Oyster Mushroom

Other Names : Pleurotus Ostreatus
See also : Ergothioneine

Special Precautions of Oyster Mushroom

Use caution if trying them for the first time. Some people are allergic to their spores while others may experience an upset stomach. Try a small amount first to see how your body reacts.

Benefits and uses of Oyster Mushroom are

• Source of Ergothioneine.
• HIV : Oyster mushrooms are being studied as a possible defense against HIV. Due to its high anti-oxidant compounds, these mushrooms can be a life saving ingredient.
• Cholesterol : Oysters naturally produce compounds called statins. Statin drugs reduce "bad cholesterol" (LDL) by stimulating receptors in the liver to clear the cholesterol from the body. Studies have shown a link between consuming Pleurotus ostreatus and a lowering of cholesterol levels, no doubt due to the statins they produce. Hopefully future research will reveal exactly how much to eat to get these effects.
• Cancer : As for cancer, research shows a possible anti-tumor effect from polysaccharides in oysters. A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate made up of smaller sugar molecules. Specific polysaccharides, known as beta-D-glucans, are suspected to stimulate the immune system to fight cancer.The beta-D-glucan isolated from oyster mushrooms is called pleuran. Studies are ongoing into the effects of pleuran for cancer treatment. Eventually I'd like to link to a legitimate human trial, as all those I've found so far have used laboratory animals.