✦ EVIDENCE & CLINICAL RESEARCH
The Science Behind Functional Mushrooms
We believe in radical transparency. Below, we break down 8 published peer-reviewed human trials and laboratory studies in plain English—covering real data, statistical significance, and acknowledged scientific limitations with direct links to PubMed and DOI journals.
Independent Research Notice: The studies summarised below represent independent, third-party scientific literature examining general mushroom species and isolated compounds. None of our commercial tinctures were tested in these trials. Food supplements are not medicines and must not be used as substitutes for a varied diet or medical treatment.
Acute & 28-Day Effects of Lion’s Mane on Stress, Mood and Cognitive Speed
Northumbria University conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating 43 healthy young adults (18–45 years). Participants took three 600mg capsules (1.8g/day) of Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) or matching cellulose placebo, tested 60 minutes after their first dose and again at Day 29.
- Cognitive Speed: 60 minutes post-dose, Stroop task reaction time dropped significantly from 738ms to 688ms (p=0.005).
- Stress Reduction: By Day 29, the Lion’s Mane group reported lower subjective stress on the Visual Analogue Scale (33.02 vs 42.53 on placebo, p=0.051).
Study Limits: Small sample size (43 participants); immediate word recall errors were slightly higher on Day 1; the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) showed no statistically significant divergence between groups.
Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail) on Post-Treatment Immune Recovery
Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Bastyr University investigated dose safety and immunological recovery in 11 women who had recently completed radiation therapy. Escalating daily oral doses (3g, 6g, and 9g) of Trametes versicolor extract were administered over 6 weeks.
- Natural Killer (NK) Activity: Significant increase in NK cell cytotoxicity observed at 6g/day dosage.
- Lymphocyte Counts: Dose-dependent increases in total CD8+ T cells and CD19+ B cells during the 6-week protocol.
- Tolerability: Well tolerated across all dose levels up to 9g daily without dose-limiting toxicities.
Study Limits: Early Phase 1 design with no placebo comparison arm; limited sample size (9 completers); focused strictly on immunological biomarkers rather than long-term clinical survival endpoints.
Daily Consumption of Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) and Human Immune & Inflammatory Markers
University of Florida researchers evaluated 52 healthy young adults (21–41 years) eating either 5g or 10g of whole dried Shiitake mushrooms daily over 4 weeks to measure changes in circulating white blood cells, mucosal immunity, and systemic inflammation.
- Cell Proliferation: 60% increase in γδ-T cell activity and a 100% doubling in NK-T cell proliferation (p < 0.0001).
- Inflammation: Serum C-Reactive Protein (CRP) decreased by ~30% from baseline (p = 0.008).
- Mucosal Defense: Significant elevation in secretory Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in saliva (p = 0.049).
Study Limits: Evaluated culinary consumption of whole cooked dried mushrooms rather than liquid extracts; no blinded placebo arm due to whole-food matrix challenges.
Randomised Trial of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) Polysaccharide Extract on Fatigue and Well-Being
A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial tested 132 patients diagnosed with neurasthenia (chronic fatigue syndrome characterized by persistent mental fatigue, irritability, and disturbed sleep). Patients received 5.4g daily of Ganopoly (Reishi polysaccharide extract) or placebo for 8 weeks.
- Fatigue Reduction: 28.3% decrease in fatigue severity scores (vs 20.1% on placebo).
- Clinical Efficacy: 51.6% of patients in the Reishi group exhibited marked clinical improvement vs 24.6% in the placebo group (p = 0.002).
- Sense of Well-Being: 38.7% improvement in general well-being index.
Study Limits: High experimental dosage (5.4g/day) of a specific proprietary polysaccharide; study conducted under ICD-10 neurasthenia criteria in China.
Phase I/II Trial of Oral Maitake (Grifola frondosa) Extract on Immune Modulation
Conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 34 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors free of disease were administered rising daily doses of a liquid Maitake polysaccharide extract (0.1 to 5.0 mg/kg twice daily) over 3 weeks.
- Immunomodulation: Statistically significant association between Maitake dose and cytokine response (p < 0.0005).
- Cytokine Balance: Intermediate dosages stimulated stimulatory cytokines (IL-2, IFN-Îł) alongside regulatory calming cytokines (IL-10).
- Safety: No dose-limiting toxicities occurred across the study duration.
Study Limits: Small cohort (6 subjects per dose arm); non-blinded early phase trial designed strictly for safety and surrogate blood biomarkers.
Randomised Controlled Trial on Cordyceps militaris Beverage and Human Immune Response
Published in Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio), researchers conducted an 8-week randomised double-blind placebo-controlled human trial in 40 healthy adults (25–60 years) evaluating an oral Cordyceps militaris preparation standardised to 2.85mg cordycepin against a matched placebo.
- NK Cell Activity: Significant increase in NK cytotoxicity in women compared to placebo at Week 8 (p = 0.023) and in men at Week 4 (p = 0.049).
- Inflammatory Markers: Significant reductions in pro-inflammatory IL-1β (p = 0.049) and IL-6 (p = 0.047).
- Metabolic Safety: Normal liver and kidney function profiles throughout 8 weeks.
Study Limits: Small subgroup sizes (10 per gender per group); investigated healthy adults; p-values bordered the 0.05 statistical significance threshold.
Inhibition of Oxidative DNA Damage in Human Lymphocytes by Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) Extract
Researchers at the University of Bradford evaluated the protective antioxidant effects of ethanolic Chaga extract on white blood cells (lymphocytes) collected from 20 patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and 20 healthy volunteers under induced hydrogen peroxide oxidative stress.
- DNA Protection in IBD: Chaga extract reduced chemical DNA damage in patient lymphocytes by 54.9% (p < 0.001).
- Protection in Healthy Cells: DNA damage reduced by 34.9% in healthy control lymphocytes (p < 0.001).
- Mechanism: Direct free radical scavenging via betulinic acid and high molecular weight melanin complexes.
Study Limits: In vitro laboratory assay on isolated human blood cells; does not measure in vivo human pharmacokinetic digestion, absorption, or clinical symptom outcomes.
Acute Effects of Hericium erinaceus Fruiting Body on Cognition and Motor Speed in Healthy Adults
Published in 2025 by University of Surrey researchers, 18 healthy younger adults completed a double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial testing 3g of standardised Lion’s Mane fruiting body extract on memory, psychomotor speed, and mood measured 90 minutes post-ingestion.
- Motor Dexterity: Significant improvement on the Grooved Pegboard manual dexterity test (p = 0.01).
- Headline Cognition: No statistically significant acute change in global memory scores at 90 minutes over placebo in peak-performing young adults.
Study Limits: Small cross-over sample (18 participants); single acute dose rather than chronic multi-week daily supplementation.