“Mushrooms are miniature pharmaceutical factories,” wrote mycologist Paul Stamets in his book, Mycelium Running, How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, in 2005.
In the intervening decades, his vision of mushrooms as potential world saviours has not proved prescient. Stamets comes closer to the slightly less grandiose scientific vision of the magic of “adaptogenic” mushrooms to help save your health.
Scientists have identified three mushrooms as adaptogenic leaders: reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) and turkey tail (Trametes versicolor). Joining them is Cordyceps, an adaptogenic fungus and claimed aphrodisiac. All have long histories in ancient Eastern traditional medicine.
The term “adaptogen” has a modern scientific history. Russian scientist Nikolai Lazarev coined it in 1947 to describe natural substances that safely support homeostasis. That’s the scientific term for the body’s ability to stay balanced and stable when facing stress, whether internal or external, physical, mental, emotional or environmental.
Unlike pharmaceutical drugs that target a single pathway, adaptogens work like orchestra conductors. They nudge biological systems towards harmony rather than blasting them with single notes.
The concept of adaptogens is nothing new to mycologists — scientists who study the fungi kingdom. They’ll tell you that all mushrooms are fungi, not all fungi are mushrooms and not all fungi are adaptogenic.
The Oxford dictionary defines fungi as living organisms, formerly classified as plants, that lack chlorophyll, reproduce by spores and can live as saprotrophs (decomposers) or parasites. Familiar examples include moulds, mildews, rusts, yeasts and mushrooms.
Mushrooms are visible, fruiting parts of some fungi that produce and release spores for reproduction. Mushrooms often have caps but shapes vary.
Mycologists research how fungi interact with plants, animals and humans. Their work helps us identify fungal diseases, develop new pharmaceuticals, improve food production and understand biodiversity and ecosystem health. It has applications in medicine, agriculture, industry and environmental management.
Adaptogenic mushrooms are chemically and functionally different from “magic mushrooms” that launched a thousand mind-altering, psychedelic “trips” in the 1960s.
Magic mushrooms, the most well-known of which is Psilocybe cubensis, are a class of psychedelic fungi containing psilocybin and related compounds. These change mood, perception and cognition, causing hallucinations and altered states of consciousness.
They are used experimentally in psychiatric medicine in some countries to treat anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addiction, especially in treatment-resistant conditions. They disrupt normal body and brain functioning rather than support long-term balance and stability.
Magic mushrooms are illegal in most countries, including SA.
Adaptogenic mushrooms are proving a better bet for holistic health. Here’s what science says:
Reishi — the mushroom of immortality
Reishi has been revered for more than 2,000 years in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Its reputation as the “mushroom of immortality” is not because it grants eternal life. It is believed to promote longevity, calm the spirit and support vital life energy.
Modern science is validating these ancient claims.
Reishi’s most pharmacologically potent compounds are triterpenoids that give its characteristically bitter taste. Preclinical studies suggest that triterpenoids may offer a broad spectrum of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, liver-protective, cardiovascular and metabolic effects.
It also contains long-chain, complex carbohydrates known as beta-glucans and other polysaccharides that help to balance and enhance the immune response.
A 2021 study in Nutrients highlighted reishi’s potential to reduce anxiety, fatigue and sleep disturbances. Much of the human data remains preliminary or anecdotal. Still, stress is the scourge of our age and reishi’s reputation is growing.
In its natural state, reishi’s bitter, woody taste makes it unsuitable for culinary use.
Its sedative effects mean that it is best taken in the evening in dual-extract tinctures or capsules.
Lion’s mane — the brain booster
With its cascading, icicle-like spines, this mushroom looks like something out of a fantasy novel. It has been used in TCM and traditional Japanese medicine for centuries and is valued for its neurobiological properties.
Its effects on neurons (brain cells responsible for thought, movement and sensory perception) are particularly exciting.
Lion’s mane is shown to stimulate production of nerve growth factor (NGF), a protein essential for the growth, maintenance and survival of neurons. Animal studies suggest potential to delay degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
For health and memory, take lion’s mane in the morning or afternoon, in capsules or powder mixed into drinks.
Turkey tail — the immune whisperer
The fan-shaped, multicoloured turkey tail has proven a heavyweight in immune research, with wide-ranging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant and gut-health benefits.
Its most potent biological weapon is polysaccharide-K (PSK), an immune-boosting, protein-bound polysaccharide. In Japan, PSK has been approved since the mid-1970s as an adjunct to standard chemotherapy. Clinical trials show significant improvements in five-year survival rates for gastric and colorectal cancer patients.
The mushroom’s adaptogenic magic lies in modulation. Turkey tail doesn’t just boost the immune system but rather regulates it, stimulating when needed, calming when overactive. This makes it potentially beneficial for both infection resistance and autoimmune balance.
Nibbling turkey tail raw is a recipe for gastrointestinal regret. Take it as a tea, capsules or tinctures for optimum benefit.
Cordyceps — the energetic aphrodisiac
This fungus reads like science fiction. Some Cordyceps species are parasites that grow out of the bodies of caterpillars and other insects. These days, scientists cultivate it on plants, not insects.
Cordyceps is traditionally used in TCM and Tibetan medicine as an aphrodisiac and vitality tonic. Small clinical studies suggest it may improve exercise performance, increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production (the cells’ energy currency) and enhance sperm quality, testosterone levels and libido.
Cordyceps is not a jittery stimulant, like caffeine. Its adaptogenic appeal lies in its energy-modulating and endurance properties. More robust human trials are needed but its popularity among athletes and the chronically fatigued is growing.
You’d be unwise to eat it plucked fresh from the ground. Raw Cordyceps can carry harmful pathogens or contaminants due to its life cycle involving insect hosts. It’s best taken twice daily in capsule, powder or tincture form with meals.
Cautionary tales
Science supports the healthy magic of mushrooms if you choose the right ones. Get them wrong and you may not live to tell the tale, especially if you forage for fungi in nature.
Two of the planet’s deadliest mushrooms are death cap (Amanita phalloides) and destroying angel (Amanita virosa or Amanita bisporigera). Both are perilous for foragers unfamiliar with subtle visual differences.
Death cap resembles edible mushrooms, such as paddy straw, making it easy to mistake them for harmless varieties. It contains potent toxins called amatoxins, and a mild smell and taste that make it seem deceptively safe.
Cooking, freezing and drying do not destroy death cap’s toxins. Just one cap can cause fatal liver and kidney failure even in healthy adults.
Destroying angel also contains lethal amatoxins and is easily mistaken for common white edible mushrooms. As little as half a mushroom can kill an adult.
An aggravating factor is that natural health supplements are not as well-regulated as pharmaceuticals, making health claims hard to verify. In SA, limited oversight by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) allows poor-quality products to flood the market.
Consumers should research and check products for clear labelling, batch numbers, third-party certification and transparent ingredient sourcing.
As with ancient remedies newly blessed by modern science, the adaptogenic mushroom craze is part rediscovery, part rebranding. Can adaptogenic fungi help you live better, think sharper and bounce back faster from stress?
Science suggests that they can. But if your mushroom tea starts talking back to you, you know you’ve picked the wrong kind.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.