Adaptogenic Mushrooms for Weight Loss: How Do They Work?
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you already know that it’s no walk in the park. Sure, actually taking walks in the park can help you reach your goals, but losing weight and truly keeping it off takes careful effort when it comes to your diet, your exercise regimen, and your stress levels.
Wouldn’t it be easier if you could just take a pill that would make the extra pounds melt away? Unfortunately, those pills don’t exist (without a prescription, at least) — however, there are some supplements you can take to help make the process feel a little easier. Read on to learn more about adaptogenic mushrooms and how these supplements can encourage weight loss.
What Are Adaptogenic Mushrooms?
First, let’s make sure we’re talking about the same kinds of mushrooms. While the mushrooms you might see on a dinner plate can certainly be nutritious and healthy, they don’t quite meet the requirements to be considered functional mushrooms.
Functional mushrooms are fungi that can have powerful health benefits. In fact, these mushrooms are staples in many forms of folk medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.
Adaptogenic mushrooms are a subset of functional mushrooms that can help the body adapt to emotional and physical stress. If you’re wondering how this ties into weight loss, don’t worry — we’ll answer that in just a minute.
How Can Mushrooms Help With Weight Loss?
So, how can mushrooms work to encourage weight loss? What makes these fungi so famous, anyway? Let’s dive in to answer both of these questions and more.
1. Low-Calorie Snacking
Most mushrooms are pretty low in calories, which makes them a great snack for anyone trying to lose weight. That being said, many adaptogenic mushrooms aren’t all that tasty. The one mushroom that is both functional and tasty is lion’s mane mushroom, opens in a new tab, which is said to taste a lot like crab.
2. Rich in Fiber
Most mushrooms contain beta-glucans, a type of carbohydrate that acts as prebiotic fiber. This fiber can support a balanced gut microbiome, which can affect almost every other area of health, including weight management. Fiber can also help you feel fuller for longer, which can help you stay away from snacking on your favorite comfort snacks.
3. Contain Vitamins and Minerals
Not only are mushrooms a generally low-calorie snack you can enjoy, but they’re also quite nutritious considering their calorie count. For instance, oyster mushrooms contain two grams of fiber per serving, while shiitake mushrooms contain a generous amount of vitamin B12, opens in a new tab.
4. Support a Healthy Metabolism
Some adaptogenic mushrooms, such as chaga, opens in a new tab and reishi, can encourage healthy blood sugar, opens in a new tab. When blood sugar is high, the body stores the extra sugar as fat, which can negate all of your hard work in the gym. This is just one example of why a holistic approach to weight loss is non-negotiable if you want to see results.
5. Minimize Stress
Lion’s mane mushroom can help minimize feelings and symptoms of stress, opens in a new tab, as well as encourage a good night’s sleep. Chronically high stress levels can cause the body to hold onto weight as a survival mechanism, so lowering stress is often the first order of business for anyone trying to lose weight. Stress can also cause us to turn to comfort foods (don’t worry, we’re all guilty of it).
6. Support Balanced Mental Health
Lion’s mane is once again the star of the show. This mushroom can help relieve feelings of depression, opens in a new tab and anxiety, which can contribute to weight gain by lowering activity levels, raising stress levels, affecting sleep, and affecting diet.
7. Provide Antioxidants
Free radical damage doesn’t just cause wrinkles — it can also trigger fat growth. Luckily, adaptogenic mushrooms like chaga are full of incredibly powerful antioxidants that can stop oxidative stress in its tracks.
8. Encourage Heart Health
Heart health is incredibly important for weight loss. After all, you won’t be doing very much cardio if your heart can’t handle the strain. To support your heart and give yourself a good chance at losing weight, consider taking a functional mushroom like shiitake. Shiitake mushrooms can actually help lower cholesterol levels, opens in a new tab and improve long-term heart health.
9. Increase Athletic Performance
Cordyceps, opens in a new tab is an adaptogenic mushroom that is like a secret weapon when it comes to crushing a heavy workout in the gym and losing weight. This mushroom can increase your body’s ability to use oxygen, increase your body’s production of cellular energy, opens in a new tab, and help your muscles recover after your workout.
10. Support the Immune System
Finally, you might be wondering how supporting your immune system can help with weight loss. Well, let us answer that question with one of our own: Do you feel like working out or eating healthy when you’re stuck in bed with a cold? Adaptogenic mushrooms like chaga and turkey tail, opens in a new tab are known for their abilities to support the immune system, opens in a new tab, especially during cold and flu season.
How To Take Mushrooms
After looking at all of the research, you might already be putting on your shoes to go out and get some functional mushrooms for yourself. Before you do, make sure you know what type of supplement you’re looking for.
You’ll probably find the usual capsules and extracts, but don’t you deserve something better? For example, take our Mushroom Coffee+ — this blend of lion’s mane and chaga mushrooms seamlessly dissolves in hot water, making a functional brew that is nearly identical in flavor to your normal cup of coffee.
When your daily mushroom supplement is this delicious, you probably won’t even need to worry about skipping a dose. Plus, there are so many more ways to use our mushroom blend. Mix it up with some milk to make a mushroom latte, add it to your favorite weight loss smoothie, or toss it into some overnight oats. The options are endless!
The Bottom Line
Losing weight can be hard, but there are ways you can help your body let go of those final, stubborn pounds. Adaptogenic mushrooms can help with weight loss by providing a low-calorie snack, supporting healthy stress levels, increasing athletic performance, and supporting the immune system.
You’re already working so hard — shouldn’t your mushroom supplement work even harder? Combine our functional Mushroom Coffee+ with your diet and exercise regimen for a match made in mushroom heaven.
Sources:
Vitamin B12-Containing Plant Food Sources for Vegetarians | PMC, opens in a new tab
Therapeutic Potential of Hericium erinaceus for Depressive Disorder | PMC, opens in a new tab
7 health benefits of mushrooms | UCLA Health, opens in a new tab
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