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Chinese Adaptogenic Mushrooms

Kaitlan Downes, MSAOM, L.AC

Wouldn’t it be great if you had a magic shield that could ward off stress? While there may not be such a thing, you can reduce the negative effects that stress has on your mind and body. How? With the power of adaptogenic mushrooms.

Adaptogenic mushrooms are a group of special medicinal mushrooms that help reverse the damage of stress and offer a host of other health benefits. Read on to find out how these Chinese adaptogenic mushrooms could help you become healthier and more resilient in the face of stress.

What are Natural Adaptogens?

Natural adaptogens are typically plants or other natural products that are used to improve health. The term “adaptogenic” implies that a substance helps the body adapt. Adapt to what? Stress, environmental changes, toxins, and anything else that sets the body off balance. In essence, these natural adaptogens help the body maintain homeostasis and grow more resilient.

What are Adaptogenic Mushrooms? What Do Adaptogenic Mushrooms Do?

Adaptogenic mushrooms, or medicinal mushrooms, are mushrooms that have adaptogenic properties. No, these are not “magic” mushrooms – they do not cause you to hallucinate, and they are not toxic. Rather, they support your health naturally. Like all adaptogens, adaptogenic mushrooms are safe to ingest, normalize homeostasis, and restore balance in the body.

According to adaptogenic mushrooms research, adaptogenic mushrooms mostly support the body by reducing inflammation, improving immune function, and calming nervous tension or stress.

Physical and mental stress causes a chain of complex reactions in the body known as the stress response. Most of what occurs during the stress response involves the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (or HPA axis). Researchers believe adaptogenic mushrooms help to moderate the HPA axis to calm the stress response and restore balance and stability.

Adaptogenic mushrooms also contain a range of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that support health. One of the most important compounds that gives adaptogenic mushrooms their healing properties are beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are soluble fibers found in the cell walls of fungi and other foods. Studies show these fibers are extremely beneficial to several body systems and may reduce the risk of severe chronic illnesses like cancers and heart disease. 

Which Mushrooms are Adaptogenic?

  • Reishi, Ganoderma Lucidum 
  • Cordyceps, Cordyceps sinensis
  • Lion’s Mane, Hericium erinaceus
  • Turkey Tail, Coriolus versicolor
  • Chaga, Inonotus obliquus

How to Take Adaptogenic Mushrooms

Adaptogenic mushrooms are extremely versatile. You can find adaptogenic mushroom supplements as capsules, powders, teas, and more.

We recommend trying them in capsule form to make boosting your health with adaptogenic mushrooms easy, especially if you live a busy life or are already taking other herbal supplements.

If you want to experiment with using adaptogenic mushrooms in the kitchen, however, the powder form is best. Try making these delicious healthy recipes or simply add a dose of your chosen mushroom powder to your morning smoothie or oatmeal.

Adaptogenic Mushroom Side Effects

Adaptogenic mushrooms are safe when used appropriately. However, as with any supplement or medication, they can cause side effects or allergic responses in some people.

If you have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood pressure medication, check with your doctor before taking adaptogenic mushrooms to avoid an herb-drug interaction and determine a safe dose to take.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also talk with their doctors before starting any new adaptogenic mushroom supplements.

The Best Adaptogenic Mushrooms and Benefits

Ready to experience the benefits of adaptogenic mushrooms for yourself? As with all natural supplements, using high-quality medicinal mushrooms is essential for getting the best healing results. Best Chinese Medicines sources only the best Chinese adaptogenic mushrooms to help you build your resilience and return to balance.

Explore our favorite mushroom supplements to find the one that’s right for you:

Real Mushrooms Reishi 415

Reishi mushroom, also called ling zhi, is a rare fungus that grows in hot and humid areas of Asia. It has been used in Traditional Chinese medicine and other traditional healing systems for thousands of years. It is best known for reducing anxiety, boosting immunity, supporting the adrenal glands, and relieving oxidative stress.

How Can Reishi Help You?

  • Boost your immunity.
  • Relieve anxiety, improve sleep, and encourage balanced moods.
  • Improve overall health and longevity.
  • Can support pets with immune health, longevity, and cancer treatment.

Bravo Tea’s Reishi Liver Health Tea

Reshi has been called the “mushroom of immortality,” likely because its benefits affect nearly every system in the body – including the liver. In this Reishi Liver Health Tea, the power of reishi is combined with other Chinese herbs that support detoxification and healthy liver function for a long and healthy life.

How Can Reishi Tea Help You?

  • Enhance liver detoxification.
  • Support liver health.
  • Calm stress throughout the day.

Real Mushrooms Turkey Tail

Turkey tail mushroom is widely used to support the immune system, from fighting off colds to reducing the side effects of cancer. Turkey tail is also believed to support immunity by enhancing the balance of bacteria in your gut microbiome.

How Can Turkey Tail Help You?

Real Mushrooms Lion’s Mane

Lion’s mane mushroom helps reduce the negative effects of stress on the brain. This is why lion’s mane is the key adaptogenic mushroom for improving cognition, focus, and memory. It has also been shown to reduce depression and other mood disorders.

How Can Lion’s Mane Help You?

  • Support healthy brain function and productivity.
  • Enhance learning and memory retention.
  • Relieve stress and mental fatigue.

Real Mushrooms Chaga

Chaga mushroom is best known for its ability to reduce the negative effects of stress on the digestive system. It is used to lower blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, and clear inflammation in the digestive tract.

How Can Chaga Help You?

  • Improve your digestion.
  • Supports digestive disorders like IBS, Crohn’s, and Ulcerative Colitis.
  • May support diabetes.
  • Boosts immune system.
  • May support cancer treatment.
  • Can be used to help pets with digestive disorders.

Real Mushrooms Cordyceps-M

Cordyceps militaris is a fungus known to reduce stress, boost energy, and improve athletic performance. Like other adaptogenic mushrooms, it also supports a strong immune system.

How Can Cordyceps Help You?

  •  Boosts your physical endurance, lung function, and athletic performance.
  •  Reduces early signs of aging.
  •  Improves sexual dysfunction.

Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders

5 Defenders is a unique blend of immune-boosting medicinal mushrooms: Chaga, Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake, and Turkey Tail mushroom extracts. This formula helps support all aspects of a healthy immune system.

How Can 5 Defenders Help You?

  • Boost your immunity.
  • May help prevent colds and allergies.
  • May support cancer treatments.
  • Can help pets with low immunity or undergoing cancer treatment.

Live Longer and Healthier with Chinese Adaptogenic Mushrooms

Stress is unavoidable, but we can fight back with the power of adaptogens. Adaptogenic mushrooms help your body reverse the negative effects of stress so you can start each day as a stronger, more resilient version of yourself.

Shop now to start experiencing these and other health benefits of Chinese adaptogenic mushrooms!

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About the Author

Kaitlan Downes, MSAOM, L.AC

Kate Downes is a Chinese medicine practitioner with a passion for herbal medicine. In fact, it was her love for plant and earth medicine that first drew her to study Chinese medicine.

Kate has a MSAOM (Master of Science, Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine) certification and practiced acupuncture in Indianapolis, IN for five years before packing her bags to roam the world. In order to stay in touch with the wellness community and continue to help others thrive with herbal medicine, she transformed her work from face-to-face patient care to spreading wellness through words. Her life as a remote herbalist and writer has allowed her to work with a variety of wellness brands, health pioneers, and her wonderful clients. She has a special interest in working with women’s health.

Kate thoroughly enjoys writing educational and useful pieces for Best Chinese Medicine. Her goal is to help the public gain a better understanding of the wonders of Chinese herbal medicine so they can be empowered in their own quest for natural, vibrant health.

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