The health benefits of mushrooms protect and heal us from malignant cancerous tumors, boost our immune system to protect us from lethal virus and bacterial infections.

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Health Benefits of Mushrooms

What are main health benefits of medicinal mushrooms and what makes the best mushroom supplement? Mushrooms are a type of fungus that grows in damp moist climates on the ground and even off of the sides of certain trees. They are a healthy type of fungus that can protect you against cancers, viruses and absorb toxins from your body, and the environment too. The many Health Benefits of Mushrooms start with the most powerful immunity boosting, cancer protecting, resistance to infection and other potent health benefits.

Mushrooms are the largest single organism in nature. They grow miles long under the forest floor and even communicate with each other through hormone secretions. The health benefits of Mushrooms and mushroom extracts (medicinal mushrooms) refer to those that have super healing powers with healing our bodies from the most lethal things we know – Cancers and Infections. The health benefits of mushrooms protect and heal us from malignant cancerous tumors, boost our immune system to protect us from lethal virus and bacterial infections.

I'm sure you have had mushrooms on your salad or in an omelet but have you ever considered the extreme healing benefits of mushrooms? They are one of the most incredible living (and the largest) organism on our planet. They are so powerful they can clean up our environment from catastrophic oil spills, radioactive messes, heavy metal and chemical pollution. Mushroom supplement extracts are one of the best natural cancer and anti viral fighters on our planet. Here are a few of the many mushroom extract benefits:

Boosts Your Immune System
Inhibits Cancer and Tumor Growth
Protects against Viral Infection
Lowers Your Total Cholesterol Level
Contains Natural Insulin (helps diabetes)
Increases Your Metabolism
Improves Your Skin Tone
Natural Blood Thinner
Full of Natural Antioxidants (anti-aging)
Increases Your Vitamin D Levels (immune and mood enhancing)
Rich in Natural Zinc (potent immunity booster)

Always opt for Organic Mushrooms as they are grown and harvested in a way that retains all the mushroom health benefits that can be lost if processed or drenched in chemicals.

Mushroom Coffee Benefits
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You know about the many health benefits of mushrooms, but what about mushroom coffee benefits? Grateful Earth Medicinal Mushroom Coffee (pictured above) is a great way to start your day, particularly if you don't like swallowing pills but do love coffee. It not only gives you energy but actually heals your brain, nervous system and immune system! It is a powerful and delicious way to get the health benefits of mushrooms into your body in a very pleasant way. It tastes great and I feel good clean energy, and love knowing I am helping to prevent cancer, infection and boosting my brain power too (cognition,) Coffee and medicinal mushrooms are shown to help prevent Alzheimer's, Dementia and other neurological conditions too.

Mushrooms for Cancer Fighting

The Health Benefits of Mushrooms for Cancer Fighting is one of the main reasons people take medicinal mushrooms. Paul Stamets (the leading mushroom expert in the world) helped heal his wife from cancer using healing mushroom extracts. His research showed that medicinal mushroom extracts and organic mushroom extracts are more powerful than any prescription antiviral medicine or anti-cancer medicine, without the harmful and frequently lethal side effects.

The easiest way to get the health benefits of mushrooms is to grow your own if possible, or get a dried extract that has extreme medicinal powers like none other. They are more, yes more, powerful than chemical cancer treatments, as well as having more antiviral capacity than lab created medicines that cost thousands of dollars. Nature is superior in this aspect.

Most mushroom supplement blends and extracts are full of nutrients and protect your cells from contamination and toxins that you get in your environment and from food and beverage sources. These give you all the most important health benefits of mushrooms in a way that is easy for you to take.

Medicinal Mushrooms

Here is a small list of the benefits of medicinal mushrooms health benefits that you will enjoy when you begin using them for your own benefit:

Powerful Natural Cancer Remedy
Powerful Natural Antimicrobial
Boosts Your Immune System
Prevents Osteoporosis
Strengthens Bones and Teeth
Eases Arthritis Joint Pain and Protects Your Joints
Good for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis
Helpful for diabetes and it's complications
Helps balance cholesterol levels (raise HDL, lower LDL)
Lowers Blood Pressure (Hypertension Help)
Helps increase natural iron absorption
Helpful for natural weight loss

Almost all the health benefits of mushrooms can be found in the top 10 medicinal mushrooms, even the little white button and crimini mushrooms help prevent breast cancer and prostate cancer. I take a blend of the most potent healing mushroom supplement extracts regularly to prevent cancer and keep my natural immunity strong.

Medicinal Mushroom List

There are so many medicinal mushrooms that have potent health saving benefits, so we will show you the most potent medicinal mushrooms for cancer and immune defense. Here is a medicinal mushroom list of the the best medicinal mushrooms you can get with the greatest amount of healing benefits:

Agaricus Mushrooms
Antrodia Mushrooms
Cordyceps Mushrooms
King's Trumpet Mushroom
Lion's Mane Mushrooms
Maitake Mushrooms
Reishi Mushrooms
Shiitake Mushrooms
Turkey Tail Mushrooms

There are many other great medicinal mushrooms, mushroom supplement extracts and blends, that give you the full health benefits of mushrooms. I like to use these as they are powerful natural medicine made by nature. Use these in any order, although I put the ones that have the most biological value (medical potency) first. Using the best organic mushroom supplement can boost your natural immunity and protect you against all types of airborne and foodborne illness.

Health Benefits of Shiitake Mushroom

The Health Benefits of Shiitake Mushroom are very impressive. I list the shiitake mushroom here because it is the easiest to find, even in your local supermarket. The taste is a little bitter and they are way to chewy for me, so I do prefer the shiitake mushroom extracts instead. It is one of the most single powerhouse healing mushrooms on the planet! It's part of the Japanese longevity program that helps them live longer and healthier than almost anyone else.

Get your health benefits of mushrooms in an organic mushroom complex (combining mushrooms makes them way more powerful than just taking just one. Organic medicinal mushrooms are free from pesticides which damage your immune system and are the opposite of we want when we are using mushrooms for healing.

Start with one or more and begin including them in your daily diet. If you are experiencing any health challenge, then by all means take a blend of the mushrooms on the above medicinal mushroom list. Increase your health rapidly with these natural healing mushrooms!

Mushrooms for Healing

I originally learned about using medicinal Mushrooms for Healing by researching, reading and watching lectures with Dr. Paul Stamets, the unequivocal mushroom expert of our time. He knows the power of them as his wife became healed from terminal cancer when the medical professionals had written her off. I recommend you read and watch his presentations if you have any further interest in identifying and discovering your own in nature.

Maitake is not that hard to find either. Chaga and Reishi are harder to find in a local supermarket, but you should be able to get them in a health food store. Other great mushrooms you may have heard about include: Cordyceps, Coriolus, Agaricus, Shiitake and Maitake. The healing mushroom blends are naturally rich in the natural immune boosting nutrient Beta-1,3-Glucan. Any organic mushroom supplement will give you all the health benefits of mushrooms like boosting your natural immunity, and when blended with other medicinal mushrooms the effect on your health can be life saving.

History of Medicinal Mushrooms

Throughout the ages and across the globe, people have taken medicinal mushrooms in a bid to prevent disease and increase energy and vitality. Hieroglyphics suggest that the ancient Egyptians considered mushrooms to be delicacies, while the Romans saw mushrooms as a gift god. Medicinal mushrooms are prescribed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and have been used in many Eastern cultures for thousands of years.

Medicinal mushrooms and their health benefits are listed In Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing’s classic text on herbalism. Written around 200 AD, this important book provides detailed information on 365 powerful tonics, herbs and mushrooms. In this book, red duanwood Reishi is referred to as the most superior of all herbs and chaga is referred to as the king of mushrooms. Twenty species of medicinal mushrooms are also listed in the 53-volume Compendium of Materia Medica which is one of the most extensive herbal reference books ever compiled.

Medicinal Mushroom Benefits

Although they have been prescribed for thousands of years, mycologists and researchers are only scratching the surface when it comes to documenting the incredible healing properties of medicinal mushrooms. From supporting the immune system and slowing down tumor growth to improving the skin, medicinal mushrooms have an enormous range of beautifying, rejuvenating and healing properties.

Medicinal mushrooms help to strengthen the immune system, nourish the nervous system, increase energy, decrease stress, detoxify the liver, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, support a healthy metabolism and balance moods.

Medicinal Mushroom Nutritional Profile

When you look at the mushroom body, what you are actually seeing is their ‘fruit’. Mushrooms are composed of intricate thread-like membranes which are called mycelium. To the naked eye these look much like thin threads of cotton wool but when viewed under a microscope they resemble a network of nerves. Medicinal mushrooms display a cellular intelligence and are extremely adaptive depending on their growing environment.

While each species of medicinal mushroom has its own benefits, there are several similarities amongst many of the species. Most medicinal mushrooms have immune-enhancing properties and contain high levels of antioxidants that help to fight free radical damage. They are rich in bioactive compounds including proteins, fats, alkaloids, flavonoids, carotenoids, folates, enzymes, and organics acids as well as vitamins and minerals. Medicinal mushrooms contain polysaccharides, including beta-glucans. Some mycologists even suggest that the body is hard-wired to accept polysaccharides from medicinal mushrooms through immune receptors.

Medicinal Mushrooms for the Immune System

Medicinal mushrooms are immune-modulators which means that they respond to the state of your immune system to provide the most appropriate immune response for your body and current health circumstances. They can help to strengthen the immune system and help the body to fight off colds, flu, viruses, and disease. The same applies when it comes to their adaptogenic qualities, as they can work with the body to help it to better cope with physical mental and environmental stresses.

A Natural Source of Vitamin D

Our body is able to absorb vitamin D from natural sunlight, but we can get dietary vitamin D by ingesting medicinal mushrooms. Researchers at Harvard University estimate that over 1 billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D, but deficiencies are typically hard to spot as a lack of this vitamin may cause subtle or no symptoms until supplies are running really low. Severe deficiency can lead to difficulty in thinking clearly, bone and muscle pain, and tiredness. These symptoms can eventually put you at risk for osteoporosis, and impaired immune systems. Dietary forms of vitamin D are rare to come by, particularly if you don't consume animal products. In fact, mushrooms provide one of the only vegan-friendly sources of vitamin D around.

Medicinal Mushrooms and the Environment

While these mushrooms may be able to heal our bodies, on a broader scale they could also help to heal the world too. Medicinal mushrooms can be used to clean up oil spills, filter wastewater, and even reduce radioactive contamination. Some believe that medicinal mushrooms could be taken on long-distance space journeys to help terraform other planets. From inner world to outer world, one thing is clear, medicinal mushrooms contain a wealth of health-improving compounds that are too vast to ignore.

Health Benefits List

Cordyceps Mushroom: Increases energy, enhances athletic ability, strengthens the immune system
Reishi Mushroom: Reduces stress, cleanses the liver, strengthens the immune system, supports adrenal function
Tremella Mushroom: Promotes a healthy complexion, anti-aging, nourishes the lungs
Turkey Tail Mushroom: Supports the immune system, relieves fatigue, anti-inflammatory
Chaga Mushroom: Provides immune support, aids digestion, anti-inflammatory, balances mood
Lion's Mane Mushroom: Nourishes the nervous system, improves cognitive function, alleviates anxiety
Shiitake Mushroom: Strengthens the immune system, supports the liver, balances mood
Maitake Mushroom: Balances blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol, supports the immune system

If you're interested in learning more, we highly recommend the book, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help to Save the World, written by Paul Stamets.

Medicinal Mushroom Side Effects

Medicinal mushrooms are non-toxic and safe to use, and most species have no reported side effects. However, there are some things to take into consideration before deciding to take medicinal mushroom supplements.

How to Choose the Best Medicinal Mushrooms

Many of these mushrooms need to be carefully prepared in order to break down their cell walls, to remove toxins, and to make the nutrients in the mushrooms easily digestible. Luckily, you can skip this time-consuming process if you buy medicinal mushroom supplements which are pre-prepared and ready to use.

Concentrated extracts are particularly potent as the raw mushroom is transformed into a more nutrient-dense powder. If a powder is listed as a 10x concentrated extract it means that ten pounds of raw mushroom are transformed into one pound of extract powder, so you’ll receive ten times the amount of nutrients from the raw mushroom per spoonful. Medicinal mushrooms are also available in tincture, capsule, tablet, and spray format.

For the highest quality mushrooms, try and choose wildcrafted or organic fungi which are ethically grown or carefully cultivated as well as traditionally prepared. If you can’t decide between cordyceps and chaga or tremella and turkey tail, then you can try a mushroom complex which is a potent blend of some of the most powerful medicinal mushroom species around. Many of the mushrooms work synergistically, and will often provide additional immune support when taken together rather than separately.

How to Use Medicinal Mushrooms

Powdered medicinal mushrooms are extremely versatile as they can be easily incorporated into drinks and foods. You can blend the powder into smoothies and juices, stir it in warm water to make a nutritious tonic tea, or mix it with other tonic herbs and superfoods to make a healing elixir.

Depending on their flavor profile and healing properties, some mushrooms work particularly well when prepared in certain ways. For example, reishi is commonly infused in warm water to make reishi tea, or added to coffee to make a rich and earthy brew. Cordyceps makes an excellent workout supplement, so it can be added to pre-workout smoothies or used in snack bars. Powdered mushroom extracts are also commonly used to add a dose of goodness to a range of plant-based, vegan and vegetarian dishes including protein bars and balls, cakes, sauces, soups, dresses, dips, chocolate and more.

Medicinal Mushroom Recipes

From delicious teas to delectable desserts, medicinal mushroom powders are so versatile that they can be added to a huge range of drinks and dishes. Here are two nutritious medicinal mushroom recipes to get you started:

Raw Banana Nice Cream

Did you know that you can make thick and creamy dairy-free ice cream with just one healthy ingredient? Well, you can, and that ingredient is the humble banana. The trick to getting the creamiest ice cream is to use bananas that are covered in brown spots (but catch them before they get mushy).

Peel three bananas and place them into the freezer. When they have fully frozen, pop them into your blender along with your desired dose of medicinal mushroom powder, and then blend until smooth. Top the banana nice cream with fruits, berries, chopped nuts, or coconut flakes. Yum.

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Latte

From icy cold to spicy and warm, this latte is a perfect pick me up in cold winter mornings. It can be made with a mushroom complex blend or with a concentrated mushroom extract powder such as chaga, turkey tail or tremella powder. Pour two cups of coconut milk into a blender along with 1 tsp of mushroom powder, 1 tbsp of coconut butter and a dash of cinnamon. Blend until smooth, and then gently heat the latte in a saucepan on a low heat until it warms up. Pour into a mug and enjoy.

Medicinal Mushroom Facts

Reishi was such a sought after mushroom that Chinese Royalty reserved it solely for their own use
Chaga contains more antioxidants than any other natural substance on earth
Lion's mane has a delicate taste and it is considered to be a gourmet food
Around 270 species of mushroom are believed to have medicinal qualities
The use of shiitake mushrooms dates back to 199 AD, when they were presented as gifts to the Emperor
Maitake is nicknamed the dancing mushroom, as legend has it that those who found it would jump for joy

What Do Medicinal Mushrooms Do?

It’s almost easier to explain what medicinal fungi don’t do, because they do so much.

Most of us know mushrooms as food—in fact, they’re a superfood. Adding edible mushrooms like shiitakes, chanterelles, and lion’s mane to your diet means you’re supercharging your body with vital nutrients including:

B vitamins
Phosphorus
Vitamin D (note: store bought or those farmed with little sunlight won’t have as high a dose)
Selenium
Copper
Potassium
Ergothioneine,(an antioxidant)
Glutathione (another antioxidant)
Riboflavin
Niacin
Fiber
More protein than most vegetables
Provide all the essential amino acids (especially important for vegetarians or vegans)
Plus, edible mushrooms are low in calories, carbohydrates, fat, and sodium, and cholesterol-free.

In truth, mushrooms do much more than just provide essential nutrients.

Modern science has found about 2,000 edible or medicinal fungi that have positive healing and preventative benefits and properties. Of this small selection, modern medicine has identified about 100 medical functions.

Numerous studies show that mushrooms may exert healing and preventive properties and benefits including:

Antioxidant
Anticancer
Antidiabetic
Antiallergic
Antiviral
Antibacterial
Antiparasitic
Antifungal
Anti-inflammatory
Antitumor
Anti-cancer
Cardioprotectant (protects the cardiovascular system)
Nephroprotectant (protects the kidneys)
Hepatoprotection (protects the liver)
Chemoprotectant (protects against toxic or adverse effects from chemotherapy)
Radioprotectant (protects against radiation damage)
Immune health
Improved brain health
Improved gut health (mushrooms are considered a prebiotic—the stuff our healthy gut bacteria feast on to grow stronger and multiply)
Nervous system support
Improved sleep

What gives mushrooms such a potent punch are their bioactive compounds, mostly the polysaccharides—a slow carbohydrate that takes a long time for your body to break down and digest—found in mushrooms. Depending on their structure, polysaccharides can store energy, send cellular messages, and support cells and tissues. Mushrooms contain a specific powerful polysaccharide–β-glucans—that are rich in fungi, bacteria, yeast, and algae—that stimulates the immune system. And studies have found mushroom β-glucans linked to health benefits and properties including anticancer, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, antioxidative, antimicrobial activities, and immunomodulatory (stimulates or suppresses the immune system depending on what the body needs to fight infections and cancers), and antibiotic properties.

What Are The Best Medicinal Mushrooms?

Medicinal fungi can serve many purposes—and often different ones, depending on the mushroom.

Some boost brain function, others improve energy, reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression, activate or suppress the immune system depending on what the body needs, support heart health and much more.

Most health practitioners recommend specific mushrooms to address specific sicknesses. With that in mind, as you read the list below, consider what health areas you most want to work on.

And this isn’t an exhaustive list. There are other medicinal mushrooms that people use. But here are 11 of the most common and easier to access mushrooms that are worth considering adding to your healing journey.

I’ve included suggested preparation methods and doses, however dosing is individualized. To date, there is no modern consensus from the scientific community on what constitutes a therapeutic dose. The doses included are based on traditional herbal medicine, mainly.

For tonic purposes and treatments, the dose is low, about 0.5-3 grams per day.

For all culinary mushrooms, the dose is as much as you may consume during meals.

A good rule to use whenever incorporating supplements into your diet is to start small and pay close attention to any changes in your body and how you feel. Give yourself a few days on the small dose and slowly work up.

11 Mighty Mushrooms To Heal & Build Wellness

Shiitake

Anticancer – Heart support – Immune support – Body Composition

Prized as a delicacy and native to East Asia, the shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) has enjoyed a role in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Russian medicine for thousands of years. It was even and gifted to emperors by tribes who foraged it in the wild.

This “Queen of Mushrooms” is known as an elixir of life. In China it symbolizes youthfulness and virility, and it is known for having aphrodisiac properties.

Grown on fallen logs, the Chinese have also turned to shiitake mushrooms to support circulation and longevity. That makes sense when you learn that shiitake mushrooms contain high amounts of natural copper–a mineral that supports blood vessels and the immune system.

Shiitakes also contain polysaccharides that contain a compound known as lentinan, which strengthens the immune system. You’ll also get a dose of beta-glucans when you introduce shiitakes into your system. Beta-glucans can boost white blood cell production that enhances your body’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and toxins.

Shiitake mushrooms are commonly used to help treat fatigue, indigestion, edema, anemia, chronic hepatitis, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.

Suggested Preparation Method: Cooked (Sautéed, Tea, Soup), Extract (Liquid or Powder)

Suggested Dose: 5-10 grams per day to improve immune system and heart health (tonic), 1-2 fresh mushrooms daily, 6-16 grams of dried mushroom in teas – soups – dishes, 6-9 grams dried mushroom for decoction, 15-30 grams whole fresh mushroom

Reishi

Immune Support – Emotional Regulation and Stress Management – Reduce Fatigue

Known as Ling Zhi in Chinese Medicine, which means “Spirit Plant,” the ancient ones believed that taking reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) for a prolonged period makes the body light–granting one extraordinary gifts like flight, telepathy, telekinesis, and clairvoyance. And it was used by monks as an aid for spiritual journeying and development, meditation, higher cultivation, and transcendence.

They even believed it extended life to make one an immortal. (Perhaps this is why ancient scrolls show deities or emperors holding reishi mushrooms or standing upon reishi as a divine altar.)

Here’s short video on the reishi mushroom.

Ancient scholars classified six different types of reishi by color–white, red, yellow, green, black, and purple. All types not only prevent and treat disease, but cultivate the virtues of loyalty, honesty, gentleness, and it fortifies the will—bravery and undauntedness.

Reishi is also called the “Supreme Protector,” it was originally placed in the Superior Class of medicine, meaning it goes beyond most medicines and facilitates realization of human potential.

Through the ages, reishi has gained notoriety for its positive effects on the immune system, fatigue-fighting properties, and emotional and mental regulation. It truly is a mind-body-spirit medicine.

Reishi is believed to be especially effective if you’re already under the weather or are undergoing or just completed cancer treatments. Found in Asia, North America, and Europe, studies show reishi may alter inflammation pathways in white blood cells, and in people battling cancer, molecules in reishi have been found to increase activity in the natural killer cells (an important white blood cell that fights cancer).

Considered an adaptogen, reishi mushrooms help you regulate your nervous system so it adapts and manages stressors better. A side bonus with adaptogens: they support your energy levels, helping fight fatigue. It is also used to help treat chronic fatigue, altitude sickness, insomnia, forgetfulness, palpitations, wheezing, shortness of breath, irritability, cold hands and feet, and allergies.

Suggested Preparation Method: Tincture (Dual-Extract), Powdered Extract or Decoction

Suggested Dose: Raw herb for decoction 3-15g, Powdered Extract 1-5g (lower for tonic use, higher for specific conditions), Tincture 0.5-2.5 mL

Lion’s Mane

Brain Booster – Reduce Anxiety and Depression – Immune Support – Digestion

Would you like to improve your memory, focus, concentration, and give your brain an overall boost while simultaneously soothing the nervous system and supporting your immune system?

If that’s a yes, then you’ll want to reach for the lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) also known as Hóu Tóu Gū in Chinese Medicine. This distinctive looking mushroom, which grows on living and dead broadleaf trees in Europe, Asia, and North America, is loaded with beneficial compounds that your brain, nervous system, and immune system love.

Native Americans were said to have carried (and some still do) powdered lion’s mane for its ability to treat wounds, especially to disinfect and stop bleeding.

Lion’s mane’s main claim to fame today is that it has two beneficial compounds hericenones and erinacines. Erinacines has been found to increase NGF (nerve growth factor) production, which regulates nerve cell survival, development, and function. This may protect against neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and improve memory and cognition.

As if cognitive improvement wasn’t enough, lion’s mane may also have anti-inflammatory effects that can reduce feelings of anxiety or depression. And it may also boost immunity through beneficial changes in the gut microbiome.

Traditionally, lion’s mane has been used to treat gastritis, stomach ulcers, reflux, and general digestive disturbances.

Suggested Preparation Method: Cooked (Sautéed), Extract (Liquid or Powder)

Suggested Dose: 0.25 – 1 gram powdered extract, 5 grams whole mushroom in food

Maitake

Ease Physical and Mental Stress – Immune Support – Lowers Blood Sugar

Known as “The King of Mushrooms,” Maitake mushrooms (Grifola frondosa) have long been used in Asian cultures as a tonic to support longevity, improve vitality, boost the immune system, and lower blood sugar.

Maitake actually means “dancing mushroom” and as the legend goes, ancient foragers literally danced for joy upon finding this gem in the woods.

Today Hui Shu Hua, as it’s called in Chinese Medicine, is lauded by health practitioners because it’s rich in β-glucans that can activate and stimulate white blood cells including macrophages, T-cells, natural killer cells, and neutrophils.

Plus, it’s an adaptogenic herb, helping to regulate the body when it’s under stress, providing both physical and mental relief.

Research also suggests that maitake mushrooms may help lower blood sugar which may help people with type 2 diabetes.

It’s commonly used to help treat metabolic syndrome, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis.

Suggested Preparation Method: Cooked (Sautéed, Tea), Extract (Liquid or Powder)

Suggested Dose: 0.25 – 2.5 grams of extract, 2-9 grams of whole mushroom

Turkey Tails

Improve Energy – Promote Healthy Microbiome – Immunomodulation – Cancer treatment

Turkey tail mushrooms (Trametes versicolor also known as coriolus versicolor) get their name because they look like a turkey tail. Found throughout the world on dead trees, turkey tails boast an impressive array of health properties.

The ancient texts from China and Japan revere this mushroom for its ability to strengthen health, physically and mentally. Taken over time, turkey tails are thought to extend life and enhance the immune system. It is one of the best detoxifying herbs, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is hepatoprotective.

Modern science has shown that turkey tails sport an array of triterpenes, organic acids and alkaloids that can improve your immune system. But their real star power may come from the polysaccharide krestin (PSK) and polysaccharide peptides (PSP) that you find in this mushroom.

PSK and PSP have powerful immune-boosting properties that stimulate white blood cells to activate and eliminate harmful bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens wreaking havoc on your body. PSK and PSP are so powerful that some countries including China and Japan use it as a complementary treatment for cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy.

Turkey tails also perform well when it comes to warding off fatigue. That’s because fatigue is a common symptom of a weak immune system.

Traditionally, turkey tails are also often used to help treat jaundice, hypochondriac pain, chronic coughing, asthma, joint inflammation, hepatitis, nephritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Suggested Preparation Method: Tincture (Dual Extract), Powdered Extract, Decoction

Suggested Dose: Raw herb for decoction 9-27g, Tonic use 6-12g of dried mushroom taken as tea twice daily

Here is a video with Tero Isokauppila, owner of Four Sigmatic, about the healing power of tree mushrooms:

Chaga

Immune Boosting – Anti-Inflammatory – Longevity – Digestion

Harnessed by the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Chinese, and Siberian cultures for over 4,000 years, you can find chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus) anywhere you find birch trees.

Chaga has a storied history, used in shamanic rituals, especially by the Khanty / Oystak peoples. It was also used by the Ainu, the original inhabitants of Japan, for digestive upset and in religious ceremonies. Known as a “Gift from God” by Siberian cultures, chaga mushrooms are used to aid the digestive system and liver, where it can treat hidden pathogens.

If you’re looking for a mushroom packed with nutritional value, then this one’s for you. It’s loaded with b-complex vitamins, vitamin D, potassium, cesium, amino acids, fiber, copper, zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium, and calcium.

And it’s filled with antioxidants that could slow the aging process or reverse signs of it. Chaga can also help reduce chronic inflammation which may help reverse or lessen symptoms caused by other chronic conditions including autoimmune diseases and rheumatoid arthritis.

Like other mushrooms on this list, chaga can also support the immune system.

Suggested Preparation Method: Decoction, Powdered Extract

Suggested Dose: 1 tsp of dried, ground mushroom in long steeped tea (8-24 hours), 1-3 cups per day.

Cordyceps

Improves Energy and Endurance – Heart Health – Fights Inflammation

Cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis) have a long history in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Tibetan Medicine where it’s used to improve energy and endurance, and cure sickness, kidney disease, and a low sex drive.

Cordyceps sound like something out of a sci-fi flick. Instead of growing on trees, fallen logs, on the ground or under leaves, they’re a parasitic fungus that grows on the larvae of insects or certain caterpillars found in China and Tibet.

In the wild, it can actually take up to six years to grow, where it is found along the Himalayan foothills and the highest quality comes from the Tibetan plateau. Today, it’s rare to find cordyceps in the wild—most are grown commercially.

Legend holds that cordyceps were discovered via zoopharmacognosy. Tibetan yak herders observed that the animals who consumed this were stronger, more vital and vigorous, healthier and lived longer.

Traditionally, cordyceps are used to treat low back pain, low sexual desire and potency, chronic cough, wheezing and asthma. They can be made into a stew with duck, chicken, pork, or fish to help address weakness, dizziness, signs of debility and lowered immune resistance.

Dōng Chóng Xià Cǎo, or Winter Worm Summer Grass (as it’s known in Chinese Medicine), is said to be safe to take for long periods and is comparable to Ginseng for its life-extending benefits.

The current science shows some of the potentials of this extraordinary mushroom include anti-aging and anti-tumor properties. Cordyceps have also long been used to bolster energy and endurance improving exercise and performance. And they may also help improve heart health and fight inflammation.

Suggested Preparation Method: Tincture (Dual-Extract), Powdered Extract or Decoction

Suggested Dose: Raw herb for decoction 3-14g, Tincture 2-4 mL

Tremella

Anti-Inflammatory – Antioxidant Properties – Nourishes Skin

Tremella (Tremella fuciformis) goes by many names. Snow fungus, silver ear, snow ear, white wood ear. It’s mostly found in Asia and tropical regions including Central and South America, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

Called Bai Mu Er, or “white wood ear” mushroom in China, for centuries the most beautiful women in China used it for skin complexion, suppleness, and radiance and to maintain youthfulness and vitality. That’s because white fungus polysaccharides (found in tremellas) can act as a natural moisturizer as it improves water retention when coated on the skin.

Like other mushrooms on this list, tremella’s potential health benefits may vary. From anti-inflammatory to antioxidant properties, tremella mushrooms may also boost your immune system and improve your brain health.

Traditional medicine has used tremella mushrooms to help treat cough, palpitations, and high cholesterol. It can be useful in treating neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and high cholesterol.

Suggested Preparation Method: Powdered or Liquid Extract, Cooked

Suggested Dose: 1-2 full droppers 3-4 times daily, ½ – 1 tsp powdered extract daily, culinary amounts

Porcini

Reduce Inflammation – May Kill Colon Cancer Cells

If you’re suddenly envisioning porcinis (Boletus edulis) lightly sauteed with some butter or ghee, you’re not alone. Prized in Italian and French cuisine, known as “King Bolete.”

As delicious as these mushrooms taste, they pack more than culinary punch—they’re high in antioxidants including beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, and lycopene that can help reduce chronic inflammation.

Studies also show that porcini extract may also help kill colon cancer cells, or block the growth and spread of colon cancer.

Adding porcinis to your meals can help benefit weight loss, digestion, immune health, inflammation, are high in antioxidants and more.

Suggested Preparation Method: Cooked

Suggested Dose: culinary amount

Chanterelle

Vitamin D – Brain Function – Immune Boost

You can find the trumpet or funnel-like looking chanterelle mushroom throughout North America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. There are multiple species with different colors but the most common is the golden-yellow, known scientifically as Cantharellus cibarius.

Because you often find these mushrooms grown in the wild, they’re usually high in vitamin D, which improves energy levels and bone health. With the golden-yellow chanterelle, you also get bioactive antioxidant carotenoids that help with eyesight. In fact, Chinese Medicine harnessed this herb to treat eye conditions such as night blindness and inflammation.

We’re not done yet. Chanterelles also contain phenolic acids that can help boost the immune system through antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory and anticariogenic properties.

Traditionally, chanterelles were used for their anticarcinogenic, antigenotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, immunomodulant, and vulnerary (used to heal wounds) properties. And they can also help treat respiratory tract infections.

In Latvia, this herb was used to treat infections (Tonsillitis, tuberculosis, respiratory) and treat wounds (abscesses, boils). It is said chanterelles can even treat intestinal worms and also help remove radiation from the body.

Suggested Preparation Method: Cooked

Suggested Dose: culinary amount

Poria

Improves Digestion – Fights Depression – Improves Sleep

It doesn’t attract as much hype as other mushrooms, but Traditional Chinese Medicine has used poria mushrooms (Poria cocos) for almost 2,000 years. And it’s one of the most common remedies prescribed by practitioners to treat wide ranging ailments.

Known as Fu ling, poria mushrooms are commonly used in classical Chinese Herbal Medicine formulas used to treat diarrhea, edema, epigastric distention, palpitations, headaches, dizziness, insomnia, restlessness, and forgetfulness.

When combined with the bark of the tree from which it grows, Pinus longifolia, it develops psychoactive properties. It also gets used in meditative arts.

Poria mushrooms also grow in North America where it was harnessed by native tribes as a food and as a healing aid.

Today, you may find it used to treat fatigue, insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, anxiety, tension, fluid retention, and stomach problems. It’s even being studied for its anti-tumor properties that may help fight or prevent certain cancers.

Research is still underway, but poria mushrooms are believed to help fight depression by increasing serotonin and dopamine, lowering inflammation in the prefrontal cortex.

Suggested Preparation Method: Tincture, Powdered Extract or Decoction

Suggested Dose: Raw herb for decoction 9-18g (up to 60g for specific conditions), Tincture 2-4 mL

How To Use Medicinal Mushrooms?

Incorporating mushrooms medicinally into your life is more accessible today than ever before. From extracts to teas and powders, you have choices.

How you use them will largely depend on your preference and lifestyle.

And mushroom medicine is not a one-and-done activity. It’s meant to be used daily (or regularly over time) as a complement to other healthy lifestyle behaviors and possible treatments.

Extract/Tincture

If you’re looking for potency, opt for an extract or tincture.

The terms often get used interchangeably. But both result in a liquid form that has come from harvesting mushrooms, drying them, then using a fluid to extract the properties.

Tinctures usually use drinkable alcohol to pull out the properties, while extracts use water (warm and/or cold).

Extracts are generally thought to have the upper hand over other forms due to the higher concentrations of beneficial properties, including β-glucans and triterpenes. But the amount depends on the extraction fluid used. β-glucans are water-soluble, and triterpenes are alcohol soluble.

The best extracts use what’s called a dual-process—using water and alcohol to extract β-glucans and triterpenes. And you may find a triple-process that uses all three – warm water, cold water, and alcohol – to ensure the final products get imbued with the beneficial properties.

Usually, you can take the suggested drops in warm water or directly in the mouth.

Powder

Supplements have exploded in the last decade. So it’s relatively easy to find functional mushrooms in powder form. It comes from harvesting the mushroom, then drying, and finally grinding it.

Often, you’ll find medicinal fungi as pills or a loose powder. Some people pop the capsule on its own. Others may open the pill or take the loose powder and add it to a smoothie, protein shake, hot cereal, or warm beverage.

Some people swear by dissolving powder in a hot liquid such as tea, coffee, cocoa, hot water, or broth.

There’s no hard and fast evidence—it’s mostly preference.

Typically you can find powders for a single mushroom or multiple ones added in one formula.

When you find multiples, it typically has a targeted health benefit like supporting the immune system or improving brain health.

Note: Sometimes you may find powder extract. It simply means that the mushroom went through an extraction first before undergoing a drying process.

Tea

For thousands of years, people have stepped mushrooms in water and enjoyed them as tea. When you choose the path of tea, not only do you get all the health benefits from the mushrooms, but there’s the spiritual connection and heart opening that comes from the ritual of preparing it.

If you want to buy your own dried mushrooms and steep them, you certainly can. But you can also find mushroom tea in most health food stores or online.

Some of the more popular mushrooms used medicinally in teas include chaga, turkey tails, reishi, tremella, and lion’s mane. Today, it’s pretty common to find mushroom tea combined with other ingredients to improve the taste.

Finding a flavor that works for you is all about discovery. Try approaching this with curiosity! It’s an adventure finding the mushroom tea that speaks to your body, mind, heart, and spirit.

Decoctions:In Chinese Medicine, it’s traditionally called a Tang, which means soup. Decoctions are hot water extracts. Generally, you cover the mushroom (or any herb) with water, bring to a boil (uncovered), then simmer (covered).

With functional mushrooms, you need to simmer at least 40-60 minutes, if not a few hours for harder substances—especially reishi and chaga mushrooms.

The goal is to create a dark colored and strong tasting tea.

This can be drunk as-is, for 1-3 cups per day, or you can use it as a base in soup recipes.

Whole (dried or fresh)

From a nutritional profile alone, everyone should add more mushrooms to our diet.

If you love cooking then adding more edible mushrooms such as shiitake, maitake, chanterelles, lion’s mane and others to dishes can be nourishing and healing.

Depending on where you live, finding whole mushrooms might pose a challenge. Definitely check any local natural food stores, farmers markets, or co-ops. You might hit it lucky and discover some delicious fresh mushrooms that you can sauté, add to soups or stews, or stir fries. You can also look for dried mushrooms that you can reconstitute with warm liquid (water or broth).

When using whole mushrooms, you’ll want to cook them to release the beneficial compounds and properties.

Full disclosure: to really reap all the health benefits and properties of mushrooms, you’ll likely need to use other forms too whether that’s a powder or extract. The other forms give you higher concentrations of all those beneficial compounds and properties, plus convenience. Whereas you would have to eat a lot of mushrooms in order to get the same effect, and for some like chaga, reishi, and cordyceps using an extract is a must unless you plan on preparing them as a tea or decoction yourself.

Definitely add them to your meals, if you can and that’s accessible for you. Don’t stress if it’s not. And still consider using other forms too if you’re gung-ho on using mushrooms medicinally.

Are Medicinal Mushrooms Safe?

Generally, yes, for most people.

If you’re sticking with the recommended doses, following proper preparation methods, and not just traipsing through the woods, picking anything you see and ingesting it, then yes, medicinal fungi are safe for most people.

But the keys here are to make sure you’re:

Buying ingredients from reputable companies
Properly preparing the mushrooms
Using the recommended doses
Monitoring how you feel after taking them

Every person’s body truly is different and what works for one person may not work for someone else. So if at any time you feel discomfort, then stop.

Another failsafe that The Sacred Science team loves is to lean on the experts…herbalists.

They’re an amazing resource and fountain of wisdom. If available to you, they can help you identify the right functional mushroom for your ailment but also the best preparation and dosage.

Some functional health practitioners, naturopaths, acupuncturists, and other health and wellness practitioners may also have training in herbs and using medicinal mushrooms. So check them out too. And if you’re already working with someone, ask if they have experience with functional mushrooms OR if they can recommend someone.

How To Grow Medicinal Mushrooms?

For those curious and inspired souls, yes, you can cultivate mushrooms at home. It takes more effort and planning, but with some patience and knowledge, you can enjoy many mushroom varieties.

Location plays a huge role in successfully cultivating mushrooms. Every mushroom will have its variation, but most prefer a dark, moist, yet cool and humid climate. Some people will grow their mushrooms in basements or under the sink.

Mushrooms also grow on what’s called a substrate—that’s a surface where mushrooms can get all the nutrients they need to grow. Every mushroom is a bit different here. Some will grow on a log, straw, woodchips, sawdust, shredded newspaper and paper brown bags.

For instance, shiitake, maitake, lion’s mane, reishi, and turkey tail all grow on logs. But each prefers a different tree.

Using a grow kit is a fantastic way to get started too.

If you’re really interested in cultivating your own mushrooms (which is awesome!) then check out the North American Mycological Association. They have some excellent resources on getting started.

Paul Stamets, a mycologist and researcher, wrote a phenomenal book on this topic, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms. It’s a terrific resource if you’re interested in beginning to cultivate your own functional mushroom garden.