This time of year, we like to give our immune systems and energy a boost to keep us going as temperatures drop. Mushrooms are often overlooked for immunity in favor of echinacea or elderberry, but they offer a wealth of benefits that go beyond the immune system. As always, be sure to talk to your doctor and/or trusted health care professional before introducing a new supplement to your system.*

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on these Mushroom Medicinals. Coupon: SHROOM

New Chapter's Life Shield Immune Support contains the following powerhouse mushrooms:

REISHI - Perhaps the most popular mushroom of the group for it's widespread health benefits, Reishi mushroom has been taken by Chinese royalty for centuries as the "longevity mushroom." Aside from being an excellent immune booster, allergy fighter, neuroprotector, blood sugar reducer, it too has multiple ways of attacking cancer cells. Reishi has been studied in both human and animal clinical trials to reduce the size and growth rates of tumors.

SHIITAKE - What makes shiitakes unique is a compound called eritadenine, found to encourage the body to lower the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood.

LIONS MANE - Studies have pointed to Lions Mane for brain/nerve health, specifically Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, post-stroke and dementia as well as anxiety and depression. It seems to protect the nerve's outer coating, the myelin sheath.

MAITAKE - Aside from notable anti-cancer action, there is promising research on maitake extract for lowering blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

TURKEY TAIL - Numerous studies have been done with regards to cancer and turkey tail. Recently, turkey tail extract was was shown to stimulate the immune system and slow tumor growth; it decreased the metastasis of breast cancer. It decreased tumor weight by 36% and decreased lung metastasis by 70%. It also showed a protective effect on bone, which can be damaged and lost due to breast cancers.

CHAGA - Commonly used in Russia, Poland, and Baltic areas, the fruiting boy of Chaga seems to slow tumor cell proliferation. It showed promise in several studies to inhibit viral membrane fusion with regard to Herpes Simplex Virus.

Pure Essence Lab's HealthGuard Cordyceps is a medicinal fungus (not technically a mushroom, but close enough!). Known as caterpillar fungus, it actually grows on caterpillars at high elevations in places like the Himalayas, where it was once only available to royalty. Thanks to modern mycology, it is now grown in the USA in controlled conditions to make it more widely available and less expensive! Known in traditional Chinese and Tibetan society as a precious longevity mushroom, it is said the sheep, yaks and cattle who grazed on it did not tire and were more robust than the others.

Today we know the phytochemicals and antioxidants that give cordyceps a reputation for supporting a healthy immune system and promoting longevity among other benefits. It is energizing, an adaptogen for managing stress, provides support for the lung and kidneys, and may even have a role in balancing blood sugar for diabetics.

Find these miraculous mushrooms in the Immune System section of the Supplements Department.