Mushrooms are a popular part of many food dishes around the world. Although they do not have a strong taste, their mere existence in any pasta or other cuisine simply uplifts the show of the dish and makes it appear as tempting as ever. [1]
But, did you know that mushrooms have some hidden benefits for our skin as well? Of course! Nobody would have thought about that!
Mushrooms are known to house many benefits for your skin, health, and a lot more. We thought so little of this fantastic little fungus and limited it to food items only!
Edible And Healthy Mushrooms
Not all mushrooms are safe and healthy for consumption. Mushrooms are a part of the Kingdom of Fungi, and this particular group also includes some harmful and life-threatening members that could prove to be toxic for us. [2]
Usually, mushrooms that we add to our foods are commercially processed and packed. These food industries know their way, and they always add only the best and perfect mushrooms to enjoy your meals in peace!
However, it is always better to avoid toxic and harmful mushrooms. But the good thing is that we do not often find these harmful mushrooms as a regular part of our shopping markets due to the apparent reason stated above. So, it is safe to say that all the chemically available mushrooms are safe and healthy ones. [3]
However, some of the non-edible, toxic, and unsafe mushrooms include:
- Death Cap (Amanita phalloides)
- Autumn Skullcap (Galerina marginata)
- Web Caps (Cortinarius)
- Conocybe filaris
- Destroying Angels (Amanita species)
There are several distinguishing features apart from the peculiar taste and smell of such mushrooms that make them stand out from their healthier counterparts, but they would expand beyond the horizon of this article. [4]
What is more important to realize is the fact that in case a person accidentally consumes or comes in contact with these poisonous mushrooms. The resultant effects could literally be life-threatening, to the extent of causing death as well.
Therefore, it is better to keep your distance with such mushrooms, or ideally with all of them, unless you are really sure whether they are edible, healthier ones, or not. [5]
Mushroom Benefits And Disadvantages
Before we dive into the benefits of mushrooms that they have for our skin, it is fair enough if we discover the other ‘hidden’ or ‘unknown’ health benefits that mushrooms have on our health and overall body. This way, it will become easier to know what we are dealing with and if it is even worth it to give it a try or not!
Benefits:
These very benefits make us realize that maybe mushrooms should not just be limited to preparing food but could very easily be incorporated for other uses as well.
Let us discover what benefits mushrooms have in store for us:
Enriched With Loads of Vitamin D:
Yes, this benefit is indeed a blessing in disguise for all the Vitamin D deficient population! Mushrooms, like every other plant, are grown in exposed sunlight.
However, being the smart fungi they are, they use this for their benefit and increase all the Vitamin D they can increase within themselves. [6]
So, when a person consumes such mushrooms, they indirectly bless their body with the additional Vitamin D that became a part of this mushroom. How amazing is that!
Help Slow Down Neurodegenerative Diseases:
Some species of mushrooms have been known to have healing powers. These mushrooms include reishi, lion’s mane, etc.
When people, especially the older population, consume these mushrooms as a regular part of their diet, it is seen that their cognitive decline slows down.
Similarly, people at risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s noticed a decline in the progression of their illnesses. [7]
Supports The Immune System:
Mushrooms boost the immune system several folds. They do so by activating the components of the immune system and also by increasing the activity of macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells. [8]
Both these effects help the body fight off infections and other threats strongly.
Disadvantages:
However, apart from these healthy mushrooms giving so much to our body – positively, there are a few disadvantages as well. Our body might experience these side effects either due to overconsumption or just because the mushroom did not suit our body, so an adverse event occurred.
Some of the common disadvantages of consuming mushrooms include:
Absent-Mindedness:
Some people have reported experiencing hallucinations and a state of absent-mindedness after consuming it. This effect occurs when some components present in the mushroom alter the brain’s functioning. [9]
This effect lasts for a small amount of time but has been compared to the same that people often experience after consuming LSD drugs.
Headache:
For some people, it could prove to be a real headache! This effect also lasts for some time after consuming it but is often severe enough to cause people to stop their daily activities. [10]
Diarrhea:
Many people also experience gastrointestinal symptoms shortly after the consumption of it. These symptoms may vary from nausea to full-blown diarrhea. Some people simply avoid it due to these effects. [11]
Apart from these ‘disadvantages,’ there are a couple of allergic conditions as well that affect sensitive people, and some people have also reported experiencing depression and anxiety. These people should avoid consuming it in any form.
Benefits of Mushroom For Your Skin
And now, for the real part! Let us discover a hidden side to these mushrooms. It is said that using it can prove to be a helpful skincare regime. How? Well, that is for us to learn more about today.
Different types of mushrooms have different impacts on the human skin, and we shall discuss the prominent ones only for the sake of simplicity. So, let us start already!
Potent Antioxidants:
Mushrooms are said to be one of the best anti-oxidizing agents. Using this property, they help the skin get rid of the free radicals and other toxic substances which otherwise compromise the quality of your skin health. [12]
In this way, it can benefit women who face skin problems and conditions such as acne, fine lines, signs of premature aging, etc.
Helps Brighten The Complexion:
If used in moderation, mushrooms are said to help brighten the complexion and make it appear better and enhanced. The mushrooms that are responsible for this effect include shiitake mushrooms. Benefits for skin, such as brightening the skin, are achieved by inhibiting melanocyte activity. [13]
This is done by kojic acid, a part of these shiitake mushrooms, also popularly known as the ‘mushrooms for skin whitening.’
Skin Hydration:
Several mushrooms have been found to support our skin’s hydration status. These mushrooms contain an ample amount of hyaluronic acid, which ensures that our skin never runs out of moisture that keeps it smooth, supple, and hydrated at all times. [14]
How to Use Mushrooms For The Face?
This is a very obvious question for all the people who might have become interested in trying out the benefits of mushrooms for the skin.
Obviously, not all benefits can be obtained just by consuming these mushrooms, so it is a reasonable choice to expect something else out of it that would make you experience all the skin-related benefits.
As it turns out, several creams and formulations are available in the markets that claim to have combined all the natural extracts of it to make it an organic cream for skin-related usage. Mushroom extract skin benefits are likely to be experienced by all these people who opt to use all-natural, organic mushroom-based creams.
And if you are wondering ‘How to make mushroom face cream?’, then well, as easy as it might sound, this is a complex process. You can always opt to make mushroom face packs by combining different natural ingredients together.
However, it is recommended that you leave this up to the beauty industry to develop the best face creams that will leave your skin supplemented with all the goodness that it have in store for you!
Conclusion – Are Mushrooms Really Skin and Health Friendly?
The answer to this tricky question is a straight ‘YES!’ Indeed, mushrooms are very beneficial for all the people who consume and use them as needed.
Be it for adding a dash of the perfect taste to your food, using it to benefit your health in countless little ways, or even going far to make your skin appear younger, radiant, and brighter than ever before.
However, there are some obvious harms of consuming it as well. But these only occur when these mushrooms are consumed without any checks and just for recreational purposes. Not every mushroom is edible, and if you do not know which ones are toxic for you, it is best to avoid them.
But at the end of the day, if done correctly, it could become your next favorite ingredient in your skincare regime for the better. If you still feel unconvinced, then it is better to give one of such creams or face packs a try and see the results for yourself!
Disclaimer: This article is only a guide. It does not substitute the advice given by your healthcare professional. Before making any health-related decision, consult your healthcare professional.
