Mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of the fungal kingdom’s vast underground networks of mycelium, have long been intricately woven into cuisine, culture, spiritual traditions, and medicine. They have captured imaginations, making their way into artwork and literature, often depicted in folklore and fairytales as enchanted or supernatural.
While their powers may not be otherworldly, mushrooms have certainly earned their place as a celebrated character in the health and wellness story. As nutrient-dense additions to our favorite dishes, mushrooms are low in calories and packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. They are the highest source of vitamin D in the produce aisle, and can help to support everything from a balanced gut microbiome to a healthy immune system as part of a balanced diet.
What Are Functional Mushrooms?
Some shroom species go beyond nutritional value, providing a multitude of meaningful health and wellness benefits. These fungi, known as functional mushrooms, can help to support everything from longevity to mental well-being, and have been in use by various global cultures for thousands of years.
What Are the Health Benefits of Functional Mushrooms?
Beginning with ancient medicinal practices like Traditional Chinese Medicine and the holistic, centuries-old Indian system of Ayurveda, fungi have long been a mainstay of natural healing modalities. Today, scientific studies worldwide have explored the wellness properties of functional mushrooms and their unique bioactive compounds for potential clinical applications.
Medicinal Mushrooms
While you may hear the terms functional mushroom and medicinal mushroom used interchangeably, mushrooms can be utilized in medicine for a variety of specific health benefits. For instance, in Japan, a compound found in turkey tail mushrooms, Polysaccharide K (PSK), is approved for use as a mushroom product in oncology treatments. Lion’s mane mushroom has been studied as a possible mental health therapeutic for its antidepressant properties, and reishi has shown promise in clinical research on the treatment of blood sugar and insulin resistance.
Numerous medicinal mushrooms have also been studied for their antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, and immunomodulating properties, among others.
Try this: Incorporate turkey tail mushroom gummies into your routine for a host of wellness benefits, from supporting inflammation to promoting gut health and immunity.
Nootropic Mushrooms
Research has also demonstrated the ability of some fungi to provide nootropic benefits. Nootropic mushrooms are functional mushrooms that help to enhance brain health and cognition. Lion’s mane, cordyceps, and reishi are all potent nootropics.
Try this: Enhance focus and mental clarity by adding lion’s mane tincture to your favorite morning beverage.
Adaptogenic Mushrooms
Certain mushrooms have demonstrated adaptogenic properties, meaning they help to support the body’s stress response and resistance to stress, and can aid in promoting recovery. Adaptogenic mushroom species include reishi, cordyceps, turkey tail, chaga, and lion’s mane.
Try this: Reach for reishi tincture to help promote immunity, manage stress, and even support a deeper, more restful sleep cycle.
Performance Mushrooms
In addition to supporting the overall well-being of the body and mind, some functional mushrooms have been shown to benefit energy and athletic performance. Lion’s mane has been shown to support both mental and physical energy by promoting a healthy nervous system, and reishi is praised for its ability to restore vitality.
Perhaps the most celebrated fungi for energy and athletics, however, is cordyceps. This mighty mushroom is known for its capacity to improve the way we use oxygen and can help promote better muscle recovery. Cordyceps may also support the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule that’s responsible for delivering energy to our muscles, and which supports muscle contraction and high-intensity physical activity.
Try this: Stash cordyceps mushroom gummies in your gym bag for a pre-workout energy and performance boost.
Anti-Aging Mushrooms
Support healthy aging with antioxidant-packed, skin-supporting functional mushrooms. Chaga mushroom, called “The King of Medicinal Mushrooms” for its high levels of immune-supporting, free radical-fighting antioxidants and the triterpenoid Inotodiol, may help to diminish visible signs of aging and support more youthful, supple skin by promoting the production of hyaluronic acid and collagen. Reishi is also looked to for healthy aging support, both because of its historic use in promoting longevity and for its ability to help skin retain moisture, promote an even complexion, and fight skin aging by supporting a strong skin barrier.
Try this: Keep a convenient chaga supplement on hand daily for a potent age-balancing antioxidant boost.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also try working edible functional mushrooms into your weekly meal plan. Start by trying your hand at this easy lion’s mane mushroom recipe.
Choosing the Best Functional Mushroom Supplements
When it comes to experiencing real benefits from functional mushrooms, not all supplements will deliver the same results. How a mushroom tincture, gummy, or supplement is created matters, and the quality of the product depends on the quality of the mushroom extract used.
Whether you’re searching for mushroom capsules, mushroom powder, mushroom tincture, or mushroom gummies, be sure to look for the following signs of quality in your supplements:
USDA Organic Certification. Mushrooms grown organically in the United States will ensure the strictest standards of cultivation are followed.
Whole Fungi. Supplements that are made with a full-spectrum approach – using the whole mushroom– cap, stem, and mycelium– are able to harness the bioactive compounds present throughout the entire fungi. (Learn more about mushroom anatomy here.)
Triple Extraction. Following a multi-step extraction process– beginning with fermentation, following with hot water extraction, and finishing with alcohol extraction– allows for the highest quality and most potent mushroom extractions.
Other quality markers include high levels of purity and potency, and transparency around laboratory testing and sourcing. Ready to get started with functional mushrooms? Keep it simple and check out our mushroom mix gummies, crafted with a mushroom complex blend of 14 functional fungi for enhanced daily energy, immunity, and more.