Are you interested in taking a medicinal mushroom for anxiety or depression, but unsure where to start? Let us help you out! This article discusses which functional fungi are good for your mental health and why, plus shows you how to incorporate them into your diet. Time to harness the stress-relieving power of these marvellous shrooms.
An introduction to medicinal mushrooms
In case you’re not familiar with medicinal mushrooms, let’s begin with a quick overview of these fabulous fungi. Then we’ll get into the details of which is the best mushroom for anxiety and depression.
Medicinal mushrooms are specific species of fungi that could offer potent health benefits to those who consume them. Practitioners of traditional medicine have been using such mushrooms for generations. And today, modern scientific research is finding evidence to support their wellness-boosting reputation.
While each variety of medicinal mushroom has its own unique benefits, there are also some which are universal. For instance, all functional fungi are rich in polysaccharides called beta-glucans. A type of soluble fibre, beta-glucans help to support our gut health, cardiovascular health, and immune system.
However, it’s not only our physical health that medicinal mushrooms can be good for. These fantastic fungi also have the potential to support our mental wellbeing. Oh, and in case you’re worried, none of these mushrooms have hallucinatory effects. So we won’t be covering the best magic mushroom for anxiety and depression!
Here’s how functional fungi could boost your mood.
Can you use a medicinal mushroom for anxiety?
The short answer to this is yes, you can use a medicinal mushroom for anxiety and depression. In fact, all varieties have the capability to improve your mental health to a certain extent.
One reason for this is that medicinal mushrooms function as adaptogens. This means they enable the mind and body to cope with stress more effectively. That includes both short and long-term physical and emotional stress. More specifically, adaptogens could help to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, reduce fatigue, and improve cognitive performance.(1) Stress often triggers anxiety or leads to depression, so being better able to handle it could ease both conditions.
Another way in which using a medicinal mushroom for anxiety can be effective is through their influence on gut health. This might sound strange, but the science backs it up! Thanks to their high levels of beta-glucans, functional fungi act as prebiotics. That means they nourish the good bacteria in your gut and encourage their growth.
Your gut microbiota influences everything from digestion to immunity — and it also affects the brain. For example, researchers have linked inflammation in the GI tract to the release of cytokines and neurotransmitters. In turn, this may lead to an increase in symptoms of anxiety.(2) Indeed, many studies have found a correlation between gut disorders and mental health conditions. So, improving the health of your gut could additionally help alleviate anxiety and depression.
While all medicinal mushrooms offer these advantages, some species are especially beneficial for our mental health. So, which is the best mushroom for depression and anxiety? Let’s find out.
Which is the best mushroom for anxiety and depression?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there isn’t only one effective medicinal mushroom for anxiety and depression! So instead, we’ve listed the top three. Each has its own individual strengths, enabling you to select the fungi that most closely suits your needs. You also have the option to take more than one, as long as you don’t exceed the daily recommended dose. Plus, they’re all easy to incorporate into your diet, as we’ll discuss below.
But first, let’s explore the best options if you want to take a medicinal mushroom for anxiety or depression.
“Research indicates that medicinal mushrooms can be effective at helping to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.”
Reishi
Known as the mushroom of immortality, reishi has long been popular for its immunity-supporting influence. However, it’s also a strong contender for the best mushroom for anxiety and depression.
For example, several studies on rats have found that extracts from the fungi have an antidepressant and anxiety-relieving effect.(3) Moreover, trials on human patients with breast cancer have discovered a reduction in anxiety and depression after taking reishi.(4) Participants also reported an improved quality of life as a result of taking the fungi.
Interestingly, reishi could additionally help to improve the duration and quality of your sleep.(5) This is thanks to key triterpenoids and sterols it contains, such as beta-sitosterol. Why is this beneficial if you want a mushroom for anxiety? Well, not only can anxiety disrupt your sleep, but poor sleep can also worsen anxiety. Taking reishi mushroom powder could therefore be doubly advantageous if you struggle with both anxiety and insomnia.
Lion’s mane
Lion’s mane powder is undoubtedly among the top functional fungi for brain health. So, if you’re interested in a mushroom for anxiety, depression, and cognitive performance, this is the one for you.
Research shows lion’s mane can significantly improve the symptoms of depressive disorder, with far fewer side effects than pharmaceutical antidepressants.(6) This is potentially thanks to bioactive compounds such as hericenones and erinacines, which could boost levels of serotonin and dopamine. They also help to stimulate the growth of certain brain cells. All of which means lion’s mane may well be the best mushroom for depression.
Studies have additionally found that lion’s mane could be a fantastic mushroom for anxiety. Results suggest it can reduce feelings of irritability and anxiousness, and even assist with sleep disorders.(7) Furthermore, lion’s mane possesses powerful anti-inflammatory properties. This is important because inflammation may contribute to both anxiety and depression.
Excitingly, the neuroprotective effects of lion’s mane do more than help treat mood disorders. They could also defend us against cognitive decline, memory loss, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.(8)
Cordyceps
We tend to think of cordyceps powder as a fungus used to boost energy and improve athletic performance. So, it might surprise you to learn that it can also be useful as a mushroom for anxiety and depression.
While there isn’t yet much research into cordyceps and anxiety or depression, the results so far are looking promising. For example, studies on rats have found that extracts from cordyceps can have antidepressant-like effects.(9) Similarly, evidence indicates the mushroom could decrease anxiety through its influence on neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin.(10)
Like lion’s mane, cordyceps also has anti-inflammatory properties, which could further help to ease depression and anxiety. Plus, fatigue is often linked with depression, so the ability of cordyceps to reduce it could be valuable.
In addition, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners prize cordyceps for its anti-ageing potential. Modern research indicates this could be because of its antioxidant properties, which protect our cells from damage by free radicals. Reducing such oxidative stress has many benefits for our health, including improving symptoms of depression and anxiety.(11)
How to take a medicinal mushroom for anxiety or depression
Whichever mushroom for anxiety and depression you choose, we recommend taking it in powder form. This makes it easy to include in your diet.
For example, the traditional method is to stir half a teaspoon into hot water and make mushroom tea. Functional fungi often have an earthy, bitter taste, so you may want to add flavourings like honey, ginger, or lemon. Alternatively, you can mix mushroom powder into your morning coffee for a stress-relieving start to the day. This may sound like an unusual choice, but the two flavours complement each other surprisingly well.
Another brilliant option — and one of our personal favourites — is to treat yourself to an indulgent mushroom hot chocolate. The taste of cocoa and sweetness of the drink balance the astringent earthiness of the powder impeccably. And if you’re taking a medicinal mushroom for anxiety, it’s the perfect way to relax before bed!
In addition to adding medicinal mushrooms to warm drinks, you can also use the powders in food. Hot water helps to draw out the nutrients they contain, so recipes such as soups, stews, and risottos are best. Plus, savoury dishes are ideal for highlighting the natural flavour of the fungi. So feel free to experiment and discover which meals you enjoy them in the most. We’ve got plenty of recipes that include mushroom powder on our website to get you inspired!
Using a medicinal mushroom for anxiety and depression safely
Functional fungi are rather potent, so it’s important to know how to take a medicinal mushroom for anxiety safely. For instance, you shouldn’t consume them if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or give mushrooms to children. This is because there hasn’t yet been enough research into the safety and risks of functional fungi for these groups.
Likewise, if you have an existing health condition or are taking any medication, consult a doctor before using medicinal mushrooms. This will help you to avoid any unwanted side effects or interactions. As an example, the immunity-stimulating properties of reishi may counteract the influence of immunosuppressants.
When taking a medicinal mushroom for anxiety or depression, we recommend you do so in cycles. A good guide is to have a few weeks’ break after 6–8 weeks of using functional fungi. The principal reason for this is that medicinal mushrooms can exert an influence on your immune system. Taking a break helps prevent you from over-stimulating your immune system or developing a tolerance to the fungi.
Finally, always be sure to follow the usage instructions for your chosen medicinal mushroom carefully. You only need a teaspoon a day to reap the benefits of these phenomenal fungi!
The importance of quality in medicinal mushrooms
No matter how meticulously you use a medicinal mushroom for anxiety, you’ll only get good results with a high-quality product. That’s why we work with teams of expert mycologists who have over 20 years of fungi-growing experience. They combine this with the latest scientific research findings to ensure that our medicinal mushrooms are up to scratch.
We cultivate our reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps in small batches under carefully controlled conditions in Europe. Our teams grow them on natural and organic substrates specially designed to give them all the nutrients they need. In turn, this makes sure they provide you with the maximum nutritional value.
Once ready, we dry the fungi and grind them into a fine powder. We don’t add any filler ingredients, so what you get is 100% pure mushroom.
Moreover, we work with an independent and accredited tester to verify the quality of our fungi. We can therefore say with confidence that they’re rich in beta-glucans and other key nutrients. For example, our whole cordyceps powder contains 48% beta-glucans and 5.5mg of cordycepin per 1g serving. Meanwhile, our whole lion’s mane powder contains over 32% beta-glucans and 1.5mg of erinacine A per 1g.
Other ways to ease anxiety and depression
Taking a medicinal mushroom for anxiety and depression can be an effective way to help boost your mood. However, functional fungi are not magic bullets that will instantly cure our mental health issues. That’s why it’s important to combine them with other techniques for easing these conditions. For example:
- Spend quality time with your friends and family. Strong social bonds help to decrease feelings of depression and anxiety
- Try keeping a journal and writing down your thoughts and emotions, as this can boost mental health
- Go for a walk to get fresh air, sunlight, and exercise — all of which work to ease anxiety and depression
- Incorporate relaxation techniques such as meditation and breathing exercises into your daily routine
- Eat a nutritious diet — what you eat has a direct effect on your mental health as well as physical health
- Prioritise your sleep. When well-rested, you’re not only less fatigued, but your brain functions better and you’re more able to regulate your emotions
- Consider speaking to a therapist or other mental health professional
Using a medicinal mushroom for anxiety and depression: final thoughts
Overcoming depression and anxiety isn’t easy. However, there are a wealth of different tactics you’re able to use to assist you on the journey. And taking a medicinal mushroom for anxiety and depression can be a valuable piece of the puzzle. Combined with some of the methods discussed above, functional fungi should help ease your symptoms and steer you towards recovery.
