MAGIC TRUFFLES HOLLANDIA

One of our most strong strains is the Hollandia psilocybe. On our 5 finger scale, these very strong nodules hit the maximum score – this is the top of the graphs. For two efficient trips – perfect for an adventure with your most trusted buddy – one pack of 15 grams is enough. An undescribable feeling of euphoria, closeness and unity and imaginative thinking will be felt by you.

The gray, gnarly-looking mushrooms lurking in the last row of the salad bar have never been that appetizing to me. In fact, I avoid them at all costs. So, when I decided to test at-home mushroom growing kits my expectations were very low. How could these boxes of mushroom starters, logs covered in what looked like yeast and grime, ever produce something that seemed edible?

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that after babying these mushrooms for weeks, I actually wanted to try them, and further surprised to really enjoy them. Maybe I’d been eating the wrong kinds, maybe growing them from nothing into full-fledged pizza toppers had me invested. But more likely, it was hearing about the immense health benefits from William Li, MD, scientist, and author of the New York Times bestseller “Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.” After hearing his information, the curly, pink oyster mushrooms growing in front of me seemed to transform in my mind from a vegetable I should eat, to a gift from nature falling more into the preventive medicine category. Turns out I was a little late to this personal discovery.

“Mushrooms have been eaten for thousands of years both for their medicinal value but also for their culinary value,” he says, pointing to the benefits of beta-D-glucan, a form of soluble fiber. “It does a lot of really interesting things . . . it actually helps our blood vessels be healthier. [It’s] good for our circulation. That’s important . . . whether you have coronary artery disease, heart disease, and frankly, any condition where you might want to have healthier blood vessels.”

Consumer Reports nutritionist Amy Keating adds that they have additional benefits, including antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and can even take the place of meat in a main dish thanks to their unique, savory “umami” flavor. “As far as growing your own, the benefits could be that it is more cost-effective, you’ll certainly be supporting local, and you’ll be certain they contain no pesticides and are as fresh as they possibly can be,” she says.

Li points to a 2013 study by John Hopkins University that also showed participants who replaced one meat serving with white button mushrooms helped participants with type 2 diabetes or obesity lose weight. They also showed lower blood pressure readings compared with their meat-eating counterparts. Li says this works because the fiber in mushrooms supports a healthy gut microbiome. “When they are well-fed, the gut microbiome produces their own metabolites so that when we feed our gut microbiome, it’s kind of like feeding a pet dog or cat—they pay us back . . . with love . . . by releasing natural chemicals into our bloodstream called short chain fatty acids,” he says, adding that these help lower cholesterol, help our metabolism, and burn body fat.

With all the potential health benefits, at-home mushroom growing kits help you easily access this powerhouse food to integrate it into your diet multiple times per week. Here’s how to get started, and the best kits to try.