Mushrooms have been used for centuries for their medicinal properties, and as interest in functional foods and alternative therapies grows, mushroom supplements have become increasingly popular. From mushroom coffee to capsules, these supplements offer a variety of benefits, from anti-aging effects to cancer prevention.
If you're curious about the surprising benefits of mushroom supplements and want to know what experts have to say about their efficacy and safety, keep reading. You won't want to miss this informative and engaging blog on the power of mushrooms.
Here’s what the research, and leading experts, have to say.
What are Mushroom Supplements?
Mushroom supplementation refers to the consumption of medicinal mushrooms in concentrated extract forms, rather than by incorporating them into your diet. While there are health benefits to including them in your diet, concentrated mushroom extracts have stronger therapeutic applications and are simpler to add to your daily routine. Mushroom supplements are commonly either in the form of mushroom powder or mushroom capsules. Mushroom capsules and powders are all created differently depending on the company that makes them. Eversio Wellness creates and distributes premium, therapeutic-grade mushroom supplements containing ONLY the fruiting body of mushrooms for maximum potency and concentration of beneficial compounds. This means there is no grain, growing substrate, or other fillers included as they do not contain the same high percentages of key bioactive compounds that fruiting bodies do.
How Do Mushroom Supplements Work?
While edible mushrooms have been around as food for thousands of years, mushroom supplements are a relatively new addition to the health and wellness community. Medicinal mushroom extracts provide us with a quick and convenient method of obtaining all the health benefits that mushrooms have to offer but in a smaller package. While some may find it easier to simply consume mushroom capsules, powdered mushroom extracts can also be added to your coffees, teas, smoothies, and almost any home-cooked meal. If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out Eversio Wellness’ recipe page.
What Kind of Mushroom Supplements Should You Take?
When purchasing from companies that prioritize quality and consumer transparency, such as Eversio Wellness, there is no real difference between consuming medicinal mushrooms in their capsular or powdered forms. Mushroom supplements are often extract blends, meaning there are several different species combined into one product. While it may seem that you are consuming less of each mushroom, they tend to work synergistically and provide multiple health benefits together. On the other hand, if you desire the effect of one specific mushroom, then consuming the mushroom extract in its capsular form would be ideal as it’ll provide the highest possible concentrations of that mushroom. Overall, the desired effect will most likely determine whether mushroom powders or mushroom capsules would be the right choice.
What Are the Health Benefits of Mushroom Supplements?
Medicinal mushrooms have been attributed to approximately 130 medicinal activities [1]. There are many types of healthy mushrooms with beneficial compounds, but medicinal mushrooms contain the highest levels of antioxidants, b-glucans, terpenoids, and other constituents that may allow us to achieve optimal health and vitality. Medicinal mushrooms are biological response modifiers, also known as immunomodulators, and they work by targeting disease-causing mechanisms [2]. When used for prolonged periods of time as preventative medicine, they boost immune health and prevent the onset of various medical conditions. This action is one of the reasons why medicinal mushrooms have become a traditional remedy in cancer therapy in conjunction with conventional care [3].
Although their claim to fame is their immune-boosting capabilities, medicinal mushrooms may also be used to support brain and cardiovascular health, mental health, and cognition, improve exercise tolerance, prevent oxidative stress, and improve skin health.
How Long Does It Take for Mushroom Supplements to Work?
There is no set time frame for how long it takes one to see benefits from mushroom supplementation. While some medicinal mushrooms can be used as needed, such as for sleep, others are best when taken daily for preventative or long-term effects. Most clinical research on mushrooms is usually not longer than 8-12 weeks, but within this timeframe, beneficial results are often seen for a wide range of medical conditions. Much like with most nutraceuticals or lifestyle changes, patience is required in order to experience clinically significant health benefits.
What Are the Types of Healthy Mushroom Supplements?
While all medicinal mushrooms have the potential to be beneficial for a wide variety of medical conditions, research has established key actions for each mushroom that allow us to use them more specifically.
Reishi
Reishi mushroom supplements have a wide variety of indications, but their claim to fame lies in its powerful adaptogenic abilities and the way in which they can provide support for stress, immune function, and better sleep. Reishi, also known as Ganoderma lucidum, is a medicinal mushroom with powerful tranquilizing effects [4].
Sleep is one of the most important foundational pillars of health and lack of restful sleep has been linked to the development of a myriad of conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, mortality, and even diabetes [4]. One study found that Reishi was able to increase levels of sleep-promoting neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers used by the nervous system that transmit signals to different parts of the body letting them know it’s time to relax and go to bed [4].
Another study using the fruiting body extract of Reishi exhibited that 3-day administration of the mushroom supplement has the potential to increase total sleep time and the length of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, which would result in a more restful sleep [5]. The mechanism underlying this powerful action of Reishi may lie in its ability to modulate cytokines, such as TNF-alpha, which are involved in sleep regulation and the promotion of NREM sleep [5].
Lion’s Mane
Lion’s Mane mushroom supplements have long been praised for their ability to support mood and memory, eliminate brain fog, and prevent cognitive dysfunction. Most often, cognitive difficulties, such as recognition memory, face an age-related decline. However, this is not to say that these difficulties cannot be reversed or slowed down. One study found that supplementing with an extract of two constituents from Lion’s Mane, hericenones and erinacine, reversed the age-decline of recognition memory in mice [6]. The results were associated with increased neurogenesis (neuron development) in the hippocampal and cerebellar regions of the brain [6]. While the cerebellar region of the brain is mainly concerned with motor functions, it is the hippocampus that has a major role in learning and memory. Lion’s Mane’s ability to induce neurogenesis in the hippocampus is likely the mechanism underlying its ability to regress recognition memory decline during aging [6].
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early stage of memory loss or other loss of cognitive ability. A randomized control trial studied the effects of Lion’s Mane mushroom extract compared to a placebo on Japanese men and women diagnosed with MCI [7]. At weeks 8, 12, and 16 of the trial, the Lion’s Mane group consistently showed significant improvement in cognitive functioning compared to the placebo group [7].
Lastly, Lion’s Mane has been shown to prevent the damage caused by beta-amyloid plaques; these are naturally occurring proteins that may build up in the brain and disrupt proper cell functioning, leading to neurodegenerative diseases [8,9,10].
Cordyceps
Cordyceps is Mother Nature’s all-natural performance enhancer. Cordyceps mushroom capsules are commonly used by athletes to boost energy, improve stamina, and increase endurance without caffeine or any addictive chemical stimulants. Clinical trials have shown that Cordyceps results in many of these benefits because it upregulates energy-producing pathways in the body and increases ATP, which is an energy-carrying molecule found in our cells [11].
As a natural exercise mimetic, Cordyceps has been shown to improve exercise performance by increasing blood flow, improving our body’s oxygen utilization, and acting as an antioxidant [11]. One study found that the use of Cordyceps as part of a pre-workout blend showed significant improvements in the oxygen consumption, time-to-exhaustion, and ventilatory threshold of subjects performing high-intensity exercises [11]. Another study illustrated that the benefits of improved oxygen uptake, ventilation function, and resistance to fatigue were seen in elderly people during exercise, as well! [12]
Chaga
Inonotus obliquus, often referred to as Chaga is a mushroom commonly known for its powerful antioxidant abilities. It has one of the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) values on the planet! ORAC informs us on the ability of a substance to neutralize free radicals so that they do not overpower our antioxidant capabilities and cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the level of free radicals and antioxidants in the body. When free radicals overpower our antioxidant systems, they may result in cellular damage and progress to a disease state.
Oxidative stress can activate inflammatory mediators and further exacerbate the inflammatory process of several medical conditions [13]. Compounds with high antioxidant activity, such as the compounds that can be found in Chaga, can combat this oxidative stress, thus protecting us from the development of many diseases, preventing premature aging, and lessening the stress load on our bodies [13].
Tremella
Tremella mushrooms have been used for skin health for thousands of years, especially in Eastern medicine. Although they can improve overall health, they are best known for boosting skin hydration and improving the skin’s appearance due to their hydrating and antioxidant abilities. Recent research has focused on Tremella’s actions of inflammatory modulation, promoting wound healing, antioxidation, anti-aging, and even anti-radiation [14]. Even in the world of topical skincare and cosmetics, Tremella polysaccharides are often used as moisturizing additives [14].
In laboratory studies, Tremella has exhibited the ability to inhibit UVA-induced photodamage of human dermal fibroblast cells by activating and upregulating certain cellular pathways [15]. Tremella also increased the content of collagen I, elastin, and hyaluronic acid (HA) in the skin fibroblasts treated with UVA [15]. The presence of HA is vital to skin health as it promotes tissue hydration, but it is also involved in important cellular processes. Elastin allows tissues in our body to stretch, but then return to normal, and collagen is by far the most abundant protein in our bodies as it provides structural and mechanical support to our cells. Tremella may even significantly reduce melanogenesis and improve wound healing, which would prevent unwanted cases of hyperpigmentation of the skin and scar formation [16].
Lastly, Tremella use has been shown to improve the signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis [17]. Both topical and oral routes of administration of Tremalla have shown improvement in transdermal water loss, epidermal thickening, and swelling, but the oral form showed significantly better efficacy than just topical applications [17].
Turkey Tail
Turkey tail mushrooms contain polysaccharides that may help boost immune system health. The most studied and biologically active compound found in Turkey Tail is Polysaccharide K (PSK) [18]. In fact, the actions of PSK are why Japan has recognized this mushroom for strengthening the immune system and improving longevity in cancer patients [18]. However, the fungus as a whole has been shown to enhance innate and adaptive immune responses [19], meaning its use allows us to reinforce our body’s first and second lines of defense against pathogens.
Oyster
The Oyster mushroom is rich in functional ingredients and its consumption has led to improved health markers across the board; improved glucose and lipid metabolism, blood pressure regulation, and even protection against cardiovascular disease have all been observed by its users [20]. A systematic review of 8 clinical trials researching this functional mushroom found that Oyster consumption led to reduced fasting and/or post-prandial glucose, as well as a reduction in blood pressure, both of which are cardiovascular risk factors [20].
Shiitake
Shiitake is commonly recognized as purely a culinary mushroom, but its medicinal properties and nutrient content classify it as a powerful functional mushroom, as well. It contains fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidant compounds, and polysaccharides, all of which are beneficial to our health [21]. One study found that after 66 days of Shiitake use, the participants in a double-blind randomized clinical trial illustrated an average 10% reduction in triglyceride levels [21]. Shiitake was also found to increase the levels of reduced glutathione, which is the main endogenous antioxidant in the body, and it decreased levels of lipid peroxidation, preventing cellular damage [21].
Maitake
Maitake is another mushroom commonly used to improve lipid profiles but also has functions in the treatment or support of diabetes, blood pressure, the immune system, and cancer. Maitake exhibited the ability to improve lipid profiles by inhibiting the accumulation of lipids in the liver and inhibiting the elevation of lipids in the blood [22]. Maitake was able to increase the level of cholesterol excretion by 1.8 in one study, while another study found that treatment with Maitake increased levels of cholesterol in feces, also resulting in increased excretion [23,24].
While it can be overwhelming to decide what the best mushroom blend is, it is important to remember that the most powerful mushrooms are the ones that make you feel your best! Try out a mushroom extract blend or trial different mushroom capsules to find which combination works best for you.
Where to Buy Quality Mushroom Supplements?
Although the market for medicinal mushrooms is wide, it is important to be mindful of what is inside the products you are buying. If a mushroom product contains grain products, this should be listed in their “other ingredients.” If you find the words “full spectrum”, “mycelial biomass”, or “extracellular compounds” on the label, this means the product is made from the grain substrate the mushrooms are grown on, and potentially the primordia and fruiting body, all combined and often not in extract form. Full spectrum is often advertised as a beneficial aspect of the product by some companies, but, under the surface, this means that the product is watered down, and you’d need to consume much more of it to achieve the same benefits as you would from a product containing 100% fruiting body.
Eversio Wellness carries 100% fruiting body-only mushroom extracts, and they consistently practice transparency with their consumers by sharing the COAs (Certificate of Analysis) of each product. The COAs reassure consumers that the percentage of compounds that are claimed to be in the products is scientifically confirmed through lab testing. Not only does the COA confirm the percentages of the beneficial constituents, but it also tests the heavy metal and microbial contents so you can be sure you’re getting the best mushroom supplements possible.
If you are interested in using medicinal mushrooms to support your health, take a look at the various mushroom capsules and mushroom powders that Eversio Wellness has to offer. Shop our medicinal mushroom products today.
We hope you have found this article informative. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below!
By Silvana Jakupovic — BSc and 4th Year Student of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM-Boucher)
References:
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