Wellness

By 

Erin Bunch

Sep 23, 2022

4

 Minute read

The Immune-Boosting Power of Mushrooms

These eight 'shrooms are specifically good at staving off sickness.

Fall is officially here, which means it's time for pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween decor, and—less happily—cold-weather surges in sickness. Exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, and updating your vaccinations are all ways to better protect yourself from illness this season, as are the usual supplement suspects, such as Vitamins C and D and zinc. But no immune-boosting regimen is complete without mushrooms, which offer a mind-blowing amount of science-backed benefits.

“The amazing thing about functional mushrooms is that they are all incredibly powerful in supporting immunity, thanks to their high concentrations of beta glucans, a type of polysaccharide which has been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties to ward off disease,” says Erica Huss, cofounder of functional mushroom purveyor Earth & Star.

Mushrooms also have prebiotic properties, which is another reason they can help keep you healthy. “The basis of the immune system starts in the gut, so gut health is the most powerful tool you can use in the battle against disease,” Huss says. “Mushrooms feed the gut all the healthy bacteria it needs to fight the good fight.”

To Huss’ point, all 'shrooms offer immune-boosting benefits, but some are more effective than others. Keep reading to find out which mushrooms can best help keep you from getting sick this season.

8 'Shrooms That’ll Help You Stay Healthy This Season

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Image Provided By 

mushrooms for immunity mushrooms for immunity mushrooms for immunity

Turkey Tail

Turkey tail is one of the most widely researched functional mushrooms,” says Huss’ Earth & Star cofounder, Zoe Sakoutis. “It’s renowned for its immune support.” Research suggests turkey tail has strong antioxidant properties that may protect DNA from free radical damage. This can help to significantly improve certain immune responses. The mushroom specifically contains two notable immune-system-supportive polysaccharides, which numerous studies have shown can improve outcomes in cancer patients when administered alongside chemotherapy. Turkey tail has prebiotic properties as well.

Chaga

Turkey tail may be the most-researched mushroom, but chaga also earns a superlative for containing the highest concentration of disease-fighting antioxidant properties of all mushrooms studied. "Chaga is the most profoundly impactful and powerful antioxidant and immune supportive organism there is," says Huss. "In terms of antioxidant content, it blows all the typical foods we think of when we think of antioxidants, like pomegranates and goji berries, out of the water." Chaga has also been shown to regulate the production of cytokines, which help cells communicate and control the body’s immune and inflammation responses, among other health-supporting benefits.  

Reishi

Reishi is known as “the mushroom of immortality,” and for good reason. This specific 'shroom has shown potential as an immunomodulator, which means it can stimulate or suppress the immune system to help ward off illness. It can also help you sleep better, and adequate zzz’s are mission-critical for the health of your immune system.

Image Provided By 

turkey tail mushroom

Maitake & Shiitake

Maitake and shiitake mushrooms are not only delicious in a stir fry; they’ve also been shown to significantly stimulate immune response, especially when ingested together.

Lion’s mane

Lion’s mane mushrooms may be best-known for their brain-boosting benefits, but they’re no slouch in the immunity game, either. They’re super-high in those aforementioned beta glucans and have been shown to protect against bacterial infections and act as an immunomodulator.

Cordyceps

In addition to being major performance enhancers, cordyceps mushrooms have long been used in Chinese Traditional Medicine as a treatment for a variety of ailments. Like lion’s mane mushrooms and others on this list, they’ve also been shown to possess immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Translation: Cordyceps help to not only fight existing disease but also enhance the body’s ability to prevent future illness, too.

Tremella

Tremella may be best-known at present for its benefits to the skin, but it’s more than just a pretty face(-saver). It contains polysaccharides which enhance immune function and can even help fight off cancer.

Shop Immune-Boosting 'Shrooms

Resilience Green Tea and Chaga Mushroom for Immunity and Stamina Support

$

22.75

USD

This product pairs immune-boosting chaga with green tea, which has also been shown to strengthen the immune system. It tastes good, too, thanks to the blackberry, goji, and strawberry leaves added into the mix.

Shop NowShop Now

Noble Spore OMFG Immunity Gummies

$

28

USD

These tasty gummies contain a blend of immune-supporting and gut-health-boosting mushrooms including turkey tail, reishi, maitake, shiitake, and chaga.

Shop NowShop Now

Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders Organic Mushroom Complex

$

34.95

USD

This organic powder supplement contains five mushroom extracts: chaga, reishi, turkey tail, maitake, and shiitake. Add it to your smoothie, morning tea, and soups for a boost. Bonus: It’s safe for pets, too!

Shop NowShop Now

Earth & Star Mint Organic Dark Chocolate Bar, 12-Pack

$

59.99

USD

A spoonful of sugar definitely helps the medicine go down, which is why this chaga and turkey tail-infused dark chocolate and mint bar may be the tastiest way to boost your immune system this season.

Shop NowShop Now

FreshCap Ultimate Mushroom Complex Capsules

$

19

USD

These capsules contain the pure mushroom extract of six different species: chaga, cordyceps, turkey tail, lion’s mane, maitake, and reishi. They’re formulated not only to boost immunity but also bolster brainpower, too.

Shop NowShop Now

Previous post

Back to The Boom

5 mini-goals 
for your (one day) 
zero-waste home

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.