# Mushroom Nutrition as Preventative Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa
## 6 The Antiviral Role of Mushrooms  
New viruses emerge all the time and can be serious threats to public health. Recently, it was reviewed how mushrooms represent a vast source of bioactive molecules, which could potentially be used as antivirals [116].  
A virus is an infectious agent metabolically inert made up of a core of genetic material, either DNA or RNA, and an outer protein and lipid shell, which can only replicate using the host cell mechanisms [116].  
Many of the common edible mushrooms and several non-edible mushroom dietary supplements are sources of natural bioactive compounds responsible for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases through their improvement of human immunomod (Figure 9) [117]. Numerous previous studies have demonstrated mushrooms as exhibitors of potential antiviral efficacy [118; 119; 120].  
There are four mushrooms subjected to several clinical studies specifically for fighting viruses [121; 122], but the following claims are still considered unsubstantiated at least for COVID-19 prevention and treatment: (1) Ganoderma: shown to kill the Influenza A virus, herpes, hepatitis, and H1N1 strain of the flu; (2) Cordyceps: fighting the Influenza virus by boosting the body NK cell activity as well as other virus-killing cytokines; additionally,  
Figure 9: With over 400 bioactive compounds, mushrooms have shown a number of antiviral effects, and used as dietary supplements, functional food or medicinal products. They act by blocking virus entry into the cell, by inducing lysis of virus infected cells through activation of NK, CD8+ and T cells, by anti-neuroaminidase increased activity, and by innate immune support.  
it has been shown to decrease inflammation in chronic asthma and other lung diseases; (3) Maitake: it has shown to actually stop the replication of the virus, which would be very helpful in allowing the body to fight it off without getting too overwhelmed and preventing a lot of excessive damage; additionally, it is also shown to boost the body supply of antiviral cytokines; (4) Shititake: ability to stop the growth of the virus by preventing the entry into the cell; this mushroom has shown to be effective in fighting the herpes simplex virus, hepatitis C virus, HIV, and the influenza.  
Mushrooms fight viral infections, and there are many studies on antiviral activities of several mushrooms against herpes (HHV-causing skin infections) [123], West Nile (mosquito-borne disease) [124], Orthpoxviruses (variola agent) [125], influenza [126], hepatitis B [127], and human immunodeficiency (HIV) [128]. The most studied mushroom strains for producing antiviral bioactive compounds include _Coriolus versicolor_, _Lentinula edodes_, _Grifola fondosa_, _Ganoderma lucidum_, _Hericium erinaceus_, _Pleurotus ostreatus_, _Cordy ceps sinensis_, _Laricifomes officinalis_, _Lenzites betulina_, _Rozites caperata_, and _Daedaleopsis confragosa_[129].  
People cannot avoid harmful bacteria and viruses, but they can become ill less often and with shorter periods if the immune system is strong. The objective of enhancing immunity is attractive, but the ability to do so has proved equivocal for several reasons. The immune system is precisely that: a complex network, not a single entity. There are no scientifically proven direct links between various lifestyle changes and enhanced immune function; nevertheless, one can boost the immune system by for example sleeping well in order to release protective cytokines, taking zinc [130], vitamins A, C, and E [131], curcumin (turmeric) [132], as well as consuming mushroom dietary supplements or fresh mushroom, therefore preventing the chance of contracting viral diseases [133].