Our running list of the best mushrooms for your health* (#2 may quite possibly be our favorite)
With so many edible mushrooms out there, it can be hard to narrow down which ones to pick up at the grocery store for dinner, let alone which ones to take to support your health and well-being.* You might be curious about which ones are the best mushrooms for your health.* Well, you’re in luck. We’ve never met an edible mushroom we didn’t like, but we did manage to narrow down our top 10.
Read on to find out which are the 10 best mushrooms for your health.*
The 10 best mushrooms for your health*
Even though we were able to choose 10 of our favorites for this article, we don’t like to play favorites. (OK, so maybe, we’re extra fond of Cordyceps…) We love all our mushrooms. This list is in alphabetical order, so you can decide for yourself which are the best mushrooms for your health.*
1. Chaga mushroom
(Inonotus obliquus)
- Chaga is an adaptogen, so it helps your body naturally adapt to occasional stress.*
- It’s traditionally used to support the skin, immune system, healthy digestion, and the body's natural cleansing processes.*
- Fun fact: Chaga is known as “the king of mushrooms.” (Reishi is the queen.)
2. Cordyceps mushroom
(Cordyceps militaris)
- Cordyceps is an adaptogen, meaning it supports a healthy response to occasional stress, as well as supporting energy and stamina.*
- This ‘shroom is traditionally used to support healthy stamina and energy levels (including at the cellular level), lung health, sexual health, and kidney health.*
- It’s also traditionally used in TCM to support Qi (energy).*
- Fun fact: We started the largest Cordyceps mushroom farm in the Americas — and the only one that was Certified Organic!
Check out our certified organic Cordyceps products, made from 100% fruiting bodies!
3. Lion’s Mane mushroom
(Hericium erinaceus)
- Lion’s Mane is traditionally used to support memory and cognitive function.*
- It also traditionally used to support the digestive system.*
- This mushroom offers nourishment for the brain and supports the production of nerve growth factor.*
- Fun fact: Lion’s Mane has many fun names, like Pom Pom Mushroom, Monkey Head Mushroom, and Brain Mushroom!
Want to learn more about one of the best mushrooms for your health? Check out this blog post to take a deeper dive into the health benefits of Lion's Mane.
4. Maitake mushroom
(Grifola frondosa)
- Maitake is traditionally used to support nervous system health, healthy digestive function, immune health, and cardiovascular health.*
- It also supports liver health and healthy blood sugar levels already within normal ranges.*
- Fun fact: These mushrooms are known as dancing mushrooms or Hen of the Woods.
5. Meshima mushroom
(Phellinus linteus)
- Meshima is traditionally used to support women's health, healthy immune function, and cellular health.*
- Fun fact: Meshima is also known as “black hoof mushroom” — thanks to its close resemblance to a hoof!
5 down, 5 to go. Keep reading to find out which five other mushrooms made our list of the 10 best mushrooms for your health!
6. Poria Cocos mushroom
(Wolfiporia extensa)
- Poria Cocos is traditionally used to promote your bodies natural transition to a healthy nights sleep, normal and healthy hydration levels, and relaxation, nervous system health and memory, and normal stomach function.*
- It promotes healthy immune function.*
- It is traditionally used for occasional restlessness and to promote healthy sleep.*
- Fun fact: Poria Cocos actually grows underground, like a tuber — and it was used as food during lean times by Native Americans.
7. Reishi mushroom
(Ganoderma lucidum)
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Reishi is an adaptogenic mushroom. It helps support your body’s natural occasional stress response.*
- It’s traditionally used to support the immune, cardiovascular, and nervous systems; liver and kidney health; and healthy sleep and relaxation.*
- It also promotes well-being during seasonal changes and offers support to help you stay active for the long term.*
- Fun fact: Reishi is known as the “10,000-year mushroom,” and it has been traditionally used for longevity.*
8. Shiitake mushroom
(Lentinula edodes)
- Shiitake mushrooms are packed with nutrition, including some B vitamins and vitamin D.
- They are traditionally used to support immune, liver, and cardiovascular health.*
- Fun fact: Shiitake mushrooms are mighty tasty and tender, and their Latin name reflects that. Lent means “supple,” and edodes means “edible.”
9. Tremella mushroom
(Tremella fuciformis)
- Tremella is traditionally used to promote healthy skin, support cognitive function, and a healthy metabolism*
- It supports healthy skin health.*
- Tremella also supports the immune system, cellular health, lung, kidney, and liver health.*
- In TCM, Tremella is used to support Qi (energy).*
- Fun fact: As a jelly fungus, Tremella can hold up to 500 times its weight in water. Talk about hydrating!
10. Turkey Tail mushroom
(Trametes versicolor)
- Turkey Tail is traditionally used to support the immune system and liver health.*
- It also offers support for the gut.*
- Fun fact: Turkey Tail grows mostly on deciduous trees, which stay green all year. The Taoists believed the mushrooms absorbed “yang” energy of the trees’ roots.*
See why it’s so hard for us to choose a favorite from this list of the 10 best mushrooms for your health? What if you didn’t have to? All 10 of these are included in our best-selling Daily 10. It comes in a variety of forms so you can get the most potent version of these wonderful mushrooms in the way that works best for you. All our products are made with 100% organic mushroom fruiting bodies — no fillers, grains or fluff!
