Wood ear mushrooms (also referred to as jelly fungus, black fungus or kikurage in Japan and hei mu-er in China) provide a tasty crunchy texture when added to soups, stews and stir-fries. Most wood ear mushroom are sold dried, so prior to use they must first be rehydrated with warm water prior to preparation.

This unique edible fungus contains chemicals which inhibit blood clotting and may help lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Antioxidants

Wood Ear Mushrooms are well known to possess powerful antioxidant properties. Additionally, they boast antimicrobial benefits and offer many essential nutrients. Antioxidants play a pivotal role in protecting cells against oxidation which causes DNA damage leading to diseases like cancer; furthermore they are proven effective against heart disease, arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as helping with prevention.

This mushroom is also packed with vitamin C, an antioxidant known to bolster immunity and fight free radicals. Additionally, potassium, copper and selenium can all be found here as well as prebiotic fibres (beta glucan) that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria within the digestive tract.

Folate can help to prevent heart disease and lower high blood pressure, while magnesium plays an essential role in both bone health and muscle function. Finally, they offer great value as an affordable source of dietary protein that supports overall wellness.

Wood ear mushrooms have long been revered in Chinese medicine as energy boosters, believed to boost immunity, digestive function and circulation while also being very cooling – thus helping reduce fevers.

Wood ear mushrooms boast an abundant supply of b-glucan, an immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory compound with strong medicinal properties. More specifically, its exopolysaccharides enhance activity among phagocytes — immune system cells responsible for protecting against harmful foreign particles like bacteria or dead or dying cells — found within wood ear mushrooms.

These mushrooms also provide another key benefit by inhibiting platelet aggregation and blood clot formation, making them particularly helpful to people suffering from conditions which cause thin blood such as hepatitis, diabetes or atherosclerosis.

Asian dishes often include black fungi as an ingredient. These black fungi soak up flavors from soups while adding an attractive chewy texture that complements other ingredients in dishes such as hot and sour soup or salad, stir fry or noodle dish – it is best left whole or chopped larger chunks for dishes such as this to preserve its unique rubbery texture.

Antimicrobial Properties

Wood ear mushrooms (often known as jew’s ears or black fungus) are an increasingly popular ingredient in Chinese soups and stir fries, not only due to their delicious taste but also because they provide essential nutrition and antioxidants that boost immune systems and lower cholesterol levels. Wood ear mushrooms can make powerful additions to Chinese cuisine!

Wood ear mushroom extract has proven so powerful in fact, that a 2015 study from the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms demonstrated its efficacy at inhibiting food poisoning-causing bacteria growth and boasts antiviral properties to protect against respiratory infections and other illnesses caused by viruses.

Wood ear mushrooms are also an excellent source of copper, an essential micronutrient used for various bodily processes including iron metabolism, cell repair and cardiovascular wellbeing. A deficiency can lead to anemia, weak bones and other serious medical conditions – one serving of wood ear mushrooms contains approximately 154 mcg.

Another great reason to add this fungus to your diet is its antidiabetic properties. This helps lower blood sugar and is often recommended by doctors to patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, its anticoagulant effects prevent blood clots, reduce high blood pressure levels and protect against heart disease.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers wood ear mushrooms to be both cooling and yin, possessing properties to prevent bloating, promote digestion, balance hormones, support female reproductive health and ease fatigue. TCM experts often use them to relieve fatigue, soothe the lungs and enhance sleep quality; TCM experts even advise new mothers after childbirth making a soup using chicken, ginger, Chinese wine, red dates and wood ear mushrooms as it’s believed this combination helps restore lost blood and disperse any blood clots left within womb.

When selecting wood ear mushrooms for cooking, be sure to select fresh and clean specimens with firm textures that are free from damage or spoilage. It is also beneficial to prepare small chunks so as to allow easier consumption while taking full advantage of all their flavorful soup offerings.

Heart Health

Wood Ear Mushrooms (Auricularia Auricula-Judas Ear), also referred to as Jew’s Ear or Judas’s Ear, have long been used for both culinary and medicinal use since ancient times, particularly due to their firm texture. Wood Ear Fungus may help prevent diseases while supporting digestion while providing healthy skin benefits and strengthening immunity systems.

Mushrooms boast mild, crunchy flavors that absorb and complement many ingredients found in dishes, making them a staple in Asian soups as well as available fresh or dried at most grocery stores. When added to egg rolls or bitter melon soup, mushrooms add a wonderful crunch that complements the rest of the dish perfectly.

Healthwise, mushrooms can provide an abundance of iron and fiber. Furthermore, they contain b-glucan exopolysaccharides with immunostimulatory properties which stimulate phagocyte activity to rid the body of harmful bacteria or dead or dying cells – essential components in protecting against diseases like cancer or heart disease.

Studies suggest that mushrooms contain anticoagulant properties. This means they may help prevent blood clots, an essential aspect of heart health. However, it should not be consumed alongside medications which interfere with coagulation such as blood thinners.

These mushrooms are an excellent source of copper, an essential mineral essential to both bone and cardiovascular health. Copper deficiency can result in anemia, impaired immunity, nerve damage and more serious conditions.

Auricularia fungus is widely considered a superfood due to its numerous health benefits. It provides prebiotic b-glucans, vitamin D2, and the antimicrobial agent ergosterol; in addition, its abundant supply of antioxidants protect against free radicals that cause disease; it contains iron for bone health and cardiovascular support as well as providing essential dietary fiber that maintains proper cholesterol levels.

Skin Health

Wood ear mushrooms can be an invaluable ally for skin health. Packed with natural antioxidants that fight oxidative stress and damage to the skin, wood ear mushrooms have proven highly effective at combatting signs of aging while possessing antimicrobial properties that help fight off Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Fungi are packed with prebiotics in the form of beta glucans. These indigestible fibres foster growth of beneficial bacteria within your microbiome and boost immunity as well as metabolic function.

Eating a diet rich in prebiotics can help lower cholesterol levels and enhance overall cardiovascular health. Since b-glucans are indigestible, they pass through your digestive tract without being broken down and nourish your gut in its optimal state.

Wood ear mushrooms have long been used in Chinese food therapy, ayurveda medicine and mycology to promote blood circulation and cardiovascular wellbeing. Packed full of iron-rich ironynese (an essential mineral for maintaining healthy blood), wood ear mushrooms also provide ample zinc (another essential mineral) essential for heart health.

Research suggests that wood ear mushroom extract could inhibit cancer cell growth; more research needs to be conducted. Ayurvedic practitioners often recommend this fungus for people living with diabetes and high cholesterol levels as it can help decrease inflammation.

Wood ear mushrooms, like all mushrooms, are low in both calories and fat content. As an excellent source of dietary fibre that helps you feel satisfied after every meal, wood ear mushrooms also offer some small protein amounts – perfect additions for vegetarian and vegan diets alike!

Add wood ear mushrooms to soups, salads and stir-fry dishes for an amazingly crunchy bite that absorbs all of the flavors in your recipe perfectly. They make particularly great additions in noodle and rice dishes and should always be added last as overcooking can render them unusable. Fresh or dried mushrooms should always be soaked first in hot water then rinsed carefully to clean before being used; when hydrated they enlarge up to three times their original size before being added in dishes so always remember this when adding them last so they won’t become overcooked or overdone and become overcooked and overdone!