What Are Functional Mushrooms?

Functional mushrooms—also known as medicinal mushrooms—are a special type of fungi. They have more complex health benefits than the chopped button mushrooms topping your pizza, yet not quite as powerful as those other types of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Although functional mushrooms were barely spoken of a decade ago, they are now popping up in every health product you can imagine, from smoothies and supplements to lattes and protein bars. 

But are they actually providing health benefits? Let’s take a closer look at this fantastic world of functional fungi, including the top five mushroom species and how they can benefit us. 

What Are Functional Mushrooms?

Functional mushrooms are unique types of fungi that have been found to impart health benefits above and beyond the nutritional advantages of regular edible mushrooms.

Their culinary and therapeutic use dates back thousands of years to traditional Chinese medicine and Indigenous healing modalities—and modern-day research has finally caught up in recognizing their health benefits.¹

Each functional mushroom has a different purpose, with most imparting anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-regulating activity. Some mushrooms, like reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps, are also thought to function as adaptogens, meaning they help the body resist and adapt to stressors. 

Top Functional Mushrooms and What They Do

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)

With its therapeutic use dating back to the 16th century in Russia, many refer to chaga (Inonotus obliquus) as the “King of Mushrooms”—and for good reason, as chaga has many clinical studies and health benefits behind it.² 

Chaga mushrooms have been growing off the side of birch trees in the Northern Hemisphere for millions of years. As they love the cold, they are commonly grown in birch forests in Russia, Siberia, Scandinavia, Canada, and the northernmost parts of the United States. 

Although you can eat some functional mushrooms (like lion’s mane) in their whole state, you must dry chaga before consuming it. Most often, chaga is taken in capsule form or as a powder that can be made into tea or mixed into coffee. 

Of the functional mushroom family, chaga is thought to have the highest antioxidant levels.³ It helps to fight oxidative stress in the body, a key contributor to chronic disease development. The main bioactive compounds in chaga include polysaccharides (such as beta-glucan), triterpenoids, polyphenols, and melanin.⁴

Immune System

Chaga supports immune health by stimulating the activity of certain immune cells. 

Research has shown that chaga promotes the activity of white blood cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, which all help the body fight infections and pathogens.⁵ Chaga possesses both antibacterial and antiviral effects, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria and the viruses hepatitis C and HIV in cell-based studies.^6,7

Anti-Cancer

Alongside chaga’s role in the immune system are its effects on cancer cells. Many cell-based and animal studies have linked chaga to cancer prevention or reduction in its severity and progression. 

For example, in this animal study, mice with cancer (Lewis lung carcinoma) who received chaga mushroom extract experienced a 60% reduction in tumor size after the 3-week trial.⁸

Chaga also reduced the number of metastatic nodules by 25%, indicating that chaga may be beneficial even after cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. However, these results have yet to be replicated in human studies.

Gut Health

Chaga also supports a healthy gut microbiome by boosting the diversity and growth of beneficial gut bacteria, including Bifidobacterium. As the gut and immune system are closely linked, this may be another way that chaga supports immune health.⁹

Brain Health

Chaga’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties also benefit brain health and memory support.

A 2019 study found that chaga extract protected against Alzheimer’s disease markers in mice and cell cultures in the lab.¹⁰

After mice received chaga for 8 weeks, they saw reduced markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain, improved memory and cognition, and reduced levels of the harmful beta-amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.¹⁰Another animal study found that mice with amnesia who received chaga supplements for just one week experienced significantly boosted cognition, as seen by improved learning and memory scores and reduced oxidative stress in the brain.¹¹

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Of the functional mushroom family, lion’s mane is the one most associated with brain health and cognition. 

With its name originating from its likeness to the long hair of a lion, lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) is thought to benefit the brain and central nervous system due to its plethora of bioactive compounds. 

These include erinacines, hericerins, and terpenoids, which support nerve growth factors, cognition, and neurogenesis—the creation of new neurons.

Brain Health and Cognition

There are several ways that lion’s mane supports brain health, including its antioxidant activity, oxidative stress reduction, anti-inflammatory properties, and erinacine content. 

Erinacines are beneficial compounds for neuron health that can pass through the blood-brain barrier, suggesting they can act on the brain.¹² 

Clinical research in 50-to-80-year-old Japanese adults found that supplementing with lion’s mane powder for 16 weeks led to significantly improved cognitive function scores, which began to improve after 8 weeks of supplementation.¹³ 

A cell-based study in the lab elucidated more about how lion’s mane mushrooms benefit the brain. Researchers looked at how lion’s mane extracts affected mouse neurons after exposure to oxidative stress in the hippocampus—the area of the brain most associated with learning and memory.¹⁴

They found that lion’s mane protected the mouse neurons by increasing their viability after oxidative damage, boosting antioxidant activity, and reducing mitochondrial toxicity and inflammation.

Lion’s mane also increases two brain growth factors: BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and NGF—nerve growth factor. BDNF and NGF are vital for growing, protecting, and maintaining neuron health, which is then associated with cognition, memory, and mood.¹⁵ 

Mental Health

In a study of 77 people with sleep or mood disorders, taking lion’s mane supplements for 8 weeks led to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, as well as improved sleep.¹⁶

The beneficial effects lasted for 8 more weeks after stopping supplementation, suggesting that lion’s mane may benefit the brain in a long-lasting manner.

One mechanism behind this may be that lion’s mane increases serotonin and dopamine levels, two feel-good neurotransmitters related to happiness and pleasure.

In a study with stressed-out mice, those who did not receive lion’s mane had decreased serotonin and dopamine, while the lion’s mane-supplemented mice saw the reverse.¹⁷ 

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

Another mushroom named for its resemblance to an animal, turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) has been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Native American healing practices.

Sometimes referred to as Yun Zhi and previously known scientifically as Coriolus versicolor, turkey tail mushrooms grow abundantly on fallen and dead trees in the woodlands of Asia and Europe. 

Turkey tail mushroom is best known for modulating the immune response, but evidence also points to its relationship with gut health, exercise performance, blood sugar management, and anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and antiviral activity. 

These benefits are likely because turkey tail contains over 35 different phenolic and flavonoid compounds that act as antioxidants, including gallic acid, quercetin, and baicalein. Uniquely, turkey tail also contains the polysaccharide compounds PSP and PSK, which contribute to its anti-cancer effects.¹⁸ 

Immune Support

Turkey tail mushroom supports the immune system with three compounds: a polysaccharide called beta-glucan (a type of prebiotic fiber that’s also found in oats) and protein-bound polysaccharides called polysaccharopeptides (PSP) and polysaccharide krestin (PSK).¹⁹

Turkey tail mushrooms have been found to boost the activity of beneficial immune cells that fight infection, including natural killer cells, helper T cells, and neutrophils.²⁰

Research has also shown that PSP extracts improve immune function by upregulating the activity of monocytes—a type of white blood cell that fights acute infections and inflammatory processes.²⁰

Turkey tail may be particularly useful in bolstering immunity in people with cancer. In a small clinical trial from 2012, breast cancer patients who took powdered turkey tail mushrooms recovered immune function after radiation therapy faster than those using a placebo.²¹ 

It also provides antibacterial and antiviral activity, with studies showing that it can clear HPV and inhibit harmful pathogenic bacteria growth, like Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica.^22,23

Anti-Cancer

Turkey tail is relatively well-known for its anti-cancer effects. 

Several compounds in turkey tail mushrooms, including gallic acid, baicalein, and the polysaccharide compounds PSP and PSK, likely contribute to their anti-cancer benefits—especially PSK.

In China and Japan, products with turkey tail extracts are currently approved as an adjunct therapy for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This is due to the growing evidence of its benefits in lab settings, animals, and human trials.²⁰

The best evidence so far comes from a meta-analysis of 23 trials totaling over 10,600 people. The researchers found that PSK from turkey tail significantly improved survival rates in people with colorectal or intestinal cancer, especially when combined with chemotherapy.²⁴ 

As detailed in this review of the literature, seven trials have found that PSK extracts from turkey tail increased the rates of survival in people with advanced-stage gastric, colon, and colorectal cancer.²⁵

For example, one of the trials published in the British Journal of Cancer looked at the effects of adding PSK from turkey tail for two years as an adjuvant to the standard immunochemotherapy in patients with stage II or III colorectal cancer.²⁶ 

The results were pretty remarkable: people who added PSK to their treatment had a 5-year disease-free survival rate of 73.0%, while those without PSK had a 58.8% rate. PSK also reduced cancer recurrence rates by 43.6% and mortality by 40.2%.  

The people with stage III colorectal cancer had even better results, with those taking PSK having an overall survival rate of 74.6%, compared to 46.4% in the group without.

Gut Health

Like all mushrooms, turkey tail contains the prebiotic fiber beta-glucan. Prebiotics act as fuel for your healthy gut bacteria to consume and thrive on, which benefits the gut microbiome. 

When gut microbes feed on prebiotics, metabolite byproducts called short-chain fatty acids are produced—including butyrate. 

Butyrate is an essential nutrient that helps our colonocytes (colon cells) grow and thrive. It also promotes normal colonocyte growth, supports healthy mucus production, and strengthens the intestinal barrier.

One lab-based study found that turkey tail extract led to a beneficial recomposition of gut bacteria, including boosting healthy microbes like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus while reducing potentially pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium and Staphylococcus.²⁷

Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris/sinsesis)

Cordyceps are a group of mushrooms with over 400 different species, but the two most common are Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris (the latter being almost exclusively found in functional mushroom supplements in the U.S.).

Increased Exercise Performance

The stamina-boosting effects of cordyceps fungi have been recognized by sherpas in the Himalayan mountains for centuries.

At those high altitudes, they noticed they could breathe easier, expend more energy, and have more endurance on long treks after eating cordyceps. In clinical research, cordyceps has shown promise for improving exercise performance, which is likely due to increased ATP production.²⁸

Another study found that 3 weeks of taking a cordyceps supplement (3g/day) reduced time to exhaustion and increased VO2max after high-intensity exercise.²⁹

Along the same lines, cordyceps are linked to cardiovascular health. Cordyceps may benefit heart health due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and ability to increase ATP production and VO2 max.²⁹

Immune System Health

Cordyceps has also been found to modulate the activity of several immune cells, also known as white blood cells. For example, cordyceps has been found to increase the activity of natural killer cells, which can improve cellular immune response.³⁰ 

Brain Health and Mood

In a 2014 study, researchers gave mice cordycepin—a bioactive compound isolated from Cordyceps militaris—and subjected them to stressful situations.³¹

They found that the mice taking cordycepin had significant reductions in depression-like behavior and normalized inflammatory markers in the brain. The mice also saw increases in BDNF levels in the hippocampus. 

Another animal study looked at how cordyceps affected inflammation levels in the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s disease.³²

They found that mice receiving cordyceps had significant reductions in inflammatory responses in the brain and elevated BDNF levels. 

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)

Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years. 

With nicknames like the “queen of mushrooms” and the “mushroom of immortality,” you can imagine that reishi has some pretty potent effects on health and well-being.

Reishi is best known for its calming properties, primarily due to its adaptogenic qualities. 

In addition to containing beta-glucan polysaccharides, reishi is the only known dietary source of ganoderic acid, which falls into the triterpene family. Triterpenes are bioactive plant compounds used medicinally due to their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. 

Mood and Stress

Reishi has shown involvement with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a complex network that controls how our bodies react to stress, which is how it acts as an adaptogen.³³

When we encounter a stressful situation (whether it’s running from a predator, like our ancestors may have done, or making a big presentation at work in modern times), the HPA axis triggers a series of actions that lead to increased cortisol levels—one of our main stress hormones.

While activation of the HPA axis is essential in some scenarios, reishi can moderate the network’s over-activation that can cause feelings of stress and anxiety.

In another study with mice, an extract of reishi provided anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) activity that was comparable to the anti-anxiety drug diazepam.³⁴  

Reishi also increases GABA, a calming neurotransmitter that reduces anxiety by blocking specific signals in your central nervous system and promoting restful sleep.³⁵

​​A small study of 48 women with breast cancer found that those taking reishi spore powder (1,000mg three times a day for four weeks) had significantly improved physical well-being and quality of life with reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fatigue.³⁶ 

In a 2021 study with mice, researchers isolated a compound from reishi mushrooms and gave it to mice exposed to stressful situations. The reishi compound increased serotonin and norepinephrine levels—two neurotransmitters linked to mood—and reduced depression-associated behaviors.³⁷ 

Immune Health

The polysaccharides found in reishi have been found to stimulate certain immune cells, including macrophages, T cells, and B cells.

In a study of athletes performing in “living high-training low” conditions (meaning they live at high altitudes and train at lower ones), reishi improved their T lymphocyte functions, which are cells that help fight infections and cancer.³⁸

Anti-Cancer

Cell-based studies have shown that reishi can lead to the death of cervical cancer cells and inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells.^39,40 

A systematic review and meta-analysis combined data from five randomized controlled trials looking at the effects of reishi on aspects of cancer.⁴¹ 

They concluded that cancer patients who had been given reishi alongside their typical chemotherapy or radiotherapy were more likely to respond better compared to the therapy alone. Reishi also increased the activity of white blood cells and improved overall quality of life. 

Sleep Support

Reishi may help to support sleep by increasing the production of the calming neurotransmitter serotonin (via its precursor, 5-HTP).

It also may help with sleep through its stress-relieving properties, as many people struggle with sleep when they are stressed. 

Research with animals has found that reishi supplementation for 28 days shortened sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) and prolonged sleeping time.⁴² 

Other Functional Mushrooms

Although the previously mentioned five mushrooms are the most commonly used and researched, some others are also considered functional mushrooms that impart various health benefits: 

• Shiitake (​Lentinus edodes): Immune support, fighting oxidative damage, gut health, and anti-inflammatory activity 
• Tremella (Tremella fuciformis): Immune support, blood sugar management, and skin health (topical use)
• Maitake (also known as Hen-of-the-wood; ​​Grifola frondosa): Anti-inflammatory, management of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol
• Royal Agaricus (Agaricus blazei): Immune support, anti-cancer effects, blood sugar-lowering, and hepatoprotective (liver-protecting) properties 
• Mesima (Phellinus linteus): Immune support, antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory action 

Functional Mushroom Side Effects and Precautions

Functional mushrooms are generally considered safe. As with most supplements, taking excessive doses can cause issues, primarily digestive symptoms. 

Some groups should avoid or take caution with functional mushrooms. 

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid functional mushrooms because their use and safety profile have not yet been studied in these groups.

People taking anti-diabetes medications should be cautious because many functional mushrooms may further reduce blood sugar.

Those with blood clotting disorders or people taking blood thinning medications will need to avoid or take precautions with functional mushrooms.

And of course, if you’re unsure, speak to your doctor or healthcare provider before starting a functional mushroom supplement.

Here are the most reported potential side effects for each of the mentioned mushrooms, which are more likely to occur at higher doses: 

• Chaga: Hypoglycemia, interference with blood clotting
• Lion’s mane: Nausea, skin rash, diarrhea
• Turkey tail: Bloating, gas, stomach pain, nausea, constipation, cold and flu symptoms, low blood pressure, hypoglycemia, heart palpitations, itching, rashes
• Cordyceps: Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, stomach discomfort, dry mouth, hypoglycemia
• Reishi: Nausea, dizziness, itchiness, nose bleeds, headaches, upset stomach, diarrhea, low blood pressure, dry mouth 

Functional Mushroom FAQs

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