Learn about pink oyster mushroom benefits and you will understand reasons to add these beautiful mushrooms to your diet
Pink oysters are some of the most eye-catching mushrooms around. They can be pink to red in color, but will lighten as they age or after being cooked. Today we are looking at some of the pink oyster mushroom benefits. We also provide tips for growing the mushrooms below.
Pink oyster mushroom benefits discussed through a study
Although there is not a lot of data on the pink oyster mushroom’s ability to modulate the immune system, there is at least one study that has tested this potential with positive results worth expanding. The study is entitled “Effect of Pleurotus djamor var. roseus, an edible mushroom on neutrophil functions”. Here is a brief quote from the study’s results, “Our results indicate that P. djamor var. roseus administration significantly stimulates the neutrophil adherence, phagocytosis and killing ability.”
The study points out that, “neutrophils are a vital component of the host defense strategy.” Phagocytosis is a process where a cell surrounds a particle, engulfs it, and can then degrade it. This is a major mechanism from a healthy immune system. This other study looked at the pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor var. roseus) in relation to heart health.
The study I am referring to is entitled “Hypolipidemic Effect of Pleurotus djamor var. roseus in Experimentally Induced Hypercholesteromic Rats.” This study concluded that the pink oyster may be helpful in heart health, although this study was conducted with rats. It would be more helpful to see this type of study conducted with humans as well. Here is the conclusion of the study: “Overall results indicated that P. djamor var. roseus administration reduces the cholesterol levels and have greater significance in prevention of hyperlipidemia or cardiovascular disease.”
The Pleurotus genus and its benefits
Oyster mushrooms also contain a plethora of valuable constituents, like proteins, amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are rich in vitamin B and vitamin D. Iron and potassium are also present in these mushrooms. A test-tube study conducted with oyster mushrooms showed that they helped reduce the secretion of inflammation markers throughout the body. Two additional studies looked at oyster mushrooms and cancer. One study conducted by the Methodist Research Institute’s Cancer Research Lab found oyster mushrooms inhibiting the growth and spreading of breast and colon cancer cells.
Pink oyster mushroom benefits: Growing pink oysters at home
Oyster mushrooms are fast, aggressive growers and they require very little in terms of a fruiting strategy. They display distinct morphological characteristics when a fruiting condition is not to their liking. This makes oysters suitable for beginners and mushroom farmers with low-tech equipment. Oyster mushroom spawn is readily available as grain or sawdust throughout the U.S. This is a valuable resource because mushroom farmers do not have to dedicate the time and resources needed for developing a sterile lab. We offer multiple options to help you grow pink oyster mushrooms at home.
First, we have a pink oyster mushroom growing kit, which you can learn more about by clicking on that link. The line of growing kits we provide are some of the biggest on the market, weighing in at 10 pounds of colonized substrate. It’s worth noting that we only charge our customers for a package that is 6.5 pounds, so you get a break on shipping costs immediately. Each kit comes ready to fruit, so you should have your first flush of fresh mushrooms within two weeks of beginning the kit. These kits are certified organic so you are yielding high-quality mushrooms. If you notice your pink oysters starting to lighten in color or turn white, then they are past harvesting prime.
Reap pink oyster mushroom benefits at home with grain spawn
We have pink oyster mushroom grain spawn available for mushroom growers who want to grow pink oyster mushrooms at home without the use of kits. This spawn allows for bigger grows beyond the 10 pound kits. For growing pink oysters we recommend using straw as it is a great substrate that the mycelium can quickly colonize. Supplemented sawdust blocks can also be used. Although this substrate may take a little long to colonize, the fruited bodies tend to be more substantial. We also carry an entire line of organic, ready-to-fruit mushroom growing kits if you want to grow gourmet mushrooms at home that are not the pink oyster. Interested in other kinds of oyster mushrooms? We have golden oysters, blue oysters, black oyster, phoenix oyster (aka Italian oyster), and the king oyster (aka king trumpet). If you want to grow some mushrooms other than oysters, we also carry shiitake mushroom kits, lion's mane kits, and pioppino kits. We even have a reishi mushroom kit, which is great to use if you want to make medicinal teas or extracts.
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Content & Optimization by Chris Sturk