Mushrooms for Mental Health
Want to Support Your Mental Health? These 4 Mushrooms Can Help
Here’s what you need to know about the science-backed benefits of four fungi that can transform your mental health for the better.
There’s no denying that modern living is stressful. Sure, our ability to be continuously connected online is great — yet it can also leave us with little time to unplug. Working remotely offers amazing flexibility, but it can blur the boundary between work and rest.
What’s easy to forget as we’re powering through our to-dos and trying to balance work-life demands is that our mental health is closely tied to our overall health, says Ashley Koff, RD, a registered dietitian and consultant for Wake Network. “If you’re not nurturing both your body and your mind, you won’t actually address either effectively,” she says.
That’s because our mental health can thrive only when our bodies are healthy, explains Koff. For example, early research suggests that when the trillions of bugs that make up our gut microbiome aren’t diverse enough, anxiety and depression may be more likely to occur. Studies have also shown that our hormones influence brain cells, which means that when we have the right balance of hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, we’ll feel like we’re firing on all cylinders (and likely prevent memory loss and cognitive decline that can happen as we age).
Inflammation, immunity, and even the way the body’s cells produce energy also fall into this important continuum that makes up the anatomy of our mental health, says Koff. “The good news is that once you start to connect these dots, you can take steps that’ll help bolster all of these systems, which in turn can help you feel calmer, happier, and more like yourself — fast.”
Even better news? Mushrooms are a great place to start when it comes to supporting these systems in the body that play a huge role in how we feel mentally and emotionally.
How Mushrooms Support Your Mental Health
While mushrooms may be one of the buzziest ingredients in the health food aisles right now — they’re showing up in everything from tinctures and coffee to every kind of skincare product — they’ve actually been used for centuries thanks in large part to their adaptogenic properties, says Koff.
“Mushrooms are powerful because they can help our bodies adapt to stress, which in turn leads to better health outcomes,” she says. “It’s ironic that as we look to all sorts of modern solutions to heal our mental health issues, the ancient wisdom built into mushrooms may actually be the best place to start.”
In fact, mushrooms have been used for centuries to optimize mental health by supporting those underlying physical health processes that are so closely tied to our psychological wellbeing — and new research proves our ancestors were on to something. To wit: Reishi mushrooms have been shown to balance the immune system. Another small, randomized human trial showed reishi mushrooms can reduce fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Lion’s Mane, another health-promoting mushroom, has been shown to improve cognitive function as well as decrease depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
“The evidence is clear that mushrooms can be a great part of a personalized approach to mental health,” says Koff. “And the beauty of mushrooms is that they can help almost everyone by dialing up the support you might need in one or more of your internal systems — from optimizing digestive or hormonal health to bolstering your immunity or calming internal inflammation — ultimately providing the mental health support you need.”
To celebrate Mental Health Awareness month, we’re taking a deep dive into the research-proven ways mushrooms can be part of an overall plan for optimizing physical and mental health. Here’s a look at four mushrooms with powerful mental health benefits — and expert advice on when to consider working them into your diet and supplement routine.
4 Mushrooms That Can Transform Your Mental Health for the Better
1. Lion’s Mane. Want to think faster, work more efficiently, and finally stop forgetting where you put your darn keys? This mushroom has such a powerful effect on brain health, it can help you feel like you’re firing on all cylinders. That’s because it’s loaded with two compounds — hericenones and erinacines — that have been shown to stimulate the growth of nerve cells, suggesting its role in maintaining optimal brain health including cognitive ability, memory, focus, and mental functioning.
What the research shows: In mice studies, Lion’s mane and its extracts have been shown to reduce memory loss and potentially protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Beyond optimizing cognitive functioning, this mushroom has also been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that can reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression in mice. While more clinical research is needed, one small study in menopausal women suggests what researchers are finding in animal studies may prove true in humans as well: The scientists found that eating cookies containing lion’s mane mushrooms every day for four weeks helped reduce feelings of irritation and anxiety.
Consider supplementing if … you experience brain fog, memory issues, or you want to feel like you’re operating at peak performance more of the time. “Life these days demands so much of our brains, and that overwhelm can create a range of mental health issues and cognitive symptoms — from brain fog and decision fatigue to memory problems, anxiety, and irritability,” says Koff. “Lion’s mane optimizes the superhighway of neural connections in your brain, providing the support you need to help you feel like you can take on what life may throw your way.”
2. Reishi. This woody, inedible mushroom is often touted for its potential immune-boosting benefits, but it’s also loaded with adaptogenic properties meaning it’s a powerhouse when it comes to helping your body cope with stress more efficiently and helping regulate hormone levels, says Koff.
What the research shows: One of the ways reishi mushrooms may work to help the body adapt to stress is by supporting the entire endocrine system, according to animal studies Other studies on rats have shown this mushroom improve sleep with a “benzodiazepine-like hypnotic ability”. Another, study of 132 people with aches, pains, dizziness, headaches, and irritability (i.e. neurasthenia) found improvements in their symptoms after eight weeks of taking reishi mushroom supplements, compared to the placebo group. Another study of nearly 50 breast cancer survivors found that four weeks of supplementing with reishi mushroom powder reduced fatigue, anxiety, and depression and improved quality of life.
Consider supplementing if … you feel stressed, anxious, and frazzled often, or you experience anxiety, depression and/or sleep problems. A healthy stress response is crucial when it comes to optimizing mental health. When stress rises, the hormone cortisol spikes — and then it returns to normal levels when the stress dissipates. For many of us, stress is a near-constant fact of life, which keeps our cortisol levels elevated and prompts an internal dysregulation that can cause burnout, says Koff. “Reishi can help you get back to a place of healthy stress regulation, which in turn can lead to an improved mood, more energy, better sleep, and an overall feeling of calm,” she says.
3. Cordyceps. Feeling energetic and ready to take on what life throws at us is closely tied to our mental health, and this variety of mushroom is proven to enhance our ability to produce ATP — the body and brain’s primary source of energy. “The cordyceps mushroom is a superfood that can boost your energy levels and at the same time, slow the effects of stress,” says Koff.
What the research shows: When you read about cordyceps, its libido-boosting benefits will likely be the focus. After all, the medicinal properties of this fungus were found when goats grazing in the Himalayan mountains were found to be “frisky” after consuming it. Yet, in addition to its use as an aphrodisiac and sexual tonic for both men and women, research in mice has shown it helps the body use oxygen more efficiently and improves blood flow — which may explain why it can promote optimal mental health, too. Another animal study showed that taking cordyceps extract increased antioxidative enzyme activity in the body, which helped enhance sexual function and boost brain power.
Consider supplementing if …your energy is low, and/or you’re looking to improve your performance at work, when you exercise, and more. “I like to think of this as a great supplement for peak performance,” says Koff. “If you want to fire on all cylinders, you also have to keep in mind that recovery is important. This supplement will give you what you need to both operate at your best level and support your body’s natural recovery process.”
4. Turkey Tail. This multicolored fungus has a wide range of benefits, from immune-boosting properties (turkey tail stimulates the small, soluble proteins that travel between cells and helps your innate and adaptive immune systems communicate with each other) to gut-health promoting effects. In fact, turkey tail contains important prebiotics, says Koff, which you can think of as the food your gut’s good bacteria like to eat. “Your gut microbiome has a huge impact on your mental health because the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system talk to each other — it’s called the gut-brain axis,” says Koff. “We know that good bacteria in the gut promotes mental wellbeing thanks to this gut-brain connection.”
What the research shows: The impressive array of antioxidants in turkey tail is what makes it such an immune-boosting powerhouse. According to one study, there are more than 35 different phenols and flavonoids in turkey tail mushroom extracts — all of which promote a healthy immune system by reducing inflammation and free radical damage. When it comes to the gut-health benefits, one study of 24 healthy people developed sustained beneficial changes in gut bacteria.
Consider supplementing if …you have a compromised immune system, a history of antibiotic use, and/or have a hunch that your gut microbiome isn’t in optimal health. When it comes to turkey tail, the research is clear, says Koff: This mushroom is proven to be extremely effective in healing the gut microbiome, which in turn has a positive effect on both the immune system and mental health problems. “We know that dysbiosis and inflammation of the gut have been linked to mental health woes like anxiety and depression,” says Koff. “Supplementing with turkey tail to heal the microbiome, improve immunity, and ease mental health issues as a happy result is like picking a piece of low-hanging fruit — it’s something all of us can do to bolster the body and mind.”
Have we piqued your interest in the power of mushrooms and their potential to transform how you feel? Are you looking for alternative solutions to standard antidepressants like SSRIs? Learn more about how you can feel more energized, clear-minded and happier with Wake’s Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, and Turkey Tail supplements here.
