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If you’re suffering from the flu, you could use some morel support.
Mushrooms have been shown to slow cancer progression, lower blood pressure, improve insulin resistance, shield against brain damage and help keep bones healthy.
New research from McGill University in Canada reports that beta-glucan — a major building block of fungi — may protect lung health during the flu.
“It is remarkable how beta-glucan can reprogram certain immune cells, such as neutrophils, to control excessive inflammation in the lung,” said first study author Nargis Khan.
During the flu, neutrophils act as a first line of defense by migrating to the infection site in the respiratory tract.
But too much neutrophil activity can cause tissue damage and inflammation, making it difficult to breathe.
Pneumonia, which is serious lung inflammation, is a frequent complication of the flu that could lead to death.
Beta-glucan has the ability to shift the role of neutrophils to reduce inflammation, the McGill study found.
“Beta-glucan is found in the cell walls of all fungi, including some that live in and on our bodies as part of the human microbiome,” said Maziar Divangahi, a professor in McGill’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
“It is tempting to hypothesize that the levels and composition of fungi in an individual could influence how their immune system responds to infections, in part because of beta-glucan,” Divangahi added.
Divangahi’s team demonstrated that beta-glucan can reduce lung damage, boost lung function and lower the risk of illness and death by giving it to mice before they became sick.
The results, which need to be replicated in humans, were recently published in the journal Nature Immunology as the flu surged across the US.
If you’re not a big fan of mushrooms, and you don’t think they’ll grow on you, beta-glucan can be found in wheat, rye and species of seaweed such as kelp and nori.
Oats and barley contain the highest concentrations of the soluble fiber.
