Can this mushroom help reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure?

An endemic mushroom that could help reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure was found in Agoo, La Union.

Maybelline Avelino accidentally discovered a cluster of mushrooms behind the municipal hall of Agoo.

Avelino, who cultivates mushrooms, asked for help after she was unsuccessful in identifying the species.

She posted a photo on a Facebook group, and later learned it is endemic.

Dr. Renato Reyes, a Filipino scientist from Central Luzon State University, identified the mushroom as Collybia reinakeana.

It was Reyes who discovered the mushroom in Nueva Ecija following an earthquake that struck Central and Northern Luzon in 1990.

He named the mushroom as Novoecijanotak. The mushroom grows up to one foot and usually propagates in dead plants.

According to him, the endemic mushroom is safe to eat. The mushroom, Reyes said, has the potential to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

The Central Luzon State University is currently studying anti-cancer and anti-diabetic properties of Collybia reinakeana. - report from Teomar Bautista, ABS-CBN News