The Best Mushroom Supplements Blends for Boosted Immunity

Mushroom supplements are the development that has taken the world of wellness by storm. These supplements have been used in medicine for a long time, because of their benefits for boosting the immune system, stress relief, and sleep support. It’s one of nature’s most powerful resources for a healthy life.

These supplements go beyond your ordinary grocery store mushrooms as well as provide a variety of healing benefits. Mushroom supplements are made from types of mushrooms that you may have never heard of. They include lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps, and the likes.

Mushrooms are considered to have health benefits in addition to their basic nutritional value. The functional properties of mushrooms are usually enhanced in the form of tablets, powders, or beverages.

Mushroom blend supplements

Mushrooms are everywhere. The new important wellness ingredients are coffee, chocolate, goji berry, and more. However, what are mushroom supplements, and what do mushroom supplements do?

What are mushroom supplements? 

Mushroom supplements are an enhancement, usually, a powder or a pill, prepared from adaptogenic mushrooms. These mushrooms unlike the normal mushrooms that you buy at the supermarket are with healthy growth properties. Some are proved to promote energy release, while others reduce stress or inflammation.

You may have heard of Shiitake, which contain polysaccharides, terpenoids, sterols, which have the effect of boosting the immune system and lowering cholesterol.

Do mushrooms work as a supplement?

 Yes, mushrooms have stood the test of time and have been a regular source of medicine for centuries. A plethora of research has emerged in favor of mushrooms, which proved their ability to reduce inflammation and to aid immune function.

In this article, we have diverse mushroom species that have shown positive clinical benefits. They include:

Reishi

The best way to think about Reishi is that it is a calming mushroom - the one that promotes sleep, reduces stress and inflammation. It is commonly found in Asia and has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. In the West mushrooms are relatively new and are used as a health supplement.

Most Reishi supplements come in powder form, we mix them in soda, but coffee also works as well! Reishi is best taken in the afternoon to help you feel a little more “Zen”. The most preferred Reishi is from Glow Bar as it contains high-quality extracts with no other ingredients. It is perfect for making your mushroom supplements. 

Lion’s Mane 

Lion’s Mane mushrooms are small round balls with frills which can boost  your cognitive health as well as your immune system.

A study of adults aged 50-80 with mild cognitive issues found that the daily use of Lion’s Mane mushroom extracts for 16 weeks resulted in higher scores on cognitive function balance. These scores dropped again once the participants stopped taking the mushroom extract.

If your goal is to increase focus, Lion’s Mane is an essential supplement for you. The best choice for a calm and non jittery focus is a functional blend of ingredients from Lion’s Mane, Chaga Mushroom, Shiitake Mushroom, and Reishi Mushroom. 

Chaga mushroom

Chaga mushroom is an incredibly nutritious mushroom found in the Northern Hemisphere, and they have been shown to work very well with the immune system.

Supporting your immune system during winter is not something a lot of people do. However, a lot of people have a deficiency in vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced by the body itself when the skin is exposed to the sunlight, which is a short supply to the Northern Hemisphere in winter. 

Fortunately, there are some superfoods like Chaga that contain severely high amounts of vitamin D. If you have to fight colds or flu during winter, your immune system needs extra vitamin D. 

Cordyceps

These are truly exotic mushrooms. They grow naturally as parasitic fungi in the high-altitude regions of China. It makes them quite rare so Cordyceps that’s available in the US are usually lab-grown.

Cordyceps have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and increase recovery - so it’s the best mushroom to consume after a workout or after a run! 

Shiitake

You have probably heard about Shiitake mushrooms.

Studies imply that some bioactive compounds in the shiitake may protect against cancer and inflammation. The main use of shiitake in supplementary health is for immune function and intestinal health. 

This popular mushroom has been used for centuries. Due to the different properties of this mushroom, its potency to boost your immune system is extremely high. Subsequently, the benefit of adding it to your wellness system cannot be underestimated. 

Do I need to take mushroom supplements?

It all depends on your diet and overall health. If you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, you are probably already on the right track. But if not, you may have to consider adding mushroom supplements to your diet to get some nutrients and compounds you may have missed.

If you are suffering from immune problems or cancer, also if you are under stress, or are experiencing drowsiness, then mushroom supplements would be worth a try. If you are currently taking medication, then you should probably consult with your doctor before starting to take mushroom supplements. 

However, the health benefits of mushroom supplements have been proven in hundreds of studies, and are generally considered safe with few minor side effects.

Conclusion

We have covered a lot of ground here and as we have seen, there is a lot to consider while choosing the right medicinal mushroom supplement.

In a nutshell, here's a list of things to look for:

• choose a mushroom species that match the health supplement you are looking for;

• look for supplements made from mushroom fruit bodies (not mycelium on grains);

• select organically certified products that have been tested.

Lastly, don't forget that you should continue to take herbs for a few weeks or months to experience the benefits of herbal mushrooms supplements.