What are Adaptogenic Mushrooms? (2024)

Holistic medicine sings their praises, and even scientists are starting to take notice of the many benefits adaptogenic mushrooms can provide.

But what exactly are adaptogenic fungi?

Read on to learn more about the adaptogen benefits, risks, and uses, functional mushrooms, and how they can help you maintain your mental and physical health and even prevent certain illnesses.

Adaptogens are phytonutrients (bioactive compounds from plants or fungi) that may help our body and mind cope with stress and be more resilient. These compounds help your body adapt and maintain homeostasis in stressful situations.

For example, if your cortisol is elevated due to anxiety or external stressors, certain adaptogens will reduce the levels of this hormone. On the contrary, if your cortisol levels are low (which can result in chronic fatigue and brain fog), adaptogens raise it to meet your body’s needs.

A2021 meta-analysisof adaptogens “showed that plant adaptogens could provide a number of benefits in the treatment of chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, and immune protection.” This study concluded that “there is great potential to register medicinal products that contain plant adaptogens for therapeutic purposes.”

Adaptogens increase your body’s resistance to stress, whether physical, psychological, or chemical, and help improve your stress response. They do so through your body’s main stress response system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis), which consists of hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal glands in your body.

The main function of this system is to release glucocorticoids, including cortisol (the stress hormone) into the body. By affecting the production of these hormones through the HPA axis, adaptogens are able to enhance resistance to stress, as well as promote homeostasis in the body.

Adaptogens can provide amazing health benefits and even prevent some illnesses. Studies have shown that adaptogenic supplements enhance the body's resistance to stressors, combat fatigue, fight cancer, enhance gut health, and improve your overall health.

Different adaptogens have different effects on your body. While some calm you down and reduce the effects of stress and anxiety, others give you an energy boost.

Since there’s no one-size-fits-all adaptogen, it’s best to do your research on adaptogens that are beneficial for your particular health issues.

Adaptogens are generally safe for healthy individuals. However, if you’re not used to taking adaptogen products, they can cause mild digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea, and nausea.

Those prone to allergies may be allergic to some adaptogens, as well. If you notice any signs of an allergic reaction, stop taking the adaptogen immediately, and contact a healthcare professional.

Adaptogenic mushrooms, otherwise known as medicinal or functional mushrooms, are mushrooms that seem to have the ability to help the human body improve its stress response patterns.

Evidence suggests that adaptogenic mushrooms, sometimes also called functional mushrooms, may have antiviral properties and decrease chronic inflammation in the body, as well as lower blood sugar levels and fight cancer.

They are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients, many of which are only just beginning to be understood by science. The anti-inflammatory properties of adaptogenic mushrooms are a result of the wide variety of bioactive compounds they possess.

Arecent studyexamined the effects of Cordyceps militaris on non-small cell lung cancer. The methanolic extract of cordyceps fruit bodies seems to have reduced lung cancer growth by increasing levels of several tumor-suppressing proteins.

The reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum)appears to be particularly beneficial for bladder cancer. This medicinal mushroom contains immunomodulating substances that appear to modulate cytokine production by enhancing bone marrow macrophages.

Cytokines are a type of protein that affects your body’s immune response. By enhancing the production of cytokines and bone marrow compounds (including white blood cell production), this functional mushroom can bolster your body’s ability to fight bladder cancer.

To learn more about the benefits various medicinal mushrooms can have for cancer, readour article on the best mushrooms for cancer.

Adaptogenic mushrooms have a lot of potential benefits for stress relief. The lion’s mane mushroom, in particular, is incredibly beneficial for mental health. This mushroomappears to relieve stress levels and anxiety, as well asreduce symptoms of depression.

AJapanese studyexamined the effects of lion’s mane on anxiety and depressive symptoms in menopausal women. After taking a lion’s mane supplement for 4 weeks, these women reported feeling less depressed and anxious than they did at the beginning of the trial, while the women who were taking a placebo did not report an improvement in their symptoms.

Anotherstudyfound that “mice receiving H. erinaceus had…increased exploratory behavior toward novel objects…indicative of lower levels of anxiety.”

Lion’s mane also appears to benefit people with ADHD. This adaptogenic mushroom reduces stress and anxiety common in ADHD and improves memory and focus without interfering with ADHD medication.

To learn more about the many benefits lion’s mane mushrooms can have for the brain, readour guide to Hericium erinaceus brain benefits.

All medicinal mushrooms contain the necessary nutrients for your hair, skin, and nails to be healthy. However,chaga mushrooms were proven to be particularly beneficial for skin careand hair growth.

In addition tohaving anti-cancer properties, chaga has been used as a medicinal shampoo in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, anda recent studyconfirmed its positive effect on hair health and growth.

Researchers applied triterpenes found in chaga to human hair follicles. The results suggest that four out of five of these compounds had an anti-alopecia effect. Although further research is needed, chaga mushrooms appear to have a stimulative effect on hair growth.

Medicinal mushrooms can have an incredibly positive effect on your immune health. For example,a 2015 studyexamined the effects of shiitake mushrooms on immune function in healthy young adults.

This fungus is chock-full of vitamins and minerals that keep your body in optimal health and prevent inflammation. After taking 5-10 grams of shiitake daily for four weeks, the participants had fewer inflammatory processes and showed signs of an overall immunity boost.

Medicinal mushrooms may also protect against microbial infections. Arecent studyconcluded that “the extracts of the three wild mushrooms have shown promising antimicrobial activities against the tested organisms.”

While some medicinal mushrooms have relaxing properties, others can give you an energy boost. For instance,cordyceps mushrooms seem to boost energy levelsby aiding in ATP production in cellular mitochondria.

According toa human study, the cordyceps mushroom appears to reduce inflammation and increase the body’s natural ventilatory and metabolic thresholds.

After 12 weeks of taking a cordyceps mushroom extract, the subjects were able to exercise for longer and recover quicker than their counterparts who were taking a placebo. This study concluded that “supplementation with…Cordyceps sinensis…improves exercise performance and might contribute to wellness in healthy older subjects.”

The power of medicinal mushrooms doesn’t stop with humans. While they can’t eat them raw, your furry friends canreap many beneficial effects of adaptogenic fungithrough a mushroom supplement.

For example, the turkey tail mushroom was shown to improve the survival rate of dogs with cancer. Arandomized, double-blind studyexamined the effects of turkey tail on dogs with hemangiosarcoma. The dogs that took the mushroom capsules lived longer and had fewer metastases.

You don’t have to like the taste of mushrooms in order to reap the benefits of adaptogenic mushrooms.

Nowadays,there’s a wide variety of mushroom products to choose from. You can mix the mushroom powder with tap water or put it in a protein shake, or go with mushroom capsules.

If you prefer having the mushrooms with your food, go with fortified mushroom products (such as mushroom coffee or our superfood granola).

If you’re interested in trying adaptogens, it’s best to combine the benefits of functional mushrooms. And, what better way to do so than with a bowl of cereal?

Our adaptogenic mushroom granolais exactly what you need. Our adaptogenic mushroom product contains a hyperconcentrated extract oflion’s mane mushrooms.

Forij granola uses a high-quality extract made from whole medicinal mushrooms. Our dual extraction method extracts both water-soluble beta-glucans as well as alcohol-soluble triterpenes. Our decoction process breaks down indigestible chitin cell walls of the mushroom to get much more of these compounds out than ordinary processes do.

One serving of our granola provides 250 mg of hyperconcentrated mushroom extract, which is eight times more concentrated than a regular mushroom supplement. Therefore, you get as much chaga, lion's mane, and cordyceps as you would if you were taking a 2000 mg mushroom powder supplement, all in one bowl of granola.

Adaptogenic mushrooms are among thehealthiest mushrooms you can consume. When using medicinal mushrooms, it is advisable to combine mushrooms that offer different health benefits (for example, taking lion's mane for brain health and cordyceps for increased energy).

The best types of mushrooms are:

This is an area where there is still much research to be done. Currently, there is no scientific research on the safety of mushrooms likelion’s mane during pregnancy.

Functional mushrooms are considered safe for most people, and there is no conclusive evidence that they cause any harm during pregnancy. However, due to the lack of research, pregnant women may choose not to take them while pregnant.

For those who do choose to consume adaptogenic mushrooms during pregnancy, it is recommended that you consult with your doctor first. Since there is not a lot of research available, it is impossible to know how much of these fungi are safe to consume during pregnancy. To learn more about the effects of adaptogens on breastfeeding, readour guide to consuming lion’s mane while breastfeeding.

There is evidence to suggest that certain adaptogens can interact with certain classes of prescription medications. For instance, lion’s mane mushrooms seem to have antiplatelet effects and may interact with medication with the same effect.

To learn more about medication lion's mane and other adaptogens may interact with, check outour guide to lion's mane drug interactions. If you are on any medications, it’s advisable to consult with your doctor before adding adaptogenic mushrooms to your routine.