Mushroom Health Benefits: 7 Proven Effects on Your Body

The mushroom health benefits that researchers have spent decades documenting are finally reaching mainstream awareness — and the data is more striking than most people realize. A dose-response meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition found that consuming just 18 grams of mushrooms per day (roughly three medium button mushrooms) was associated with a 45% lower risk of total cancer compared to eating none at all. That is not a supplement trial. That is a finding from ordinary dietary intake. For a food most people treat as a pizza topping, that demands a second look.

The broader picture is equally compelling. Global mushroom production grew from approximately 1 billion kilograms in 1978 to 27 billion kilograms in 2012, according to research published in PMC6213178. Per capita consumption rose from 0.25 kg to 4 kg over the same period — a reflection of both culinary trends and a growing body of evidence positioning mushrooms as functional foods rather than mere garnishes.

This article breaks down what the peer-reviewed science actually says: which mushroom varieties target which health outcomes, what bioactive compounds drive those effects, where the evidence is strong, and where it is still preliminary. Whether you are evaluating your diet for general wellness or researching specific health conditions, the information here gives you a factually grounded starting point.

What Are Mushrooms? Understanding Mycelium and Bioactive Compounds

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi — the visible, spore-bearing structures that emerge from a far larger underground network called mycelium. Think of mycelium as the internet infrastructure of the forest: an invisible web of thread-like filaments that connects, communicates, and transports nutrients across soil and decaying organic matter. The mushroom you see above ground is just the tip of that biological iceberg.

Of an estimated 1.5 million fungal species on earth, approximately 110,000 have been scientifically identified, and around 16,000 are recognized as edible, according to a comprehensive review published on PMC (PMC11899115). Roughly 7,000 are valued for their taste and nutritional profile, and around 3,000 appear regularly in human diets.

What makes mushrooms nutritionally distinct from both plants and animals is their concentration of bioactive compounds — molecules that have measurable effects on biological processes. These include beta-glucans (long-chain sugars that modulate immune activity), ergothioneine (an antioxidant amino acid), terpenoids, phenolics, and ergosterol (the precursor to vitamin D2). Unlike most plant foods, mushrooms synthesize these compounds through pathways unique to the fungal kingdom, which partly explains why their health effects differ so markedly from conventional vegetables.

7 Common Mushroom Varieties and What Each One Does

Not all mushrooms are created equal. Different species concentrate different bioactive compounds, and matching a variety to a health goal is the practical starting point for most readers. Here are seven well-studied varieties, each with a distinct functional profile:

• Shiitake (Lentinula edodes): Contains eritadenine, beta-glucans, and lentinan; documented cholesterol-lowering and immune-modulating effects; used in nutrition and medicine since 600–1000 B.C.
• Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus): Contains hericenones (in fruiting body) and erinacines (in mycelium); preclinical and early clinical evidence for stimulating nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum): Rich in beta-glucans and triterpenoids; studied for immune modulation, cholesterol management via PCSK9 inhibition, and adaptogenic effects.
• Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus): Contains mevinolin (lovastatin), a natural HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitor — the same class of compound used in statin medications — with documented lipid-lowering potential.
• Maitake (Grifola frondosa): Contains D-fraction polysaccharides; researched for blood sugar regulation and immune support; included in USDA nutrient analysis studies.
• Portobello / White Button / Crimini (Agaricus bisporus): The most commercially common species; copper-rich; activates bone-marrow derived macrophages in laboratory studies; versatile sodium-low meat substitute.
• Chaga (Inonotus obliquus): High antioxidant load; frequently cited in functional mushroom literature for its phenolic and melanin content; typically consumed as a tea or extract.
• Enoki (Flammulina velutipes): Mild flavor; lower calorie density; included in USDA nutrient datasets; contains bioactive polysaccharides under ongoing study.

Nutritional Profile: How Key Mushroom Varieties Compare Per Serving

Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, and cholesterol-free — but that barely scratches the surface of their nutritional value. The USDA ARS confirmed that all seven commonly analyzed varieties provide meaningful amounts of copper, with one cup of stir-fried white button mushrooms delivering approximately 0.3 mg of copper, or about one-third of the recommended daily intake for adults. They also supply B vitamins, selenium, potassium, and zinc at relatively low energy cost.

Vitamin D content, however, varies dramatically depending on UV exposure during cultivation. The table below draws on the USDA ARS primary vitamin D and sterol dataset and published nutritional analyses:

One critical note the data makes clear: most supermarket mushrooms grown in dark conditions contain negligible vitamin D — often less than 2% of the daily value per serving. UV-treated commercial mushrooms, now widely available in the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Australia, deliver at least 10 µg of vitamin D2 per 100g, providing between 50% and 100% of daily requirements, as confirmed by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

The 7 Core Mushroom Health Benefits Supported by Research

The evidence base for mushroom health benefits spans thousands of peer-reviewed publications. The following seven benefits represent areas where institutional health sources, meta-analyses, or randomized controlled trials provide the strongest support. Each is distinct, mechanistically grounded, and practically actionable.

1. Reduced Cancer Risk — The Meta-Analysis Evidence

The cancer-protective association of mushroom consumption is no longer limited to cell culture studies. A dose-response meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition (PMC8483951 — Ba et al., 2021) found that consuming 18 grams of mushrooms per day was associated with a 45% lower risk of total cancer relative to zero consumption. A separate meta-analysis reported that each additional 1 gram per day increment of mushroom intake is associated with a 3% decrease in breast cancer risk (RR=0.97; 95% CI=0.96–0.98).

The biological mechanism involves multiple pathways. Beta-glucans such as lentinan from Lentinula edodes and D-fraction from Grifola frondosa suppress tumor growth, enhance immune surveillance, and sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy, according to a 2025 PMC review (PMC12756031). Clinically, polysaccharide preparations including lentinan and PSK/PSP from Trametes versicolor have been used as chemotherapy adjuvants in some settings. The evidence here is stronger than many single-food cancer associations, though it is observational rather than interventional at the population level.

2. Cholesterol Lowering — Three Pathways in One Food

Shiitake is arguably the most studied mushroom for cardiovascular lipid management. It contains three distinct cholesterol-lowering agents: eritadenine (an adenine derivative that inhibits an enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway), beta-glucans (which bind bile acids in the gut and reduce cholesterol reabsorption), and phytosterols (which compete with dietary cholesterol for intestinal absorption). The cholesterol-reducing effect of eritadenine was documented in both animal and human studies by Suzuki and Oshima as far back as 1976.

Oyster mushrooms add a different mechanism entirely. They contain mevinolin, a natural form of lovastatin — the active compound in the prescription statin Mevacor — which inhibits the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme central to endogenous cholesterol synthesis. Reishi contributes yet another pathway: its beta-glucans may reduce cholesterol by inhibiting PCSK9 protein activity, according to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in PMC (PMC9914031). For readers already managing cholesterol with medication, this is worth discussing with a clinician — not replacing therapy with mushrooms, but understanding that dietary choices carry real metabolic weight. You can also explore other evidence-based approaches at Cholesterol Lowering Supplements That Work.

3. Brain Health and Cognitive Support — Lion’s Mane in Focus

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is the most thoroughly researched mushroom for neurological health. Its fruiting body contains hericenones, and its mycelium contains erinacines — and this distinction matters practically, because the two compounds originate from different parts of the mushroom. Commercial products vary significantly in whether they derive from fruiting bodies, mycelium, or both, which affects their active compound profile.

A Frontiers in Nutrition 2025 systematic review confirmed that erinacines stimulate the synthesis of both NGF (nerve growth factor) and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), and that they prevent neuronal death, promote neurite outgrowth, and support neuronal function maintenance. On the clinical side:

• A 16-week RCT of 30 people with mild cognitive impairment found that Lion’s Mane supplementation improved cognitive test performance — though performance declined after treatment ended (Mori et al.).
• A 12-week RCT of 31 healthy adults over 50 showed improved cognitive function on one of three measures assessed.
• A pilot double-blind RCT of 41 adults (aged 18–45) found that a single 1.8g dose improved Stroop task performance at 60 minutes (p=0.005), and 28-day supplementation showed a trend toward reduced subjective stress (p=0.051), published in MDPI Nutrients 2023 (PMC10675414).

The honest summary: evidence is promising but not conclusive. Larger and longer trials are needed, and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation notes the current findings as “preliminary.” Still, no other food has comparable NGF/BDNF-stimulating data. This aligns conceptually with the broader evidence on botanical adaptogens — see Health Benefits of Ashwagandha for a related comparison.

4. Vitamin D Production — The Only Plant-Kingdom Food That Qualifies

Mushrooms are the only commercially available fruit or vegetable that naturally produces vitamin D — specifically vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) — through a UV-conversion reaction that mirrors how human skin synthesizes vitamin D3. The precursor compound is ergosterol, present in the cell membranes of all edible mushrooms. When exposed to ultraviolet light, ergosterol converts to ergocalciferol at a rate determined by the intensity and duration of UV exposure.

The variability across varieties and growing conditions is significant. According to the USDA ARS primary dataset, vitamin D2 content ranges from just 0.1–0.3 µg/100g in white button and enoki mushrooms grown in standard dark conditions, to 5.2–28.1 µg/100g in maitake and wild chanterelles exposed to sunlight naturally. UV-treated commercial portobello mushrooms range from 3.4–20.9 µg/100g. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements confirms that the FDA has approved UV-treated mushroom powder as a food additive for use as a vitamin D2 source in packaged foods.

One practical takeaway: slicing mushrooms and placing them gill-side up in direct sunlight for 15 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. produces measurable vitamin D2 increases, according to published research. The NIH notes that vitamin D2 from mushrooms may be slightly less potent than vitamin D3 at raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels — a nuance worth knowing if you are relying on mushrooms as a primary source.

5. Immune Modulation — Training the System, Not Just Stimulating It

The term “immune boosting” is imprecise and often misleading. What mushroom beta-glucans actually do is closer to what researchers now call trained immunity — a process by which innate immune cells are reprogrammed at the epigenetic level to respond more effectively to future threats. The distinction matters: you do not want an indiscriminate immune surge (that is autoimmunity), you want a more capable, better-calibrated immune system.

The evidence includes a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (84 days, adults aged 18–55) in which reishi beta-glucan supplementation significantly enhanced CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-lymphocyte counts, CD4/CD8 ratio, and natural killer cell counts versus placebo (PMC9914031). A separate 4-week RCT of dried shiitake (Dai et al., 2015) improved immune markers and lowered C-reactive protein (CRP) — a marker of systemic inflammation — in healthy adults.

Laboratory research shows that Agaricus bisporus extracts activate bone-marrow derived macrophages without activating intestinal enterocytes, suggesting a targeted immunostimulatory effect with potential relevance for immunodeficient individuals (PubMed 19885842).

6. Gut Microbiota Support — Prebiotic Function Below the Surface

Mushrooms contain non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDOs) and other polysaccharides that function as prebiotic substrates — essentially, food for beneficial gut bacteria. Unlike digestible nutrients, these compounds pass through the stomach largely intact and reach the large intestine, where they selectively support microbial populations associated with metabolic health and immune regulation.

Research published in PMC (PMC9686513) found that shiitake supplementation in rats altered the growth of specific gut microbes including Clostridium and Bacteroides species and helped manage dyslipidemia through microbiota modulation. Ergothioneine — an antioxidant amino acid found across edible mushroom species — also serves as a substrate for gut microflora, adding a secondary pathway to mushroom-mediated gut health benefits. Reishi extracts have additionally shown anti-inflammatory effects that may improve intestinal barrier integrity.

7. Dietary Sodium Reduction — The Umami Advantage

Mushrooms are naturally very low in sodium and fat, and their intense umami flavor — derived from glutamate and ribonucleotides — makes them an unusually effective partial meat substitute. Substituting mushrooms for a portion of ground beef, for example, reduces total sodium and saturated fat intake without sacrificing palatability, as documented in PMC11899115. This is a practical, everyday dietary strategy rather than a supplement protocol.

The mechanism is simply sensory: umami compounds satisfy savory taste receptors in a way that reduces the perceived need to add salt. For readers managing hypertension or following sodium-restricted diets, this positions mushrooms as a functional culinary tool — not just a health food. If blood glucose management is also a concern, the low glycemic index of shiitake (~32) makes it particularly useful; see Best Home Blood Glucose Monitors for tools to track dietary impacts.

How Mushrooms Work in the Body: A Plain-Language Mechanism Explainer

So what exactly makes beta-glucans so effective at immune modulation? The process is more elegant than a simple “stimulation” — and understanding it reframes why mushrooms are taken seriously by immunologists.

When beta-glucans (essentially long-chain sugars built from glucose units linked at beta positions) enter the digestive tract, they are captured by macrophages — the immune system’s first-responder cells — primarily via a receptor called Dectin-1. Think of Dectin-1 as a mail slot specifically shaped to receive beta-glucan signals. Once captured, the beta-glucans are internalized, broken into smaller fragments, and transported to the bone marrow and reticuloendothelial system, where those fragments are released and taken up by circulating granulocytes and monocytes via a second receptor called complement receptor 3 (CR3).

This is where the fire-drill analogy becomes useful: beta-glucans do not start a fire. They run the drill. By activating this receptor cascade without an actual pathogen present, they leave immune cells in a heightened state of readiness — primed to mount faster and more coordinated phagocytosis (the engulfing and destruction of foreign cells) when a real threat arrives. This trained immunity framework, rather than simple immune stimulation, is the current mechanistic consensus in immunology research, supported by PMC8308413.

Polysaccharide bioavailability is the other frequently misunderstood variable. Not all ingested polysaccharides reach target tissues in active form. Bioavailability — how much of a compound the body can actually absorb and use — depends on molecular weight, degree of branching, and whether the compound survives gastric acid. High-molecular-weight beta-glucans in whole mushrooms are generally less bioavailable than lower-weight fragments produced by enzymatic or extraction processes, which partly explains why standardized extracts sometimes show different results than whole food consumption in clinical trials. Cooking also matters: heat can increase the extractability of some bioactive compounds from mushroom cell walls.

Bioactive Compounds in Mushrooms: What Each One Does

• Beta-glucans: Long-chain polysaccharides (D-glucose polymers with beta-glycosidic bonds); modulate innate immunity via Dectin-1, CR3, and toll-like receptors; highest concentrations found in Hypsizygus tessellatus (~80% w/w) and Lentinus edodes (~70% w/w) among commonly studied species.
• Lentinan: A specific beta-glucan polysaccharide from shiitake; regulates TNF-α, IL-2, and IFN-γ; documented antiviral and antitumor activity; used as a chemotherapy adjuvant in some clinical settings.
• Ergothioneine: A stable antioxidant amino acid found across edible species; reduces oxidative stress and vascular inflammation; also serves as a prebiotic substrate for gut microflora.
• Ergosterol: The fungal equivalent of cholesterol; converts to vitamin D2 upon UV exposure in a reaction analogous to human skin synthesizing vitamin D3 from sunlight — making mushrooms the only non-animal food with this capacity.
• Eritadenine: An adenine derivative unique to shiitake; inhibits a key enzyme in the methionine cycle affecting cholesterol synthesis; reduces plasma cholesterol in documented animal and human studies.
• Hericenones and Erinacines: Compounds unique to H. erinaceus; hericenones originate in the fruiting body, erinacines in the mycelium; both increase NGF and BDNF synthesis in preclinical models, with erinacines showing the stronger neurotrophic signal.
• Terpenoids / Triterpenoids: Secondary metabolites particularly concentrated in reishi; contribute to anti-inflammatory, adaptogenic, and potential anticancer effects; some triterpenoids suppress tumor growth and enhance immune surveillance according to PMC12756031.
• Phenolics (HBAs and HCAs): Hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids found across edible mushroom varieties; primary contributors to measurable antioxidant capacity (shiitake hydrophilic ORAC = 21.3 µM TE/g; lipophilic ORAC = 9.3 µM TE/g).
• Non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDOs): Act as prebiotic substrates that selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria, supporting microbiome diversity and downstream metabolic and immune effects.

Are Mushrooms Safe to Eat? Toxicity, Wild Foraging, and Drug Interactions

For commercially cultivated mushrooms purchased from a grocery store or reputable supplier, the safety profile is well-established. The risks associated with mushrooms are real, but they are concentrated in specific, avoidable situations — understanding the difference is essential.

Mycotoxin Risk and Wild Foraging Danger

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi under specific conditions. In commercially cultivated mushrooms under standard food safety protocols, mycotoxin risk is negligible. The serious danger lies in wild foraging. Of the approximately 16,000 identified edible mushroom species, a meaningful number of toxic lookalikes exist — and several are lethal. The death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides), for instance, is responsible for the majority of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide, and it is visually similar to several edible species.

Wild foraging is not inherently irresponsible — but it requires verified, expert-level identification skills. For the vast majority of readers, commercially cultivated mushrooms are the only practical recommendation. Think of it this way: the risk-to-benefit ratio of wild foraging is similar to the risk-to-benefit ratio of wiring your own electrical panel — technically possible for the knowledgeable, dangerous for everyone else.

Drug Interactions: Two Specific Contraindications

Concentrated mushroom extracts — particularly reishi and other immunoactive species — carry documented interaction risks for specific medication users:

• Immunosuppressants: Patients on immunosuppressive therapy (such as post-organ transplant protocols or treatments for autoimmune conditions) should consult a clinician before using concentrated mushroom extracts. The immune-activating properties of beta-glucans can theoretically counteract immunosuppression, as flagged by institutional sources including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
• Anticoagulants (Warfarin/blood thinners): Reishi mushroom use has been associated with increased anticoagulant effect in patients on warfarin, with potential risk of bleeding complications. This is a documented interaction requiring medical supervision.

A 49-week clinical trial of Lion’s Mane supplementation reported adverse effects in three of 49 participants in the treatment group, including abdominal discomfort, nausea, and skin rash (Li et al., 2020). Shiitake dermatitis — a flagellate, whip-mark rash — can develop in some individuals who consume shiitake raw or undercooked, caused by lentinan that is denatured by heat. Thoroughly cooking shiitake eliminates this risk in most cases. You might also find our article on Preventing Cognitive Decline: A Data-Driven Framework for Lifelong Brain Health helpful.

Limitations and Disadvantages of Eating Mushrooms

The evidence for mushroom health benefits is genuinely compelling, but intellectual honesty requires naming what the science does not yet fully support:

• Allergic reactions and dermatitis: Some individuals develop contact or ingestion-related reactions, including shiitake dermatitis from raw or undercooked mushrooms. Food allergies to fungal proteins, though uncommon, do occur.
• Drug interactions in specific populations: As noted above, concentrated extracts interact with immunosuppressants and anticoagulants. Even whole food consumption warrants a conversation with a prescribing clinician for patients on these medications.
• Dosage standardization is unresolved: Clinical trials use widely varying doses — from 1.8g to 10g per day, across 4 to 49 weeks, in different forms (dried whole mushroom, extract powder, capsule). Cross-study comparisons are unreliable, and commercially available supplements do not have standardized dosing benchmarks backed by regulatory authority.
• Vitamin D content is negligible in standard supermarket mushrooms: Unless labeled as UV-treated, most commercially grown mushrooms deliver less than 2% of the daily vitamin D value per serving. Consumers who rely on mushrooms as a vitamin D source should verify UV-treatment on packaging.
• Nutrient values vary significantly by growing conditions: Substrate composition, environmental parameters, maturity stage, and post-harvest storage all substantially affect the nutritional and bioactive compound profile — meaning that general nutrient claims for any given variety are inherently approximate, as documented in PMC11899115.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mushroom Health Benefits

How many mushrooms should you eat per day to get health benefits?

The meta-analysis that found a 45% reduction in cancer risk used 18 grams per day as the threshold — roughly two to three medium button mushrooms. For immune benefit, the Dai et al. (2015) RCT used 5–10 grams of dried shiitake daily for four weeks. For cognitive effects, the Lion’s Mane RCT in healthy adults used 1.8 grams daily (as a standardized extract) for 28 days. These figures suggest that meaningful benefit is achievable at culinary quantities — not pharmacological doses. However, there is no single universally established “recommended dose” for mushrooms as a health intervention.

Should you eat whole mushrooms or take mushroom supplements?

The answer depends on the goal. For general nutrition, gut health support, and dietary variety, whole food mushroom consumption is supported by the strongest and most consistent evidence base. Supplements may be more practical for readers targeting specific therapeutic outcomes (such as cognitive support via Lion’s Mane erinacine A, or immune modulation via standardized beta-glucan extracts), but the evidence for supplement forms is less conclusive than for whole food consumption, and quality varies significantly across commercial products. One critical variable: Lion’s Mane supplements derived from mycelium contain erinacines; those from fruiting body only contain hericenones. Look for products that specify both or disclose sourcing clearly.

Which mushroom is best for which health condition?

Based on the strongest available evidence, the most defensible pairings are:

• Brain health / cognitive support: Lion’s Mane (H. erinaceus) — for NGF/BDNF stimulation.
• Immune modulation: Reishi (G. lucidum) — for T-lymphocyte and NK cell enhancement in RCT data.
• Cholesterol management: Shiitake — for eritadenine, beta-glucan, and sterol triple action; Oyster — for lovastatin content.
• Blood sugar regulation: Maitake — for D-fraction polysaccharide research.
• Antioxidant and general wellness: Dietary variety across common edible species (portobello, oyster, shiitake, enoki) provides the broadest spectrum of bioactive compounds.

Are mushrooms safe during pregnancy or for people on medication?

Culinary mushrooms consumed in normal dietary quantities are generally considered safe during pregnancy for most individuals (though this should be confirmed with a healthcare provider, as individual circumstances vary). However, pregnant and lactating women were excluded from Lion’s Mane clinical trials, meaning safety in pregnancy for supplemental doses has not been established. For medication users — particularly those on warfarin, immunosuppressants, or diabetes medications — concentrated mushroom extracts carry interaction risks that require clinician input before use. As a general dietary food, commercially cultivated mushrooms pose minimal medication interaction risk at normal serving sizes.

What the Research Consensus Means for Your Diet

The accumulated evidence for mushroom health benefits, reviewed across peer-reviewed journals indexed in PubMed and PMC, institutional sources including the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, the USDA ARS, and clinical reviews from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, supports one clear practical conclusion: mushrooms are among the most nutrient-dense and bioactively complex foods available at a grocery store.

For most readers, the most evidence-backed action is also the simplest — increase dietary variety by incorporating two to three servings of different mushroom species per week. Shiitake for cardiovascular and immune benefit, oyster for lipid management, Lion’s Mane powder in coffee or capsules if cognitive support is a specific priority, and UV-treated button or portobello mushrooms as a reliable vitamin D2 source. For those interested in how mushroom-based dietary strategies compare to other bioactive food interventions, the evidence-based overview at Health Benefits of Olive Oil offers useful context for Mediterranean-style dietary patterns.

What the evidence does not support is substituting mushroom consumption for medical treatment of specific diseases, or assuming that all commercial mushroom supplements deliver what their labels claim. The gap between preclinical promise and clinical proof remains real across several benefit categories — particularly cancer treatment adjuvancy and long-term cognitive enhancement. According to studies published in peer-reviewed journals including Advances in Nutrition, Frontiers in Nutrition, and Frontiers in Microbiology, mushrooms are powerful functional foods with a strong and growing evidence base — not miracle cures, but genuinely among the most promising whole foods for long-term health that most people are not eating nearly enough of.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, beginning any supplement regimen, or making decisions about medical treatment. Individual health needs vary, and information presented here is based on available published research at the time of writing. The authors do not recommend self-treating any medical condition with mushrooms or mushroom-derived supplements without professional guidance.