Health & Fitness

It appears we’re in a phase where global systems of food and energy production are being intentionally dismantled in an effort to force into effect what the World Economic Forum (WEF) calls The Great Reset¹ and the Rockefeller Foundation calls Reset the Table.

According to the WEF, capitalism is dead and we can no longer allow for free markets. Instead, we need a top-down governance, a New World Order (or One World Order), that can ensure “fair and equitable” distribution of dwindling resources. What they’re really saying, however, is that soon-to-be-useless people are gobbling up “their” resources.

They see us — you and me — as an existential threat to their luxurious lifestyle. So, their decades-old plan is to seize control of it all, transfer all wealth and private ownership into their own hands, and centrally control who gets what and when.

Other terms that also describe or play a part in this “reset” agenda include but are not limited to Agenda 2030, the Green Agenda, the New World Order, Sustainable Development, Build Back Better, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution — which has an unmistakable transhumanist component (i.e., the merging of biological or physical technologies in the human body²).

Intentional Energy Shortages Are Being Inflicted

The unstated implication of this socioeconomic “reset” is that it’s a global slave system. The world’s resources will be owned and controlled by a technocratic elite, and you’ll have to pay for the temporary use of everything.

You can learn more about this in my June 2022 interview with Patrick Wood, an expert on technocracy, featured in “It’s Now Crucial to Understand What We’re Up Against.” The actual allocation of resources will be based on things like your personal carbon footprint, social credit score and vaccination status.

In looking at the goals of The Great Reset, it’s easy to see why energy shortages are now suddenly being manufactured. They want to force a transition into “green energy” and they’re openly admitting^3,4 that you will be made to suffer for as long as it takes to make this transition a reality.

The problem is that current green technologies are nowhere near efficient enough or prevalent enough to replace things like oil, gas, coal and nuclear power. We also don’t have the necessary infrastructure in place, so the transition is premature by decades.

Why then are global leaders insisting on making the transition right now? Could it be because a lack of energy will weaken nations and make populations heavily reliant on government, which in turn will be run by New World Order leaders?

Intentional Crippling of Global Food Production

The reason behind the crippling of our global food system is less obvious, but make no mistake, controlling food and shifting us away from a natural diet is an important part of The Great Reset.

While the destruction of food production is being justified by the Green Agenda, the real goal is to eliminate naturally-grown foods and replace them with patented foodstuffs. While the Green Agenda sounds honorable and beneficial, the end goal is anything but.

It’s all about population control through patented and highly processed food production. Think about it. If the only sources of food are private corporations, and your ability to obtain that food is dependent on being a “good citizen,” you’ll have no freedom whatsoever.

Genetically engineered crops have been around for decades, and now we’re seeing a strong push to transition from real meat to various protein alternatives, including lab-grown cell-based meats, vegetarian “meats” and insects — all in the name of “saving the planet” by eliminating methane-, nitrogen- and ammonia-producing livestock.

The Netherlands is currently in an uproar over the government’s decision to cut nitrogen pollution in half by 2030, which will drive farmers out of business.⁵ As with energy shortages, the resulting reductions in farming are said to be an “unavoidable” part of the green agenda to improve air, soil and water quality.⁶

Infrastructure projects in The Netherlands have even been halted over “fears they would cause emissions that breach environmental rules,” the Indian Express reports.⁷

Provincial authorities now have one year to work out how they’re going to meet the emission reduction targets. In response, an estimated 40,000 Dutch farmers have gathered in protest, arguing the attack on farming is irrational and unfair, as other industries responsible for far greater emissions — such as transport, construction and aviation — aren’t facing the same restrictions.

In addition to restrictions imposed by the Green Agenda, nearly 100 food production facilities in the U.S. alone have also mysteriously burned down since 2021 (see video below).^8,9

An estimated 10,000 cattle also perished in Ulysses, Kansas, in mid-June 2022,¹⁰ under mysterious circumstances. Fertilizer shortages, price inflation and restrictions on fertilizer transport further add to the growing specter of food inflation, food shortages and famine.

In what appears to be straight parody — but isn’t — the U.K. has even issued an “urgent warning” that gardening can cause heart disease by exposing you to harmful soil pollutants!¹¹ So, now they want you to be afraid of growing your own food too. They’re actually recommending you wear a face mask while gardening.

Are You Prepared?

While it’s difficult to predict just how bad it will get in any given area, it seems safe to say that everyone should prepare for some degree of food and energy shortages, regardless of where you live, as we’re staring at a perfect storm of confounding factors that are global in nature and therefore can cause far-reaching and somewhat unpredictable ripple effects.

So, if you still haven’t begun preparations, I urge you to reconsider. Those who fail to prepare are likely to find themselves in an incredibly difficult situation this fall and next year. I was a member of the Boy Scouts in middle school and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Their motto is to “Be Prepared,” which has served me well most of my life, and I encourage you to consider it.

Prepare With Shelf-Stable Foods

Many say they feel unsure about how to prepare for food shortages and famine, having no real experience with that sort of thing. Modern life has also in many ways made us overly reliant on technologies that might not be available in an energy shortage situation. Foods that require refrigeration or freezing, for example, might spoil and go to waste if you lose electricity for more than two days.

While the solutions will vary from household to household, depending on your financial situation, location and skill level when it comes to growing and storing food, here’s a list of shelf-stable and nutritious items that can help you get through hard times.

Ideally, you’d be eating these foods on a regular basis anyway. This way, you can easily rotate your supply rather than buying something once and then not touching it for years on end.

Many prepper recommendations fall short in that they primarily focus on large quantities of rice and beans, but unless you’re willing to let your health go to waste, you’d be wise to focus on nutrition rather than carb-rich belly-fillers.

Animal protein — In my view, animal protein would be one of the most important supplies to stock up on. This would require the meat to be frozen. It would likely make sense to get another freezer to store enough meat for three to six months for your family. The key to making this work is to have a backup power supply, as there is a high likelihood the grid will go down and you will lose your investment. The most economical way to do this would be to get ground bison, beef or lamb. Avoid pork and chicken due to high linoleic acid content. Ground meat is less expensive, but more importantly, takes up the least amount of space in your freezer

Canned wild Alaskan salmon, mackerel and sardines — All of these contain healthy fats while being low in toxic water pollutants and heavy metals

Tallow, ghee and coconut oil — These healthy fats are ideal for cooking and remain stable even without refrigeration

Organic beef broth and/or collagen powder — Beef broth is an ideal source of collagen, but organic grass fed collagen powder will stay fresh longer. Collagen is the most common and abundant of your body’s proteins, and is required for bone health, tissue integrity and repair

Whey protein — Whey protein is rich in leucine, which helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis, thereby promoting healthy muscle. Without a regular source of meat, it can be difficult to achieve enough leucine to maintain body protein from diet alone. Fortunately whey can be easily stored and can serve as a resource to preserve your muscle mass

Rice — Rice is a gluten-free staple that can be stored for long periods of time. Interestingly, white rice (my favorite is basmati) is far preferred over brown rice as the antinutrients in brown rice impair its role as a clean source of carbohydrates. Ideally, place the bag in a food-grade bucket together with an oxygen absorber or two, and make sure the lid is well-sealed

Honey — In addition to being a natural sweetener, local unadulterated honey also has health benefits. For example, it’s an effective cough medicine and can help combat respiratory infections and bacterial infections, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Macadamia nuts — Nuts are frequently recommended as a good source of fiber, protein and healthy fats that will stay fresh for a long time without refrigeration, provided they’re in a sealed bag or container. However, the reason why this is a terrible idea is that all nuts except for macadamia are loaded with very high levels of the dangerous fat linoleic acid. So, storing any nuts would not at all be helpful as you would only be able to have around five a day

Canned beef — Look for varieties that use salt as the only preservative. Lehman’s canned beef is one such option12

Organic freeze-dried fruit, vegetables and meats — For extra-long storage, you can also consider buying organic freeze-dried goods, which typically have a 25-year shelf life

Essential nutritional supplements such as: Beef organ complex, essential minerals, omega-3, vitamin K2, magnesium, vitamin B complex and astaxanthin

Other Suggestions

Other key areas of basic preparation include:

Water and water purification — Identify sources of potable water and make sure you have one or more ways to purify questionable water supplies

Energy backups — To prepare for eventual energy shortages, brownouts, rolling blackouts or a complete shutdown of the power grid, consider one or more power backups, such as gas-powered generators and/or solar generator kits such as Jackery or Inergy. Scale up and diversify according to what you can afford. Ideally, you’d want more than one system. If all you have is a gas-powered generator, what will you do if there’s a gas shortage and/or if the price skyrockets into double digits? On the other hand, what will you do if the weather is too overcast to recharge your solar battery?

Cooking backups — You also need some way to cook water and food during a blackout. Here, options include (but are not limited to) solar cookers, which require neither electricity nor fire, small rocket stoves, propane-powered camping stoves and 12-volt pots and pans that you can plug into a backup battery. If you have backup power, then a pressure cooker like Instant Pot makes a lot of sense as it can serve virtually all of your cooking needs

Firearms training for self defense and hunting — Learn how to use, store, carry and clean a firearm and work on your marksmanship. Other forms of self-defense training can also be useful, if nothing else, to make you feel more competent and confident in potentially high-risk situations

Communications — Give some thought to how you will communicate with friends and family if cell towers and/or internet goes down

Medicine — Stock up on nutritional supplements, medications, how-to books on alternative home remedies and first-aid supplies. I personally believe everyone should have a supply of pharmaceutical grade methylene blue, which can be obtained here

Money — Keep cash on hand, including smaller denominations. Both power grid and internet outages can eliminate your ability to buy without cash. For more long-term protection against inflation, consider buying physical precious metals such as gold and silver

Remember to consider and include analog devices and manual tools in your preparation. We’re so used to having unlimited electricity and continuous wireless communications, it can be difficult to imagine the restrictions you’ll face without them. If need be, turn off the breakers in your home for a day or two, ditch all wireless devices, and see what challenges come up. Then, figure out what you need to solve them.

Also, consider keeping hardcopies of useful books and important documents, such as your most recent bank statements, asset statements, the deed to your home or car and so on, in case electronic records become unavailable.

Entire books can, and have, been written on prepping, and some will take it to extremes. But while you probably won’t need an underground bunker stocked with a decade’s-worth of food, everyone, at this point, really ought to be preparing, to some degree, for food and energy shortages.

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This article was previously published June 29, 2019, and has been updated with new information.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition triggered by a systemic infection, ultimately affecting the function of your vital organs. The infection is sometimes referred to as "blood poisoning" by the public. According to a study tracking data in two different hospital cohorts, 34.7% to 55.9% of American patients who died in hospitals between 2010 and 2012 had sepsis at the time of their death, depending on which inpatient cohort they were in.¹

The condition does not discriminate and affects all age groups, socioeconomic groups and genders. A successful outcome relies on early detection and rapid treatment.

Experts are calling for recognition² of sepsis as a distinct cause of death, hoping this will result in better clinical practice guidelines, stressing awareness in the community and the ER, which may reduce the overall number of deaths.

Infections that progress to sepsis in the hospital may increase risk of death. Researchers found the death rate of patients with sepsis was 10% compared to 1% among patients without sepsis.³ In fact, the same study found half of all in-hospital deaths were related to sepsis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, today, 1 in every 3 patients who dies in a hospital has sepsis.⁴ Also according to the CDC,⁵ each year 1.7 million adults in the U.S. will develop sepsis and nearly 270,000 will die as a result. In a study⁶ published in 2016, researchers found sepsis was the most expensive condition treated in the U.S., costing $23.6 billion each year.⁷

The study discovered total hospital care costs had remained stable but spending for sepsis rose by 19% from 2011 to 2013.⁸ Data showed sepsis was responsible for 6.2% of all hospital costs across the U.S. and hospitalization for sepsis was 70% more expensive than the average stay. Learning to recognize the symptoms to seek early care may improve the potential for a successful outcome.

Mother Recognized Sepsis Symptoms and Sought Medical Care

One mother in the U.K. made the decision to take her son to the emergency room after he scraped his arm at the zoo the week before. Alexandra Ruddy shared with Yahoo Lifestyle the story of how her son fell at the zoo and scraped his arm.⁹ Once home she cleaned the wound and cautioned him to continue to wash his hands and take care of the injury throughout the week.

Although the wound didn't look infected to her, she noticed it had gotten bigger. On the way to the beach over the weekend, she noticed red track marks on his arm. She brought her son to urgent care where the physician commended her for bringing her son in quickly, as¹⁰ "It isn't something you can 'leave' until Monday when the doctors are back in the office."

Luckily, early recognition and treatment contributed to her son's recovery. She credits knowing about what to look for from information she received from a friend two years earlier. But, sepsis may not always present after an injury or scrape.

Psychotherapist Dean Rosen thought he had the flu when he woke up with a fever.¹¹ Less than 12 hours later, after his wife had driven him to the hospital, the emergency room physician told him he was septic and going into shock. Rosen's blood pressure plummeted, and his kidneys shut down.

To save him, hospital staff put a port into his neck and pumped in vasoconstrictors and antibiotics. In Rosen's case, scar tissue from Crohn's disease had created a blockage in his intestines, resulting in an infection. Rosen was on medication for his Crohn's disease that weakened his immune system and increased his risk.¹²

What Is Sepsis?

Sepsis is an extreme response to an infection already present in your body.¹³ The result is a medical emergency from a life-threatening chain reaction. According to the Sepsis Alliance,¹⁴ 80% of cases start in the community and not in the hospital.

The most common types of infection triggering sepsis and/or septic shock are respiratory or urinary tract infections.¹⁵ However, sepsis may also develop with an infected cut or scrape as it did for Ruddy's son, or strep throat, just to name a few scenarios.

Like Rosen, you may not even be aware that you have an infection, although most typically are.¹⁶ The definition of sepsis is a¹⁷ "life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection." As explained by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences:¹⁸

"Sepsis … is caused by an overwhelming immune response to infection. The body releases immune chemicals into the blood to combat the infection. Those chemicals trigger widespread inflammation, which leads to blood clots and leaky blood vessels. As a result, blood flow is impaired, and that deprives organs of nutrients and oxygen and leads to organ damage.

In severe cases, one or more organs fail. In the worst cases, blood pressure drops, the heart weakens, and the patient spirals toward septic shock. Once this happens, multiple organs — lungs, kidneys, liver — may quickly fail, and the patient can die."

Symptoms of Sepsis May Look Like Something Else

One of the most important steps you can take to protect your health is to recognize the symptoms of sepsis and seek immediate medical attention if you suspect sepsis.

It is important not to make a diagnosis at home, but instead communicate your concerns with a medical professional who may begin immediate treatment. The signs of sepsis may be subtle and could be mistaken for other conditions. However, sepsis often produces:^19,20,21

A high fever with chills and shivering	Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
Rapid breathing (tachypnea)	Unusual level of sweating (diaphoresis)
Dizziness	Confusion or disorientation
Slurred speech	Diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath	Severe muscle pain
Low urine output	Cold and clammy skin
Skin rash

Many of these symptoms may be confused with a bad cold or the flu. However, they tend to develop quicker than you would normally expect. The Sepsis Alliance recommends using the acronym TIME to remember some of the more common symptoms:²²

• T — Temperature higher or lower than normal?
• I — Have you now or recently had any signs of an infection?
• M — Are there any changes in mental status, such as confusion or excessive sleepiness?
• E — Are you experiencing any extreme pain or illness; do you have a "feeling you may die?"

Know the Causes and Risk Factors of Sepsis

While viruses, fungi and parasites may all trigger sepsis, bacterial infections are currently the most common cause. However, research²³ has demonstrated the number of fungal-induced sepsis infections is on the rise. There are several conditions that may raise your risk of developing sepsis, including:^24,25

Diabetes	Cancer and chemotherapy	HIV infection
Corticosteroids	Chronic illness	Urinary tract infections
Advanced age	Premature infants	Spleen removal

The rising number of antibiotic-resistant infections is also cause for concern as these infections are capable of triggering sepsis. The most commonly known antibiotic-resistant bacteria are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which was first discovered in 1961.²⁶ Over the years, newer drugs treated MRSA for a short time until the bacteria again became resistant.

The growth of antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health worldwide, and a primary cause for this man-made epidemic is the misuse of antibiotics.²⁷ Your exposure to antibiotic overuse is not just from prescriptions in the doctor's office but also in food production.

Agricultural use accounts for 80% of all antibiotics used in the U.S.,²⁸ which ultimately affects those who eat the meat from animals raised in concentrated animal feeding operations. The antibiotics alter the gut microbiome in the animal, making some antibiotic-resistant. These pass into the environment through the manure or contaminate the meat during slaughter or processing.

Post Sepsis Syndrome

While some will recover fully from sepsis, for many the problems do not end at discharge from the hospital. Survivors may suffer physical, psychological and/or neurological consequences for the rest of their lives. The combination of symptoms is called post sepsis syndrome and usually last between six and 18 months. Symptoms of post sepsis syndrome may include:^29,30

Lethargy (excessive tiredness)	Changes in peripheral sensation	Repeated infections at the original site or a new infection
Poor mobility	Muscle weakness	Shortness of breath
Chest pains	Swollen limbs	Joint and muscle pains
Insomnia	Hair loss	Dry flaking skin and nails
Taste changes	Poor appetite	Changes in vision
Difficulty swallowing	Reduced kidney function	Feeling cold
Excessive sweating	Depression	Flashbacks
Nightmares	Post-traumatic stress disorder	Poor concentration
Short-term memory loss	Mood swings	Clouded thinking
Anxiety	Sadness

Currently, there is no specific treatment for post sepsis syndrome, but most get better over time. The U.K. Sepsis Trust³¹ recommends managing individual symptoms and supporting optimal health as you're recovering. They encourage survivors to talk with friends and family and not to suffer with their symptoms in silence, as this helps to get through the difficult time.

Not all medical professionals are aware of post sepsis syndrome, so it may be helpful to talk about your symptoms and ask for a referral to someone who may help manage your mental, physical and emotional challenges. Some survivors find their immune system is not as effective as long as a year following their recovery, resulting in one infection after another, including coughs and colds.

Vitamin C — A Game Changer in Sepsis Treatment

Unfortunately, treatment for sepsis is a considerable challenge, and becoming more so as antibiotic-resistant infections become more prevalent. In the video above, Dr. Paul Marik, former chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in East Virginia, discusses a successful treatment protocol he developed.

Marik's first patient, a 48-year-old woman with a severe case of sepsis, presented in January 2016. Marik describes her condition, saying, "Her kidneys weren't working. Her lungs weren't working. She was going to die."

Having read a study by researchers who had experienced moderate success treating individuals with sepsis using intravenous vitamin C, he decided to give it a try and added hydrocortisone to the infusion. Marik expected his patient would not survive the night, and was surprised to find her well on the road to recovery the next morning.

For the first two or three patients, only vitamin C and hydrocortisone were used. Marik then decided to add thiamine, for several reasons. Importantly, it's required for metabolism of some of the metabolites of vitamin C, it protects the kidneys from failure common in sepsis,³² and many presenting with sepsis are thiamine deficient.³³

Marik's retrospective before-after clinical study published in the journal Chest,³⁴ showed giving patients intravenous vitamin C with hydrocortisone and thiamine (vitamin B1) for two days reduced mortality nearly fivefold, from 40.4% in the control group receiving standard treatment, to 8.5% in the experimental group.

Developing an effective treatment could reap billions of dollars. However, in this case, profit is not the motive as the cost of ingredients for the protocol are as little as a single dose of antibiotics.

Consider These Strategies to Reduce Your Risk of Sepsis

Part of what makes sepsis so deadly is people typically do not suspect it, and the longer you wait to treat it, the deadlier it gets.³⁵ If you develop an infection, stay alert to symptoms of sepsis and seek immediate medical attention if they appear. Even health care workers can miss the signs and delay treatment. You may lower your own risk by:

Supporting your immune system — Sleep, nutrition, exercise and optimizing your gut microbiome are foundational pillars of health.

Caring for any chronic illness affecting your risk of sepsis — Research has found illnesses that increase your risk may include chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease.36

Promptly treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) — UTIs are the second most common type of infection in the body, diagnosed in 150 million people each year worldwide,37 and one of the common reasons for the development of sepsis.38 Conventional treatment typically involves antibiotics, but research shows that UTIs caused by E. coli — which comprise39 90% of all UTIs — can be successfully treated with D-Mannose,40 a naturally occurring sugar that's closely related to glucose.

Properly cleaning skin wounds — Always take the time to properly clean and care for wounds and scrapes. Wash the open area with mild soap and water to and cover with a sterile bandage. Diabetics should follow good foot care to avoid dangerous foot infections.

Avoiding infections in hospitals — When visiting a health care facility, be sure to wash your own hands, and remind doctors and nurses to wash theirs (and/or change gloves) before touching you or any equipment being used on you.

Stopping nail biting — One study found 46.9% of the participants participated in nail biting (onychophagia).41 Exposure of the delicate skin underneath the nail, transferred from your mouth or acquired from the environment, increases the risk of infection.

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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can have a significant impact on your life and your ability to live independently if the condition progresses to dementia. One step you can take to help protect your brain is eating mushrooms.

MCI is a slight decline in cognitive ability that increases the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, although it is not a guarantee. According to the Alzheimer's Association,¹ up to 18% of people aged 60 or older are living with mild cognitive impairment. Additionally, up to 15% of those people will develop dementia within one year.

Everyone has a forgetful moment occasionally. Simply misplacing your keys once in a while is not cause for alarm. However, forgetting important events or information that you would normally have remembered, such as conversations or appointments, may be a sign of MCI.

Individuals with MCI also have a more difficult time making sound decisions or figuring out the sequence of steps needed to complete a task. According to the Alzheimer's Association,² two types of MCI are classified based on the thinking skills affected by the condition. Amnestic MCI primarily affects memory while nonamnestic MCI primarily affects thinking skills unrelated to memory.

If you have been diagnosed with MCI, be aware that some cases do not progress, and studies have found that some people even improve.³ Incorporating regular exercise, proper diet and engaging in mentally and socially stimulating activities can help boost your brainpower. And, as research has also shown, eating mushrooms may help prevent MCI.

Mushroom’s Neuroprotective Effect May Prevent Cognitive Delay

The structure and function of the brain change during aging, but this normally does not lead to MCI. There are several strategies you could use to protect your cognitive function, and one of those may be eating mushrooms. Mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine for decades. But it wasn't until 1970 that mushrooms were officially distinguished from flora and recognized in their own biological kingdom.⁴

Those who study fungi believe they are closer in nature to animals than they are to plants. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,⁵ on average, people eat about 3 pounds of fresh mushrooms every year. Mushrooms are rich in several nutrients that are important to human health, among them, ergothioneine.

Ergothioneine is a strong antioxidant that is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout the body. One animal study⁶ found that repeated administration of ergothioneine had antidepressant effects in mice and using the extract enhanced the memory function in humans and mice. Another animal study⁷ published in 2018 found an accumulation in the brain of one of ergothioneine metabolites.

Earlier research⁸ with Norwegian participants aged 70 to 74 years has shown that a higher intake of mushrooms can improve cognitive performance. Another epidemiological study⁹ of Japanese participants aged 65 and older found those who ate mushrooms at least three times a week was "significantly associated with a lower risk of incident dementia, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors."

Another study¹⁰ from Singapore gathered data from 663 participants aged 60 and older and compared those who ate mushrooms less than once a week against those who ate more than two portions per week. They found those who ate the most mushrooms had a 50% lower risk of developing MCI,¹¹ which was independent of confounding factors that included cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and high blood pressure.

Levels of ergothioneine are significantly reduced in people who have MCI over the age of 60. The researchers concluded,¹² “This decrease in blood ET [ergothioneine] may indicate that low ET is a risk factor for neurodegeneration in the elderly.” If low levels are reversed, it may explain how some people diagnosed with MCI may appear to recover cognitive function.

A study¹³ published in 2022 in the journal Neurology followed 2,903 cognitively normal participants at enrollment over an average of 6.3 years. During that time 752 developed MCI. They found people with more years of education, higher income or more leisure activities had a reduced risk. After an average of 2.4 years of follow-up, they found 47.9% of those people with MCI no longer met the criteria.

Ergothioneine and Glutathione Promote Longevity

Mushrooms have a high nutrient content, providing essential minerals such as manganese, copper, zinc, selenium, magnesium and iron.¹⁴ They are also high in potassium and sulfur, as well as many of the B vitamins.¹⁵

Mushroom varieties also have antioxidants that other fungi plants do not have, such as ergothioneine and glutathione,¹⁶ also called the “master antioxidant.”¹⁷ As noted in The Guardian:¹⁸

"… [S]cientists think [ergothioneine and glutathione] may help to protect the body against the maladies of old age, such as cancer, coronary heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease."

In a press release following the publication of a paper in Food Chemistry, Robert Beelman, Professor Emeritus of food science and director of the Penn State Center for Plant and Mushroom Products for Health, said:¹⁹

"What we found is that, without a doubt, mushrooms are the highest dietary source of these two antioxidants [ergothioneine and glutathione] taken together, and that some types are really packed with both of them.

There's a theory — the free radical theory of aging — that's been around for a long time that says when we oxidize our food to produce energy there's a number of free radicals that are produced that are side products of that action and many of these are quite toxic.

The body has mechanisms to control most of them, including ergothioneine and glutathione, but eventually enough accrue to cause damage, which has been associated with many of the diseases of aging, like cancer, coronary heart disease and Alzheimer's."

Beelman has focused his studies on the relationship with neurodegenerative conditions and points out that in countries like France and Italy, where people have more ergothioneine in their diet, there is a lower incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. By comparison, in countries where there is a low amount in the diet, there is a higher probability of conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.²⁰

“Now, whether that's just a correlation or causative, we don't know. But, it's something to look into, especially because the difference between the countries with low rates of neurodegenerative diseases is about 3 milligrams per day, which is about five button mushrooms each day.”

Two Mushrooms a Day May Lower Your Risk of Cancer

In addition to lowering your risk of neurodegenerative diseases, mushrooms may also help protect you from cancer. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University performed a literature review and meta-analysis²¹ to assess the association between the risk of any type of cancer and mushroom intake.

An evaluation of research from January 1, 1966, to October 31, 2020, yielded 17 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Analyses of data from more than 19,500 cancer patients²² showed that those who consumed the most mushrooms had the lowest risk of any type of cancer. They also found a specific link between high mushroom intake and low risk of breast cancer.

The researchers wrote this may be “due to the small number of studies which examined associations of mushroom intake with other site-specific cancers.”²³ They reported in a press release²⁴ that those who ate 18 grams of mushrooms, or about one-eighth to one-fourth cup, daily had a 45% reduced risk of cancer.

Do Fungi Connect Healthy Soil and Healthy People?

Legend has it that the founder of the Rodale Institute and promoter of organic farming once wrote “Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People”²⁵ on a chalkboard. Although the concept is logical, scientists had not made an evidentiary connection until recently.

A study²⁶ in Environmental Science, published January 27, 2022, revealed the results of measurements across eight pairs of regenerative and conventional farms in eight states in the U.S. Each regenerative farm was paired with a neighboring conventional farm that planted the same crop variety.

The regenerative farms combined no-till, diverse rotations and cover crops. As you might expect, the data show produce from regenerative farms was far healthier, testing higher for certain minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals.

Interestingly, while not everyone eats mushrooms, everyone has ergothioneine in their body.²⁷ More importantly, mushrooms are the leading dietary source. Beelman began asking the question: If not everyone eats mushrooms, then how is everyone getting ergothioneine in their body?²⁸

He and his colleagues hypothesized that ergothioneine from mushrooms was being absorbed into the crops through underground association with mycelium, fungal threads that exist below the surface of the soil. When animals eat plants rich in ergothioneine, it gets into the meat.

Beelman hypothesized that this may be how the antioxidant is found throughout the human population. They collaborated with the Rodale Institute to measure levels of ergothioneine in oats and separated the crops based on how intensely the soil had been tilled.²⁹ The data showed oats grown on conventionally tilled land had one-third less than those grown on no-till land.

Beelman believes that this demonstrates a cohesive link from soil to crop to human health. “When you till the soil, you reduce the amount of ergothioneine that gets into the crop. Nobody had actually shown a specific connection. I think this does,” he said.³⁰

Mushroom’s Beta-Glucans Have Multiple Health Effects

A chemical analysis³¹ of mushrooms by the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois, revealed mushrooms are also rich in beta-glucans. The analysis showed portobello mushrooms had nearly double the amount of most other mushrooms. Beta-glucans are a naturally occurring polysaccharide that are known to play a beneficial role in high blood pressure, obesity and insulin resistance.³²

Past research has also demonstrated that beta-glucans play a role in the prevention of viral infections, such as the common cold and flu. For example:

• A 2013 study found that taking 900 mg of beta-glucans in the form of brewer's yeast for 16 weeks reduced the rate of cold infections by 25% and eased symptoms in those who got ill by 15%.³³
• Marathon runners who took 250 mg of beta-glucans containing brewer's yeast for 28 days following a marathon were 37% less likely to contract a cold or flu symptoms compared to those taking a placebo.³⁴
• People who took 250 mg of beta-glucans per day for 90 days reported 43 fewer days with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection compared to those taking a placebo.³⁵
• A 2015 animal study found feeding mice beta-glucans for two weeks "significantly reduced the effects of influenza infection in total mortality."³⁶ According to the authors, "these effects are caused by stimulation of both cellular and humoral immune reaction resulting in lower viral load."

In addition to helping combat viral illnesses, beta-glucans also improve the microbial diversity in the gut by acting like a prebiotic. In one study,³⁷ beta-glucans improved the growth rate of Lactobacillus plantarum in the gut in both unstressed and stressed conditions.

It was also able to protect the probiotics from gastrointestinal stress caused from lower pH, bile salts and digestive enzymes. This may increase the survival rate of probiotics as they travel through the digestive system. Beta-glucans is available in supplement form, but it is best to get it from whole food sources such as mushrooms, baker's yeast or seaweed.³⁸

Choose Organic or Grow Your Own

I highly recommend adding mushrooms to your diet as they're an excellent addition to any salad and go great with all kinds of grass fed meat and wild-caught fish. However, it is crucial you choose organically grown mushrooms as fungi easily absorb air and soil contaminants.

Growing your own mushrooms is an excellent option and likely a far safer alternative than foraging for wild mushrooms. Although foraging may sound like fun, there are no simple rules to distinguishing between toxic and edible mushrooms. According to Medscape, in more than 95% of cases³⁹ where toxicity was reported, amateur mushroom hunters have misidentified poisonous mushrooms.

The severity of poisoning can vary, but the most toxic comes from mushrooms in the Amanita family.⁴⁰ There's no antidote for amatoxin poisoning, so it's essential if you have any reason to suspect someone has ingested an amatoxin-containing mushroom, you do not wait for symptoms but immediately seek emergency treatment.

Some medications may help lessen the severity,⁴¹ but they are not always successful. The most famous of the Amanita mushroom is the lethal death cap mushroom,⁴² which may kill more people each year than any other type of mushroom.

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People who add extra salt to their food at the table are at higher risk of dying prematurely from any cause, according to a study of more than 500,000 people.

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