Mushrooms for Health / Covid-19 Update

What did the mushroom say to the other mushroom? “You’re a fun guy!”  Mushrooms are a rich, low calorie source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. They may also mitigate the risk of developing serious health conditions, such as Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. They're also great sources of the antioxidant selenium. Antioxidants help to repair the body’s cells and tissues.  Mushrooms also contain two important ingredients,  lentinan and beta-glucan. Lentinan and beta-glucan are important immune system enhancers.  A diet that includes a frequent weekly use of mushrooms can boost your immune system and help you to fight off viruses.  The Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine published a study that found eating mushrooms significantly suppressed breast cancer cell growth and that mushrooms may be chemoprotective for breast cancer treatments.  Chemoprotective drugs ae drugs that are designed to minimize the side effects of chemotherapy.  Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found that Lentinan (yes, this ingredient again) can also aid in slowing the growth of tumors.  The International Journal of Cancer published a Japanese study that reported on 36,000 men that ate mushrooms 2-3x per week and found they had a 17% lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Another benefit of eating mushrooms has to do with inflammation.  Anti-inflammatory foods and supplements are the newest rage, as eating anti-inflammatory foods lowers overall inflammation in the body.  Inflammation is a marker for disease. Multiple studies show that mushrooms can reduce inflammation in the body the same as ginger and turmeric.  Replacing a daily serving of red or processed meat with one serving of mushrooms lowers the risk of dying from any cause, according to a study published in Nutrition Journal. Researchers compared mushroom intake with all-cause and cause-specific mortality data from participants of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found those who consumed more mushrooms had a lower risk for all-cause mortality when compared to those who did not eat mushrooms. Results also showed replacing one daily serving of red or processed meat with mushrooms was associated with a lower risk of death. Reasons for the reduced risk includes the antioxidant properties of two nutrients,  ergothioneine and glutathione, compounds associated with high mushroom intake.  Two of the most popular mushrooms to eat, portobello and white button were commonly used in these reported studies. My recommendation is to be a fun guy and add frequent servings of mushrooms to your weekly diet. They are commonly eaten in salads and sauteed as a side dish.  They make a great pizza topping and can easily be added to smoothies and omelets. How about shitake or portobello burgers?  Or just grab a big button mushroom and chomp down like an apple.

Covid-19 News:  As of 7/1/21, Atlantic County NJ has had a total of 31,699 Covid-19 cases and a total of 695 deaths.  The 7 day average of new reported cases is 4 new cases per day.  There have been 3 deaths reported over the last 30 days. Atlantic County has seen a seen a steady decline in cases since June 6^th.

New evidence shows long lasting Covid-19 immunity from infection. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine published a study in the medical journal, Nature. Senior study author, Ali Ellebedy, Ph.D., an associate professor of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, reported that  SARS-CoV-2 infection induces long-lived bone marrow plasma cells in humans. What this means in a nut shell is that people who have been infected / contracted Covid-19  have a substantially lowered risk of reinfection. Bone marrow plasma cells showed Covid-19 anti-bodies that were still present after 11 months of the initial infection. From the authors, “Overall, our data provide strong evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans robustly establishes the two arms of humoral immune memory: long-lived BMPCs and memory B cells.”

Some scientists and researchers are now suggesting that vaccination may be more dangerous for those who have had Covid-19, as the immune response reactivated by the Covid-19 vaccine may trigger inflammation in tissues where the viral antigens are present, which could explain the adverse reactions that previously infected people have after even one Covid-19 vaccination injection.

Vaccine Informed Consent Information:  Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System data released 7/2/21 by the CDC showed a total of 441,931 reports of adverse reactions from all age groups following COVID vaccines, including 6,985 deaths and 34,065 serious injuries between Dec. 14, 2020 and June 25, 2021.  VAERS is the primary government-funded system for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed.  321 million vaccine doses have been administered.  This week’s data for 12- to 17-year-olds show: 12,674 total adverse events, including 720 rated as serious and 11 reported deaths among 12- to 17-year-olds.  1,792 cases of anaphylaxis, 300 reports of myocarditis and 52 reports of blood clotting disorders in the 12-17 year old age group. This weeks data for pregnant women shows 2,337 adverse events reported including 791 reports of miscarriage or premature birth.

Prenatal / Pregnancy and Chiropractic information:  Prenatal fish oil, cod liver oil and or krill oil supplements may help support healthy fetal growth according to a report in Medical News Today.  It is very important to pick and choose high quality, verified oil supplements as low quality and unverified may contain contaminants.  Proper diet and nutrition are essential for a healthy pregnancy and baby.  Omega 3 fats as in fish oils are essential for the development of the eyes, brain and nervous system of the fetus during pregnancy. As far as prenatal supplements goes, this is also very good for the pregnant mother to be.

Author

Dr J. Zimmerman, Chiropractor Dr. Zimmerman is a practicing chiropractor from Galloway, NJ with 30 years of chiropractic practice.