Best Mushroom for Brain Function

Revered by ancient cultures, highly appreciated by different traditional medicine systems, and even called the "plant of immortality," medicinal mushrooms are undoubtedly a wonder of nature that bring a wide range of qualities that can represent potential benefits for human health.

The effects of medicinal mushrooms on the body can help improve overall health, but if you're looking to boost your brain function, know that specific types of mushroom supplements can boost brain function like no other.

You are in the right place if you want to know more about these miraculous mushrooms that care for and promote brain health.

This article will help you find everything you need to know about medicinal mushrooms, functional mushrooms, and which are the best mushrooms and supplements to improve brain health. Without further ado, let's begin to unfold this topic.

Key Takeaways

• Medicinal mushrooms are being studies for having a wide array of health benefits and possible therapeutic uses.
• Mushroom supplements are the easiest and most convenient way to consume these mushrooms.
• Mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi, and turkey tail are some of the most popular mushrooms that support brain function.

What are Mushroom Supplements?

Simply put, they are precisely what the name implies: wellness products containing dried mushroom extract. These supplements come from different types of mushrooms with unique and potentially beneficial properties for people.

The properties of each supplement vary according to the properties of each type of fungus from which they are made.

These supplements can come in capsule form or in loose powder form. Many people take these supplements simply by mixing them with hot water to drink, but the truth is that, like other plant-based protein supplements, you can also add them to other preparations such as soups, oatmeal, or smoothies.

Even these types of supplements can be a great energy drink substitute for mornings instead of coffee.

Evidence suggests that mushroom supplements may offer a myriad of adaptogenic benefits when taken in a concentrated form.

Depending on the variety of mushrooms, these may offer different therapeutic effects, such as increased energy, cognitive enhancements, and improved athletic performance.

There are even varieties of medicinal mushrooms that can help us improve our immune system and help fight infections.

​Functional Medicinal Mushrooms

Functional mushrooms are a class of superfood mushrooms that carry a dense load of nutritional benefits like selenium and vitamin D. They also contain additional adaptogenic and bioactive components that help the body maintain its natural balanced state.

Each individual functional mushroom can provide certain specific benefits.

Nonetheless, all functional mushrooms work by balancing your energy levels, improving digestion, strengthening immune functions, and promoting the skin's natural glow.

​Best Mushroom for Brain Function

As we already mentioned, medicinal mushrooms can provide several possible medical benefits, although more detailed scientific studies are still lacking to confirm these beliefs.

Although all functional mushrooms can be beneficial and have similar therapeutic properties, each functional mushroom can provide specific benefits that can help with particular conditions.

Some specific functional mushrooms are great for boosting and improving cognitive functions.

Some of these brain-healing mushrooms are:

Lion's Mane

This type of functional fungus generally grows naturally on hardwood trees. As soon as you see the appearance of this mushroom, you will understand where it got its name.

It is bright white and has a fluffy, meaty texture, perfect for eating. In fact, lion's mane is quite famous in medicinal cuisine.

The cognitive-enhancing properties of the lion's mane mushroom give it the reputation of being the "brain's best friend" since it protects the brain from neurodegeneration. It can also improve memory, concentration, and focus.

In fact, Buddhist monks have long been using it as extra support to achieve better focus during their meditations. You can find lion's mane mushroom supplements in capsules and powder, and they can be great for boosting creativity, focus, and productivity during your busy workdays.

Reishi

This mushroom has a history of thousands of years of use in different cultures. Reishi is widely popular in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is also known as "lingzhi," which means "longevity and spirituality."

Reishi is so valued in Asia; you can find it in ancient scroll paintings described as "the bridge between earth and sky." Some also call it the "mushroom of immortality," the "ruler of herbs," and the "mushroom of spiritual potency."

Reishi is an adaptogenic mushroom that can support occasional stress and help you get a better night's sleep. Therefore, it is an excellent addition to your nightly wellness routine as, in addition to helping you relax and rest better, it will positively impact your brain while you sleep.

This mushroom has a naturally slightly bitter taste, so you may want to add your reishi supplement to a somewhat sweet evening drink or some type of beverage that tones down the natural bitterness of reishi a bit.

You can also go for reishi capsules and make the process easier for you.

Turkey Tail

This is another functional fungus that owes its name to its particular appearance. The turkey tail looks like a fanned turkey tail but with different colored stripes radiating from its edges.

The turkey tail fungus is a polypore; its fruiting body grows on the bottom of the fungus, and usually, this fungus grows on fallen and dead trees. Turkey tail is a functional fungus relatively abundant worldwide.

This mushroom has a naturally somewhat rubbery texture, so it is usually best consumed by people as tea.

However, it can be eaten if desired. In addition to its brain-protective properties, turkey tail also has prebiotic and antioxidant qualities that can help us a lot with our gut health.

Chaga

Generally moist and warm is the ideal environment for most mushrooms. Nevertheless, chaga does have the peculiarity of growing best in cold climate environments such as Canada, Siberia, North Korea, and some colder parts of the United States.

The chaga mushroom significantly increased its popularity in the 1940s during World War II because it became the last substitute for coffee since the latter was rationed. At the moment, this made a lot of sense since the color and flavor of Chaga are pretty similar to medium roasted coffee.

Chaga mushroom takes 15 to 20 years to mature fully, and the general rule with this mushroom is that the more mature, the better. The chaga mushroom has a very high content of antioxidants and beta-glucans that can promote the better functioning of our immune system.

Chaga is usually consumed in tea, although it can also be ground into a powder for use that way.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps is a genuinely curious type of fungus; used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries for its revitalizing properties. The life of cordyceps begins almost like a science fiction story since this fungus is an endoparasitoid, which means that it grows as a parasite, usually on the bodies of caterpillars.

Currently, there are other methods to cultivate this fungus. Even laboratories and brands sell vegan-friendly cordyceps capsules and cordyceps powder supplements that do not use caterpillars as a cultivation method.

Cordyceps are truly popular for their reputation for improving athletic performance, energy levels, stamina, and endurance. They can help with oxidative stress at the cellular level and aid in faster muscle recovery.

They can also help maintain a better mood, so it can be an ideal supplement to keep you moving and in good spirits during the day.

​Best Mushrooms for Cognition

Most medicinal mushrooms can help maintain better brain health thanks to their antioxidant qualities that protect cells from free radicals and oxidative stress that generally cause cell degeneration. But, there is scientific evidence to suggest that there are ways to preserve brain health with mushrooms.

Certain types of mushrooms, specifically lion's mane, chaga, and reishi, are especially effective at promoting brain health and improving cognitive abilities.

These mushrooms boost cognitive function scale and enhance mood, memory, concentration, and focus; they protect the brain from neurodegeneration and provide support for diseases.