You want to be healthy.
The problem is that there are thousands of supplements on the market today. Some work, and others have no scientific claims to back up their health benefits. Luckily, medicinal mushrooms have been examined in-depth in clinical studies and many of their health benefits have been proven.
But not all mushroom supplements are created equal! In this article I’ll show you what to look out for so that you know you’re spending money on effective medicinal mushrooms. I’ll also explain why you may want to take mushroom supplements, discuss the different options available, and list a few of my favorite mushroom supplements.
Top 6 Best Medicinal Mushroom Supplements
1) THRIVE 6 Powerful Mushroom Extract Powder
This product ticks all the boxes that I discuss further on in this article. It’s made from 100% mushrooms. It’s certified organic. And it comes with a guarantee that it’s scientifically verified and doesn’t contain added fillers.
It also contains a mix of 6 of the most potent medicinal mushrooms on the planet, delivering you a broad spectrum of beneficial compounds. The powder is made from a concentrated extract that you can easily sprinkle on to your meals or add to smoothies or stir in to coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
2) Host Defense Stamets 7
Paul Stamets is one of the world’s leading mycologists (mushroom scientists) and has a whole line of medicinal mushroom products to choose from. I chose this one as it provides a blend of 7 of the most popular medicinal mushrooms to give you great overall coverage.
Each capsule contains royal sun blazei, cordyceps, reishi, maitake, lion’s mane, chaga, and mesima, made using a double extraction process to draw out maximum beneficial compounds. Even though this product contains mycelium instead of 100% fruiting bodies, I trust that this product actually delivers on its health claims based on the company making it.
3) Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane Mushroom Elixir
If you’re a tea drinker, then I’d highly recommend this lion’s mane product. It tastes like a minty tea, not like mushrooms at all. You can either drink it as-is or mix it into your favorite coffee, tea, or smoothie.
Every packet contains 1500mg of lion’s mane extract, as well as rose hips, organic mint, and rhodiola. It is sweetened with stevia and doesn’t contain any added sugar.
Lion’s mane has both long-term and short-term memory benefits. So try this beverage first thing in the morning to wake your brain up. Or during a study session or a period when you really need to focus and concentrate on your work.
4) Four Sigmatic 10 Mushroom Blend
This is another Four Sigmatic product, but with a more general purpose.
This product contains lion’s mane, reishi, chaga, cordyceps, enokitake, maitake, shiitake, tremella, agaricus blazei, and meshima. With 10 different medicinal mushrooms, it’s one of the most complete mushroom powders I’ve come across.
All of the mushrooms used are extracts of their fruiting body, with the exception of cordyceps which is a mycelium extract. In all of my research, I didn’t find any products that actually contain cordyceps mushrooms.
Probably since they only grow on insects, which would make growing and harvesting the actual mushrooms much more difficult than getting the mycelium.
For a 60 gram container, this product is quite reasonably priced compared to other powdered extracts. It should last you for 30 servings, or about once per day for the whole month.
This powder has every benefit you’re looking to get from medicinal mushrooms including a boost to your immune system, focus and creativity, and all the other advantages you’d expect.
5) Maine Chaga Fine Powder by My Berry Organics
This product listing contains very little nutritional information and doesn’t show the back of the package.
But the fact that it contains 100% wild harvested chaga mushroom rules out many of the usual concerns like mycelium on grain.
It looks more like a small company that hasn’t uploaded multiple pictures of their product to Amazon, rather than a seller trying to intentionally misrepresent a product.
I did some research on the company that produces it and found their processing facility is FDA registered and they’ve been inspected and licensed by the state of Maine as a food manufacturer.
At 5 oz or about 140 grams, this package contains 300+ servings of chaga and for the price I think it’s hard to beat.
Be aware that unlike reishi powder, chaga powder won’t dissolve in liquid. So you can’t just add it to a smoothie. (Well, you can, but it will taste pretty grainy.) Instead, this product needs to be steeped in boiling water like tea.
6) Hawaii Pharm Tonic Of Emperor
If you want a mushroom tincture instead of powders/capsules, I think this is a great choice.
It contains a super concentrated extract of reishi, cordyceps, maitake, and shiitake. The label says they’re using actual mushrooms for their extracts, not mycelium. And that all of their extracts are made from wild harvested or organic mushrooms.
If you prefer taking tinctures over powders or capsules, then I think this is a great all-in-one product.
Why Take Mushroom Supplements?
Here are some important reasons to consider adding mushroom supplements to your daily routine:
1) They Enhance Your Immune System
You need your immune system in proper working order to stay happy and healthy.
Your immune system is fighting off cancer cells and clearing waste from your body every second of every day. It’s a very complex system of our body.
It’s particularly an issue as you start to age, because your immune system can start to function less efficiently and wear down.
Taking mushroom supplements can help give your immune system the boost it needs.
Certain medicinal mushrooms are capable of increasing your number of white blood cells, red blood cells, bone marrow cells and many other important parts of your overall immune system. They also make your immune cells stronger and more effective at fighting potential infections.
Reishi and chaga mushrooms are both great for your immune system. They’ve been shown in mice to increase the number of macrophages in your body. These are a special “hunter” type of white blood cell that surrounds and eats cancer cells, bacteria and other microbes, or any other debris that it deems unhealthy for your body.
Even shiitake mushrooms that we think of more as food than medicine can have a positive impact on your immune system.
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