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Having been used for food and medicine for thousands of years, mushrooms have recently gained more interest in the research community due to their potentially unique benefits. Three mushrooms that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine—reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps—are just some of the mushrooms that are attracting interest.
Ganoderma lucidum, or reishi, is a common mushroom used in Chinese herbal medicine. The mushroom grows on living or dead trees as a round, complex, shelf-like structure. Reishi is typically used to support the immune system or promote general health. As an herb, reishi contains polysaccharides (long chains of different types of sugar molecules) and triterpenoids (molecules that are precursors to steroid compounds), among other compounds that provide many of the potential benefits seen with its use.
Both the polysaccharides and triterpenoids in reishi have been shown to have antioxidant effects that help protect from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that contain reactive oxygen with free electrons that can damage cells and tissues. Antioxidants quench free radicals by donating electrons that stabilize them, converting them into a harmless form. Normal processes in the body can produce free radicals, and antioxidants are needed to keep them from causing damage. Of the compounds found in reishi, triterpenoids have been found to provide some of the strongest antioxidant benefits.
A human study found that reishi supplementation had anti-aging or longevity benefits through its antioxidant effects. Supplementation with reishi also appeared to support the liver, with imaging showing the reversal of mild cases of fatty liver disease.
Atherosclerosis is the process of plaques forming along blood vessels, which can lead to blockages and heart disease. Free radicals influence the development of atherosclerosis and contribute to the dysfunction of the lining of the blood vessels. Reishi supplementation was shown to provide antioxidant benefits in both patients with chest pain due to heart disease and those at risk. While not proven, these effects may help to slow the atherosclerotic process in heart disease patients.
The polysaccharides found in reishi appear to have some of their primary effects on the immune system. A study in humans with chronic disease found enhanced immune responses by supplementing reishi polysaccharides. A similar study also found numerous trends toward immune enhancement, although they failed to reach full significance at 12 weeks.
A review of the research in cell culture and animal studies found numerous effects on immune function with reishi. White blood cell function was stimulated, and different types of white blood cells were promoted or enhanced. Expression of cytokines, the signaling molecules used by the immune system, was also modulated, appearing to promote a heightened immune response, including some studies finding anti-inflammatory effects.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, reishi combined with a separate Chinese herbal formula, San Miao San, provided significant benefits. Pain scores were reduced by 21%, and overall disease score was reduced by 18%. While it is often theorized that the immune-enhancing effects of mushrooms could worsen autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, this study found the opposite, with reishi leading to reductions in pain and overall improvements.
A study in patients with oral infections of the human papillomavirus, the virus that causes genital warts, found 88% clearance of the virus with a combination of reishi and turkey tail mushrooms at two months, compared to only 5% clearance with the comparison treatment. It’s likely the immune-enhancing effects of reishi contributed to the elimination of the virus.
While many studies have found reishi mushrooms to protect the liver, two case reports around using powdered mushrooms raise concerns for potential liver problems. Traditionally, reishi mushroom has been used as a water extract, a type of mushroom tea. Two case reports of patients developing liver toxicity after switching from water extracts to whole, powdered reishi mushrooms may indicate concerns for whole reishi mushroom products. For safety, it’s likely best to take reishi mushroom as a water extract, as traditionally recommended.
Hericium erinaceus, or lion’s mane, is a distinctive mushroom that gets its name from its resemblance to the flowing mane of a lion. As with reishi, lion’s mane has a long history of use in Chinese medicine, typically for tonifying the body along with improving digestion. And while lion’s mane, like all mushrooms, contains polysaccharides that can stimulate immune function, some of the latest research on lion’s mane has started to focus on its benefits for the brain and central nervous system.
Depression and Anxiety: In a small study on menopausal women, lion’s mane supplementation improved both depressive and anxiety-based symptoms. A study on overweight individuals found that supplementation of lion’s mane mushroom improved depressive and anxiety-type symptoms in mood disorders, along with improving sleep. In the study, all of the patients on lion’s mane moved from moderate to low-level symptoms with supplementation. Further, a study on female students found that lion’s mane extract could also reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality.
Cognitive Decline and Dementia: Case studies of treating cognitive decline, the precursor to dementia, with lion’s mane suggest brain benefits. An 86-year-old male with mild cognitive impairment and long-standing depression was first treated with medication that failed to provide benefits. Lion’s mane extract was then provided as an alternative treatment. By six months, the patient’s depression and cognitive decline had been completely reversed.
A small trial using lion’s mane mushroom to treat cognitive decline found that 71.4% of patients in the treatment group had significant improvement in cognitive function compared to just 6.7% in the placebo group. A study out of Japan found benefits for improving cognitive function with lion’s mane supplementation.
Several additional animal studies suggest the potential for lion’s mane as a treatment for cognitive decline and dementia. While the human trials have been small, the current data still suggests the potential for lion’s mane as a possible treatment to at least slow early cognitive decline.
Atrophic gastritis is a condition of chronic inflammation of the stomach lining. Digestive function often decreases, and the tissues can become scarred. Patients with atrophic gastritis were given either lion’s mane or placebo tablets for three months. In patients receiving lion’s mane, 63% were pain-free after the treatment, compared to 36% in the placebo group. Endoscopy, using a scope to examine the stomach, showed that 52% of patients taking lion’s mane had improvements in tissues compared to only 8% on placebo.
Lion’s mane also appears to have other potential benefits for the gastrointestinal tract. In a human trial, lion’s mane was shown to positively influence the gastrointestinal microbiota—the beneficial bacteria found throughout the small and large intestines. Likely, positive changes in the microbiota and other anti-inflammatory effects of lion’s mane are why several animal studies have also shown potential benefits for treating inflammatory bowel conditions.
In general, mushrooms are thought to stimulate immune function due to their polysaccharide content. And while the data from human studies on lion’s mane are mostly lacking, preclinical evidence still suggests potential benefits.
A study on different lion’s mane extracts was used to assess the immune-modulating effects of the mushroom. The assay showed potential for immune enhancement, with the authors suggesting that lion’s mane could be an immune-modulating dietary supplement.
The immune-enhancing effects of lion’s mane have also been explored in mice. Immune cell function improved, as did antibody production. The effects seemed to come predominantly from regulating immune activity throughout the digestive tract.
Like reishi and lion’s mane, cordyceps have a long history of use in Chinese and Tibetan medicine. It also contains polysaccharides that are thought to provide at least part of the potential health benefits seen with its use. According to traditional Chinese medicine, cordyceps can act as a tonic for the lungs and kidneys.
As a fungus, cordyceps is somewhat unusual: its spores parasitize insects and grow inside them until it eventually sprouts from their bodies. Different species of cordyceps grow on different insects, with Cordyceps sinensis, one of the more common medicinal varieties, growing on caterpillars in the wild.
Numerous potential benefits have been claimed with cordyceps, while studies have slowly been accumulating to substantiate them. Cordyceps has been thought to have anti-aging properties. Studies in mice and rats found improvements in brain function, sexual function, and antioxidant systems.
Improved energy and exercise performance has been explored with cordyceps. A small study in sedentary males found improved energy production and lowered stress response during and after exhaustive running. A study in healthy elderly subjects also showed improvements in exercise performance with cordyceps. In addition, a trial that combined cordyceps and rhodiola, another herb known for improving exercise performance, found improvements in high-altitude exercise training. However, other cordyceps studies on cycling failed to corroborate the exercise-enhancing results.
Cordyceps has also been used traditionally for supporting the kidneys. Recent studies, mostly out of China, appear to show at least some benefits in different types of kidney disease. A review of the research found improved kidney function and decreased complications when cordyceps was combined with standard care for chronic kidney disease. The authors did caution about overinterpreting the results since most of the research quality was low.
Like other mushrooms, cordyceps appears to have benefits on immune function. A study in mice found that cordyceps activated macrophages, a type of white blood cell while enhancing the release of growth factors for white blood cells. Other studies have found enhanced immune cell function, including macrophages and natural killer cells.
Mushrooms have an exciting array of potential uses and benefits. While much of the research is still new, immune-enhancing effects, antioxidant activity, and other benefits appear plausible based on some of the latest research.
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By Dr. Scott Buesing, N.D.
