioxidants were also reported to retard ageing.

Of course, we want to know how we can easily get hold of these friendly antioxidants from the “little” fruit we all are very familiar with.

Are you all excited? Here it goes…

To obtain these powerful benefits of antioxidants in Guava (Psidium guajava L.) -- which comes in a variety of shapes (round to oval) and colors (white to red), one should take the fruit when they are about to ripen for polyphenols, ripened for Vitamin C and the yellow to red variety for lycopene and carotenoids.

Hmmm…sounds really simple, ha. However, do we have a clue weather the guava we are taking is the quality that provides all these benefits?

Definitely, there is, my friends.

Good quality guavas should be firm and free of bruises. Ripe guavas should exhibit a fragrant fruity aroma. They will continue to ripen after harvest and should be stored at room temperature unless it is very ripe and should be refrigerated.

As a growing kid, back in the province and during my food biochemistry sessions in college, I am completely aware of the high amounts of Vitamin C in guava, but this additional information is certainly a new welcome to my ever growing functional foods dictionary.

What are you waiting for? Start loading your regular meals with guava to harvest these many health benefits.

And, YES! Don’t forget to leave your comments and reactions if you found this article at all useful.

Read More

Praises & Reviews for StitcheS™

“An excellently laid out blog with tons of valuable information. Very well written articles and a lot to look at.”
-  George Tsoukalas, Certified Life Coach and Founder of ithinketh.com (New Jersey, USA)

“A blog that contains tons and tons of information which is very useful to all types of readers. This is basically the description that I have for "StitcheS™: The Blogzine for Everyday People". It contains articles from the personal experience of the author, to some everyday life tips, to informative articles on health, food and much, much more. Well, it is indeed one good blog.”
– David Delano D'Angelo, Accountant, Writer and Blog Reviewer (Bulacan, Philippines)

“It is really a good blog. A rare find indeed.”
- Singaporean Entrepreneurs (Singapore)

“Interesting concept and content is good and well written. Enjoyed reading the content and surfing the site was easy.”
- Margaret Stockley, Teacher of TriYoga & Meditation and Co-Author of All Knowledge Is Within (Massachusetts, USA)

“This is a well balanced blog with loads of info. Articles are well written and thought through; they are informative and really get you thinking.”
- George Serradinho, Programmer, Analyst, Webmaster & Owner/Publisher of Serradinho Blog (Johannesburg, South Africa)

“Your writing is very informative and interesting. I think you have a great teaching style and hope many will read and learn.”
– A New Chapter for Balsam Ponds (South Carolina, USA)

“Very informative site. Great work! I enjoyed reading your posts.”
– All About The Garnaat Family (Delft, The Netherlands)

“I had to bookmark this site being it was so informative. Nice stuff indeed. I am sure you will appreciate.”
– CieAura (California, USA)

“His writing is impeccable and his topic of discourse, while they can range from the mundane to the sublime, is never ever boring. He really makes you think twice about what you do, from the really simple everyday things to the more obscure. It is not just facts sharing or diary journaling either. Nor is it just funny or bizarre lists of everything on the web. We definitely have to say that this is the first “thinking man’s blog” that we have encountered so far.”
– Blog2U (Manila, Philippines)

“I like this! It is a great on-line mag! I appreciate blogs that have a clear-cut purpose. I like that the "articles" are short and relevant...keep up the good work!”
– Insanity & Bliss (USA)

“Very nice site and design and some very interesting articles.”
- Fannox (Romania)

“Very informative magazine, keeps you up to date on everyday issues such as health, lifestyle, finances and dealing with confrontations.”
– Catch The Deals Here | A Movie Store (Arizona, USA)

“Nice site. Lots of info to keep you reading. Good work!”
– Nicole’s Visions, Artist/ Photographer (Washington, USA)

“Great site covering a variety of subjects that are informative and well written.”
- Soul-Sisters (United Kingdom)

“Very realistic site with many subjects.”
- Stuff Could Always Be Worse (Georgia, USA)

“Great on-line magazine! It covers many great topics.”
- The Breathing Post (Minnesota, USA)

Read More

Go Nuts!

No! I am not asking you to go crazy. I am just excited to share what I have confirmed regarding the health benefits of including nuts in your regular diet. Yes! You heard it loud, clear and right. Loading your daily diet with this “hard” fruit can actually help put your health in better shape.

Do you believe that? Come join me and let us learn from this…

Researchers found that people who eat nuts regularly have lower risks of heart disease.

In 1996, the Iowa Women's Healthy Study found that women who ate nuts more than 4 times a week were 40% less likely to die of heart disease [1].

A past Harvard study, reported in the September 2006 issue of Longevity, found that women who ate at least 142g of nuts a week, were 35% less likely to have a heart attack than those who ate less than 28g a month [2].

In the U.S. Physicians Study, Harvard researchers discovered that men who consumed nuts 2 or more times per week were 47% less likely to die from heart attack and had a 30% reduction in risk for heart disease [3].

Surely, nuts are fatty, but these fats are the “good” kind - mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3) which have all been shown to lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

Nuts, likewise, are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are also rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Preliminary studies show they may even help prevent certain types of cancer and type 2 diabetes.

So grab a handful as a snack, toss some in your salads or work them into your meals.

Hmmm… Before I forget, eating a broad range of nuts is best as they each have specific health benefits. Try the raw and unsalted ones and be very careful as you might be one of the unlucky folks who are allergic to nuts.

I told you… It is not so crazy to eat nuts after all.

Read More

Firefox 3.0 Now On Guinness World Records

Recently, I wrote an article about the launching of Firefox 3.0 and its coinciding campaign to hit the Guinness World Records for the largest number of Internet downloads in 24 hours. The release event, I must say, was a runaway success, with more than 8 million downloads, including myself, during the specified period. From this overwhelming result, Mozilla declared victory after exceeding its initial goal of fetching at least 5 million downloads.

The official announcement on 2 July 2008 is accessible through the The Mozilla Blog stating that Mozilla today received confirmation from Guinness World Records that it had officially achieved the record for the “largest number of software downloads in 24 hours.” From 18:16 UTC on June 17, 2008 to 18:16 UTC on June 18, 2008, 8,002,530 people downloaded Firefox 3!

On the official Mozilla blog, the company thanks everyone who participated and supported the widespread marketing campaign for the Firefox 3.0. You will remember that they even made Spread Firefox where users can pledge their support for the launch.

If you were one of those who joined the campaign, Mozilla is giving back the favor, as promised, by providing you your personalized certificate so that you can show the world that you helped set a Guinness World Record.

Here goes my share...

Read More

How To Set Webmails As Default E-mail Clients Using Firefox 3.0?

Not everyone who works with computers connected to the internet uses an email client such as Outlook/Outlook Express or Lotus Mail in order to send personal mails, but most internet users now are very comfortable using webmails like Yahoo Mail or Gmail as their personal mail clients.

Webmails are very popular nowadays since they practically provide multitude of advantages over their non-web counterparts. Unlimited storage, built-in virus scanner, accessibility anywhere around the globe, are just among the notable features. Of course, the main advantage is they are completely FREE.

In the past, when you click on an e-mail link in your browser, it had to have an e-mail client to launch. That method does not work if you use a service such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail as your main account.

Recently launched Firefox 3.0 came just in time to the rescue.

Watch this video from CNET TV™ blog for some quick tips and come back here for the detailed written steps on how to do it.

Here goes the step-by-step process…

1. Go to Tools and Options in your Firefox 3.0 browser

2. Choose Applications

3. Type “mailto” in the search bar

4. In the drop-down menu, choose Yahoo Mail and press OK. If you don’t have Yahoo Mail but you have Gmail, instead, proceed to step 5

5. Open your Gmail in Firefox 3.0

6. Cut and paste the string code below in your browser bar and press enter
javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler("mailto","https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s","GMail")

7. Click the Add Application button located at the upper right hand corner of your Gmail interface. This will add Gmail as an application for mailto links.

8. Go back to steps 1-3. You will now see Gmail as one of the choices in the drop-down menu.

Now when you click an e-mail link or when you want to send interesting stuff via e-mail from your browser, it will ask you which Web mail program you would like to use as shown below.

Don’t forget to select Firefox 3.0 when prompted which browser to use for the chosen webmail client the first time you launch this application.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it proved useful.

Read More

Upload And Share Your PDFs with Google Docs

Been using Google Docs for quite sometime and had been very pleased with the features it has been providing. One thing that I had been hoping, though, is that it would soon support PDF files. This is so since there are so many PDF files that land in my inbox almost every so often, coming from official and personal mails alike. I would normally read PDF attachments, download them in my desktop and store them for future use. Not only that, I convert into PDF every reference I get to download, when I am researching on line, to make the information more electronically portable and handy. You can perhaps imagine how much load I am giving my friendly hard drive with this routine. I could easily save them otherwise by using optical disk or other forms of storage media, but I would rather store them where I have always access to them wherever I go even without my own computer around. That is why I have been waiting for Google Docs to support PDF upload, at least, to enjoy this convenience.

Finally, the long wait is over! Google Docs now officially supports PDF upload.

What a relief!

Wait, there is something more. The extension is not merely for uploading PDF files. It also allows you to view, print, collaborate and share the files just like any other Google Document in your account.

There are some limitations, however. Well, this is expected, I believe, for a new and handsome baby in Google Docs.

You can't download or open PDFs from Gmail directly into Google Docs. What you can do is upload PDFs from your PC or from the Web to Google Docs. You can then open them in Google Docs, and while you can't edit them, you can at least select text to copy and paste. Likewise, you can’t share to users who don’t have Gmail accounts at the moment, but I hope Google is busy brewing something on this.

Also, keep in mind that there are some limitations on allowable size and number of files when uploading your PDFs. You can store up to 10MB per PDF from your computer and 2MB from the web in your Docs list with up to 100 PDFs per account.

What do you think, folks? Will this be useful for you?

Don’t forget to share your thoughts.

Read More