Use a mushroom blend made from the full fruiting body, not mycelium grown on grain (MOG).
The Mushroom Myth
I bought a popular “mushroom” coffee, thinking I was getting the power of Lion’s Mane and Chaga. I felt the energy from the caffeine, but nothing else. I dug deeper and discovered the mushroom myth. The product was made from “mycelium on grain,” which is mostly just the cheap grain filler the root system is grown on. I switched to a brand that used 100% fruiting body extracts. The difference was profound. I could actually feel the cognitive and immune benefits. I wasn’t drinking powdered rice anymore; I was finally getting the mushroom.
Stop taking a mushroom blend with a low dose of each mushroom. Do choose one with meaningful amounts or take individual mushrooms.
The Pixie Dust Problem
I was tempted by a mushroom blend that had ten different types of mushrooms listed on the label. It seemed so powerful. Then I did the math. The total serving size was small, meaning I was getting a tiny, ineffective “pixie dust” amount of each individual mushroom. It was a marketing gimmick. I learned it’s far more effective to choose a blend with fewer mushrooms but in meaningful, clinical doses, or to simply buy the individual mushroom extracts I really wanted. Don’t fall for the long ingredient list.
Stop thinking all mushrooms are the same. Do learn the difference between Reishi for calm, Cordyceps for energy, and Chaga for antioxidants.
The Fungi Family
I used to think “medicinal mushrooms” were all one category. This is like thinking all fruits are the same. I learned to appreciate the unique personalities of the fungi family. Reishi became my evening ritual for calming my stress and improving my sleep. Cordyceps became my pre-workout boost for energy and oxygen utilization. Chaga became my antioxidant powerhouse. By understanding their individual strengths, I could deploy them strategically throughout my day to get the exact effect I wanted.
The #1 secret for modulating your immune system (both up and down as needed) is a Reishi mushroom supplement.
The Immune Modulator
My immune system was a mess. Sometimes it was underactive and I’d get sick. Other times it was overactive and my allergies would flare up. It was out of balance. The secret that changed everything for me was Reishi. Unlike a simple “booster,” Reishi is an immune modulator. It’s intelligent. It can help to ramp up your immune defenses when you’re fighting an infection, but it can also help to calm down an overactive immune response. It doesn’t just push the gas; it brings the whole system back into harmony.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about mushroom supplements is that the stuff in “mushroom coffee” is a clinical dose.
The Coffee Con
Mushroom coffee is a brilliant marketing invention. It makes you feel like you’re getting a healthy, powerful dose of medicinal mushrooms with your morning caffeine. This is a lie. The amount of actual mushroom extract in most of these products is a tiny fraction of the dose that is used in clinical studies. You are paying a huge premium for a cup of coffee with a sprinkle of mushroom dust. The energy you feel is the caffeine. It’s a coffee con that’s making companies rich.
I wish I knew that a hot water extract of medicinal mushrooms was necessary to break down the chitin and get the benefits.
The Chitin Key
I once bought a bag of raw, powdered Reishi mushroom. I put it in my smoothies for a month and felt absolutely nothing. I was making a fundamental mistake. The beneficial compounds in mushrooms, the beta-glucans, are locked inside a tough, indigestible cell wall made of chitin. A hot water extraction is the key that unlocks the door. It breaks down the chitin and makes the good stuff bioavailable. Without the extraction, you are just eating expensive, indigestible fiber.
I’m just going to say it: Mycelium on grain is mostly a scam; you’re paying for grain powder, not mushroom.
The Grain Game
This is the dirtiest secret in the supplement industry. Many of the biggest “mushroom” brands in the US are not selling you mushrooms. They are selling you mycelium (the root system) grown on a block of sterilized grain, usually oats or rice. They then grind the entire block up—roots and grain—and sell it to you as a “mushroom” supplement. In reality, the product is mostly grain powder. It’s a deceptive and profitable game that tricks you into paying a premium for a vastly inferior product. Always choose the fruiting body.
99% of consumers make this one mistake when buying mushroom supplements: not checking if it’s a “fruiting body” extract.
The Two Most Important Words
A consumer sees “Organic Lion’s Mane” on the front of a bottle and thinks they are getting a high-quality product. This is the mistake. They are failing to look for the two most important words on the entire package: “Fruiting Body.” If the label doesn’t explicitly state that the product is made from the 100% fruiting body of the mushroom, you should assume that it is a mycelium-on-grain product and is therefore mostly filler. Those two words are the single most important indicator of quality and potency.
This one habit of drinking a daily cup of Reishi tea will change your stress levels and immune function forever.
The Tea of Tranquility
I was looking for a way to de-stress at the end of the day that wasn’t a glass of wine. I started the simple habit of drinking a cup of hot Reishi mushroom tea every evening. The earthy, slightly bitter taste was grounding, and the effect was profound. It wasn’t a sedative, but it melted away the stress and anxiety of the day, leaving me feeling calm and centered. This simple, daily ritual became my non-negotiable tool for managing stress and supporting my immune system.
If you’re still buying MOG mushroom supplements, you’re losing 90% of the benefits and your money.
The 90% Loss
When you buy a Mycelium on Grain (MOG) product, you are getting a product that is high in starch from the grain and low in the beneficial beta-glucans from the mushroom. You are losing out on the vast majority of the immune-modulating, cognitive-enhancing, and stress-reducing benefits that you are paying for. You are essentially paying full price for a ticket to a concert but only being allowed to listen from the parking lot. You are losing the experience, and you are losing your money.