The evidence
What the science says
What the science says
about functional mushrooms
We don't invent effects. Below are 20 papers from PubMed (National Library of Medicine, USA) covering every mushroom in our range. Each link opens the original study record.
Lion's Mane Hericium erinaceus
Cognition, NGF, mood
Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial
Mori K. et al. · Phytotherapy Research · 2009
In 30 participants aged 50–80, 16 weeks of Lion's Mane powder significantly raised cognitive scale scores versus placebo; the effect declined 4 weeks after they stopped taking it.
PubMed PMID: 18844328Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus
Saitsu Y. et al. · Biomedical Research · 2019
Twelve weeks of extract intake was accompanied by improved Benton test and MMSE scores in healthy adults.
PubMed PMID: 31413233Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake
Nagano M. et al. · Biomedical Research · 2010
Among women eating Lion's Mane cookies, scores for anxiety, irritation and concentration difficulty went down.
PubMed PMID: 20834180Nerve growth factor-inducing activity of Hericium erinaceus in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells
Mori K. et al. · Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin · 2008
Mechanistic work: hericenones raised NGF mRNA expression and protein secretion in cell culture in a dose-dependent way.
PubMed PMID: 18758067
Cordyceps Cordyceps militaris / sinensis
Endurance, oxygen metabolism, immunity
Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Chen S. et al. · Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine · 2010
In healthy older participants, 12 weeks of Cs-4 raised the metabolic and ventilatory thresholds compared with placebo.
PubMed PMID: 20804368Cordyceps militaris improves tolerance to high-intensity exercise after acute and chronic supplementation
Hirsch K.R. et al. · Journal of Dietary Supplements · 2017
Three weeks of a C. militaris-based mushroom blend improved VO₂max and time to exhaustion under high-intensity load.
PubMed PMID: 27408987Cordyceps spp.: a review on its immune-stimulatory and other biological potentials
Das G. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2020
Systematic review of cordycepin and cordyceps polysaccharides: modulation of macrophages, NK cells and the cytokine response.
PubMed PMID: 33628175
Reishi Ganoderma lucidum
Sleep, stress, fatigue, safety
A randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of a Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide extract in neurasthenia
Tang W. et al. · Journal of Medicinal Food · 2005
132 patients: 8 weeks of the extract significantly reduced the sense of fatigue and improved wellbeing relative to placebo.
PubMed PMID: 15857210Spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum improves cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing endocrine therapy: a pilot clinical trial
Zhao H. et al. · Evid. Based Complement. Altern. Med. · 2012
In patients on endocrine therapy, 4 weeks of intake improved fatigue, anxiety and quality-of-life scores (FACT-F).
PubMed PMID: 22203880Ganoderma lucidum ("Lingzhi"), a Chinese medicinal mushroom: biomarker responses in a controlled human supplementation study
Wachtel-Galor S. et al. · British Journal of Nutrition · 2004
A safety study: 10 days of intake did not alter liver function, kidney function or DNA damage markers, while plasma antioxidant status rose.
PubMed PMID: 14756912Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane review)
Jin X. et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2016
Review of 5 RCTs: reishi is not recommended as a first-line therapy on its own, but showed an effect on immune response as an adjunct.
PubMed PMID: 27045603
Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor
Immune response, PSK and PSP polysaccharides
Phase 1 clinical trial of Trametes versicolor in women with breast cancer
Torkelson C.J. et al. · ISRN Oncology · 2012
Dose-escalation study after radiotherapy: intake was well tolerated and a dose-dependent recovery of immune cell populations was observed.
PubMed PMID: 22701186Efficacy of Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) on survival in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis
Eliza W.L. et al. · Recent Pat. Inflamm. Allergy Drug Discov. · 2012
Meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (over 9,000 patients): turkey tail preparations added to standard therapy were associated with lower 5-year mortality.
PubMed PMID: 22185453Efficacy of immunochemotherapy as adjuvant treatment after curative resection of gastric cancer
Study Group of Immunochemotherapy with PSK · The Lancet · 1994
The classic multicentre RCT: adding polysaccharide K to chemotherapy improved 5-year disease-free survival.
PubMed PMID: 7910230
Chaga Inonotus obliquus
Antioxidants, oxidative stress, polysaccharides
Chaga mushroom extract inhibits oxidative DNA damage in lymphocytes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Najafzadeh M. et al. · BioFactors · 2007
In lymphocytes from IBD patients, chaga extract reduced oxidative DNA damage by roughly 54% in an ex vivo experiment.
PubMed PMID: 18997282Chemical characterization and biological activity of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), a medicinal "mushroom"
Glamočlija J. et al. · Journal of Ethnopharmacology · 2015
Comparison of samples from different regions: phenolic acid profile, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity all depend on where the raw material came from.
PubMed PMID: 25576897Inonotus obliquus — from folk medicine to clinical use
Szychowski K.A. et al. · Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine · 2021
Review of composition (betulin, inotodiol, beta-glucans) and the current state of the evidence, including the limits of existing data.
PubMed PMID: 34195023Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria
Muscimol, GABA receptors, toxicology
The least studied of the group: there are no human clinical trials, only pharmacological and toxicological work. We present it as is, with no promised effect.
Amanita muscaria: chemistry, biology, toxicology, and ethnomycology
Michelot D., Melendez-Howell L.M. · Mycological Research · 2003
The foundational review: ibotenic acid and muscimol as the main active compounds, how they convert during drying, and dose-dependent toxicity.
PubMed PMID: 12747324Muscimol as an ionotropic GABA receptor agonist
Johnston G.A.R. · Neurochemical Research · 2014
Pharmacological analysis: muscimol is a potent GABA-A receptor agonist, widely used as a reference compound in neuropharmacology.
PubMed PMID: 24473816Fungal hallucinogens psilocin, ibotenic acid and muscimol: analytical methods and biologic activities
Stebelska K. · Therapeutic Drug Monitoring · 2013
Review of analytical detection methods plus pharmacokinetic and risk-profile data for these fungal alkaloids.
PubMed PMID: 23851905This information is provided for reference, to give scientific context. It does not describe the effects of any Herbalson product. Herbalson products are dietary supplements. They are not medicines and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a healthcare professional before use.