Medicinal Mushrooms¶

The Irony

"Poisoned by one type of fungus, healed by another."

The man who nearly lost his career to toxic mold became a passionate mycophile—mushroom lover.

The Discovery¶

Three months into recovery, Bram stumbled across a forum post:

"If mold can make you sick, mushrooms can make you well. Different species, different compounds, but both are fungi. Nature provides both poison and medicine."

His first reaction: After everything fungus did to me, I'm supposed to intentionally consume more of it?

But curiosity won. He clicked deeper. Studies. Centuries of traditional use. Modern research backing ancient wisdom.

Emma brought home a bottle of reishi extract:

"Dad, this is supposed to help with inflammation and sleep. It's been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years."

Bram looked at the dark bottle suspiciously.

"It's made from mushrooms."

"Yes. Good mushrooms. Medicine mushrooms. It's like saying you won't eat strawberries because poison ivy is also a plant."

The logic was sound. He tried it.

The Key Species¶

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) — "The Mushroom of Immortality"¶

Learn More

For an in-depth herbalist perspective including clinical applications and research citations, see Richard Whelan's Reishi monograph.

Traditional use: Over 2,000 years in Chinese medicine for longevity, immune support, and spiritual potency¹

Modern research supports:

Effect	Mechanism
Immune modulation	Beta-glucans regulate immune response²
Anti-inflammatory	Triterpenes reduce inflammatory cytokines³
Sleep quality	GABAergic effects promote deeper sleep⁴
Stress adaptation	Classified as adaptogen
Liver support	Supports detoxification pathways

How Bram used it:

Dual extraction tincture (water + alcohol extract)
2ml twice daily: morning (in coffee) and evening (under tongue)
Consistent daily use

Why dual extraction matters: Water extracts polysaccharides (immune compounds). Alcohol extracts triterpenes (anti-inflammatory compounds). You need both for full benefit.

Bram's experience:

Timeline	Observation
Week 1–2	Nothing obvious (skeptical)
Week 3	Sleeping through the night consistently
Week 6	CRP dropped noticeably at blood retest
Month 3	Deep bone-tired fatigue had lifted significantly

The taste: Intensely bitter. Bram initially hated it, then grew to appreciate the bitterness as "the taste of medicine that works."

Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) — "The Brain Mushroom"¶

Traditional use: Culinary delicacy and cognitive support in East Asian medicine

Modern research supports:

Effect	Mechanism
Nerve growth	Hericenones and erinacines stimulate NGF production⁵
Neuroprotection	May help repair nerve damage⁶
Cognitive function	Improves focus, memory, mental clarity⁷
Gut-brain axis	Supports gut lining integrity

Why it mattered for Bram:

His "brain fog"—difficulty concentrating, forgetting appointments, word-finding issues—was likely neuroinflammation from mold exposure. Lion's mane specifically addresses this.

How Bram used it:

Powder: 1–2 grams daily in morning coffee
Capsules: 500mg twice daily (standardized extract)
Fresh lion's mane when available (culinary—delicious!)

Bram's experience:

Timeline	Observation
Week 2	Mental fog starting to lift
Week 4	Not losing train of thought mid-sentence
Week 8	Memory sharper—remembering measurements without writing everything down
Month 4	Crew commented "You seem more like yourself"

The breakthrough moment: Realizing the cognitive decline he'd attributed to "getting old and sick" was actually treatable, reversible neuroinflammation.

Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) — "The Energy Mushroom"¶

Traditional use: Tibetan and Chinese medicine for vitality, endurance, and respiratory health⁸

Modern research supports:

Effect	Mechanism
ATP production	Increases cellular energy at mitochondrial level⁹
Oxygen utilization	Improves VO2 max and physical endurance¹⁰
Anti-fatigue	Reduces physical and mental exhaustion
Anti-inflammatory	COX-2 inhibition¹¹

Why it mattered for Bram:

The crushing fatigue—needing to lie down after just hours of work—was likely mitochondrial dysfunction from chronic inflammation. Cordyceps addresses energy at the cellular level.

How Bram used it:

Powder in coffee: 1 gram before work
Capsules: 1,000mg before demanding work days
Cycling: 5 days on, 2 days off (prevents tolerance)

Bram's experience:

Timeline	Observation
Week 1	Subtle energy increase, less 2 PM crash
Week 3	Could work full day without needing to lie down in truck
Week 6	Stamina for physical therapy improved dramatically
Month 3	Felt like physical capacity had returned

Timing Matters

Cordyceps is energizing. Bram learned not to take it after 2 PM or sleep suffered.

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) — "The Antioxidant Powerhouse"¶

Traditional use: Siberian and Northern European folk medicine for immune support and longevity

Modern research supports:

Effect	Mechanism
Antioxidant	Among highest ORAC values of any food¹²
SOD activity	Contains superoxide dismutase enzyme
Immune modulation	Beta-glucans support immune balance¹³
DNA protection	May protect against oxidative damage

How Bram used it:

Chaga tea: Simmer chunks in water for 2–4 hours
Makes a week's supply
8 oz twice daily (tastes like mild, woody coffee)
Sometimes added to actual coffee for extra depth

The ritual: Sunday afternoon, Bram would make a big batch of chaga tea. The slow simmer, the earthy smell, the intentional preparation became meditative practice.

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) — "The Immune Balancer"¶

Traditional use: Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and increasingly in modern integrative oncology

Modern research supports:

Effect	Mechanism
Immune modulation	PSK and PSP polysaccharides¹⁴
Gut microbiome	Prebiotic effects support beneficial bacteria¹⁵
Immune precision	Not just "boosting"—intelligent regulation

Why it mattered for Bram:

His autoimmune-like symptoms (body attacking own joints) suggested immune dysregulation. Turkey tail helps teach the immune system to respond appropriately, not overreact.

How Bram used it:

Capsules: 1,000mg three times daily with meals
Sometimes brewed as tea with reishi

Bram's experience:

Timeline	Observation
Month 2–3	Fewer inflammatory flare-ups
Month 4	Pattern of "good days and bad days" smoothed out
Month 6	Hadn't had a major flare in weeks

The Complete Mushroom Protocol¶

Daily Stack¶

Time	Mushroom	Form	Dose
Morning	Lion's Mane	Powder in coffee	1–2g
Morning	Cordyceps	Powder in coffee	1g
Morning	Chaga	Tea	8 oz
With meals	Turkey Tail	Capsules	1,000mg 3x
Evening	Reishi	Tincture	2ml
Evening	Chaga	Tea	8 oz

Weekly Ritual¶

Sunday: Make chaga tea for the week, check mushroom supplies, harvest from home cultivation if growing.

Quality Matters Enormously¶

The Supplement Industry Problem

Many mushroom products are:¹⁶

Grown on grain (mycelium on oats, not actual fruiting bodies)
Diluted with starch filler
Not properly extracted
Mislabeled or contaminated

What to look for:

Quality Marker	Why It Matters
Fruiting body extract¹⁷	Actual mushroom, not grain-grown mycelium
Beta-glucan content listed	Active compound—should be >20%
Dual extraction (for reishi)	Gets both water and alcohol-soluble compounds
Third-party testing	Verifies contents and checks for contaminants
Organic certification	Mushrooms bioaccumulate toxins from environment
Transparent sourcing	Know where your mushrooms come from

Red flags:

"Mycelium on grain" or "myceliated grain" (mostly starch, not mushroom)
No beta-glucan content listed
Dramatically cheaper than competitors
Proprietary blends hiding actual amounts

Trusted brands:

Growing Your Own¶

By month 6, Bram was cultivating several species at home:

Easy to grow:

Lion's mane (fruiting blocks)
Oyster mushrooms (various substrates)
Shiitake (logs or blocks)

Benefits of home cultivation:

Freshest possible product
Know exactly what went into it
Cost savings over time
Deeply satisfying hobby
Connection to the medicine

Caution for mold-sensitive individuals:

Home cultivation involves fungal spores. If you have active mold illness or compromised immunity, this may not be appropriate until you've recovered. Start with purchased products.

Safety Considerations¶

Generally Safe¶

Medicinal mushrooms have been used for thousands of years with excellent safety records.¹⁸ However:

Potential Interactions¶

Mushroom	Consideration
Reishi	May enhance blood thinner effects; may lower blood pressure¹⁹
Lion's Mane	Generally very safe; rare reports of skin sensitivity
Cordyceps	May affect blood sugar; caution with diabetes medications
Chaga	High oxalate content—caution with kidney issues²⁰
Turkey Tail	May interact with immunosuppressants

Always inform your healthcare providers about mushroom supplements.

Start Slowly¶

Begin with one species
Use for 2–3 weeks before adding another
This way you can identify what's helping (or causing issues)

Quality Over Quantity¶

Better to use one high-quality mushroom product than five cheap ones.

Common Questions¶

Can I just eat culinary mushrooms?

Culinary mushrooms (shiitake, maitake, oyster) have health benefits and should be part of your diet. But they don't provide therapeutic doses of the specific compounds in medicinal extracts. Think of food mushrooms as maintenance, extracts as medicine.

How long until I notice effects?

Reishi: Sleep effects in 1–2 weeks; immune/anti-inflammatory effects over months
Lion's Mane: Cognitive effects in 2–4 weeks
Cordyceps: Energy effects often within first week
Chaga: Subtle, cumulative—hard to pinpoint
Turkey Tail: Immune modulation over weeks to months

Can I take too much?

Medicinal mushrooms have wide safety margins. Following label directions is unlikely to cause problems. However, "more is better" doesn't apply—therapeutic doses work; megadoses don't work better and waste money.

Are these legal?

Medicinal mushrooms (reishi, lion's mane, cordyceps, chaga, turkey tail) are completely legal—they're food/supplement products, not controlled substances. Note: This is different from psilocybin mushrooms, which are controlled.

Do they conflict with the mold illness?

Different species, different compounds. Toxic molds produce mycotoxins. Medicinal mushrooms produce beneficial beta-glucans, triterpenes, and other healing compounds. Many people recovering from mold illness find medicinal mushrooms helpful.

The Transformation¶

Year one with medicinal mushrooms:

Growing 6 species at home
Foraging seasonally (with proper identification)
Using 5 different medicinal varieties daily
Cooking with mushrooms 4–5 times per week
Teaching cultivation to others
Making own extracts

The symbolic journey:

Poisoned by fungus → Fear of fungus → Curiosity about fungus →
Learning about fungus → Healed by fungus → Teaching about fungus

"It's not ironic. It's the perfect illustration of complexity and nuance. Nature provides both poison and medicine. Often from the same kingdom, sometimes from the same genus. The difference is context, species, and knowledge.

Fearing all fungus because some are toxic is like fearing all plants because poison ivy exists. You have to develop discernment.

That's a metaphor for life, really. Things aren't simply good or bad. Context matters. Nuance matters. Understanding matters."

Return to Protocols Overview or continue to Resources

Wachtel-Galor S, et al. "Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi): A Medicinal Mushroom." In: Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd ed. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. ↩
Xu Z, et al. "Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides: immunomodulation and potential anti-tumor activities." Am J Chin Med 2011;39(1):15-27. ↩
Cör D, et al. "Antitumour, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Antiacetylcholinesterase Effect of Ganoderma Lucidum Terpenoids and Polysaccharides: A Review." Molecules 2018;23(3):649. ↩
Cui XY, et al. "Extract of Ganoderma lucidum prolongs sleep time in rats." J Ethnopharmacol 2012;139(3):796-800. ↩
Mori K, et al. "Nerve growth factor-inducing activity of Hericium erinaceus in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells." Biol Pharm Bull 2008;31(9):1727-1732. ↩
Lai PL, et al. "Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus." Int J Med Mushrooms 2013;15(6):539-554. ↩
Mori K, et al. "Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial." Phytother Res 2009;23(3):367-372. A randomized controlled trial showing cognitive improvement in older adults. ↩
The wild form (Cordyceps sinensis) is extremely rare and expensive. Most supplements use cultivated C. militaris, which contains similar active compounds. ↩
Hirsch KR, et al. "Cordyceps militaris Improves Tolerance to High-Intensity Exercise After Acute and Chronic Supplementation." J Diet Suppl 2017;14(1):42-53. ↩
Chen S, et al. "Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects." J Altern Complement Med 2010;16(5):585-590. ↩
Won SY, Park EH. "Anti-inflammatory and related pharmacological activities of cultured mycelia and fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris." J Ethnopharmacol 2005;96(3):555-561. ↩
Cui Y, et al. "Antioxidant effect of Inonotus obliquus." J Ethnopharmacol 2005;96(1-2):79-85. ↩
Kim YR. "Immunomodulatory Activity of the Water Extract from Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus obliquus." Mycobiology 2005;33(3):158-162. ↩
Fritz H, et al. "Polysaccharide K and Coriolus versicolor extracts for lung cancer: a systematic review." Integr Cancer Ther 2015;14(3):201-211. PSK (polysaccharide-K) is approved as an adjunct cancer therapy in Japan. ↩
Pallav K, et al. "Effects of polysaccharopeptide from Trametes versicolor and amoxicillin on the gut microbiome of healthy volunteers." Gut Microbes 2014;5(4):458-467. ↩
Woolfe ML, Primrose MF. "Food Authenticity and Traceability: Chapter 28 on Natural Products." Woodhead Publishing, 2003. Consumer Reports and independent analyses have found significant discrepancies in mushroom supplement labeling. ↩
Fruiting body is the mushroom you recognize—the cap and stem. Mycelium is the root-like network that grows through substrate. Mycelium grown on grain often contains mostly grain starch, not mushroom compounds. ↩
Money NP. "Are mushrooms medicinal?" Fungal Biol 2016;120(4):449-453. Reviews safety data and historical use patterns. ↩
Wachtel-Galor S, et al. "Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi)." In: Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed. 2011. Notes antiplatelet and hypotensive effects. ↩
Kikuchi Y, et al. "Oxalate nephropathy caused by excessive intake of Chaga mushroom." Clin Nephrol Case Stud 2020;8:33-37. ↩