Medicinal Mushrooms

There are many mushrooms with medicinal properties. The use of mushrooms in traditional ancient therapies dates back at least to the Neolithic age. For millennia, mushrooms have been valued as edible and medicinal provisions for humankind. Medicinal mushrooms have a key place among the remedies used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many of the mushrooms that we now research and use medicinally in Western societies have been a part of everyday living, cuisine and traditional medicine in Eastern cultures for time immemorial. Contemporary science’s understanding of medicinal fungi grows with every study published, demonstrating potent and unique properties of compounds extracted from a range of mushrooms. Zen Maitri offers a Mushroom Power Mix that contains a range of potent medicinal mushrooms – all of which have been linked to a host of health benefits. Chaga and maitake are rich sources of antioxidants and are packed with beta-glucans that support healthy cholesterol levels. Several trials have linked lion’s mane to enhanced memory, cognitive function and nervous system support. Reishi, maitake, cordyceps, chaga and other medicinal mushrooms are also rich in vitamin D, which is essential to the healthy functioning of the immune system. Cordyceps and reishi have been found to support immune function and boost physical endurance. We use the best extraction methods to deliver the full benefits of each mushroom in this potent mix.

Many mushrooms can boost and/or modulate immune function, supporting your body’s natural defences to function in an effective and balanced way. They can for instance stimulate your natural defences to keep infections at bay, and at the same time modulate overly active immune reactions where needed. Reishi is a well-studied example of an immune-boosting mushroom. It activates cytokines which enhance the production of white blood cells and antibodies; and it also has anti-inflammatory properties. Lion’s mane, chaga and maitake have similar benefits – among a host of other ones (e.g. antioxidant activity to protect cells from damage from any kind of stressor; beta-glucans which support healthy cholesterol levels; supporting the nervous system in various ways). All of these mushrooms are included in our Mushroom Power Mix.

Lion's mane is a powerful mushroom that is scientifically proven to improve memory, cognitive function, and to protect the brain and the nervous system. It’s been used in Eastern Medicine for millennia, and over the past years and decades there has been an impressive range of promising research on the mushroom, showing that it effectively protects neurons, enhances cognition and supports the nervous system in unique ways. Several studies show that it can help uplift mood, that it improves memory and concentration, and even that it can ease symptoms associated with depression and with degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

One of the ways that Lion's mane achieves its protective and regenerative effects is by stimulating your body to naturally produce two compounds: nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). These substances are essential in creating new cells and strengthening the ones you already have. They keep your brain resilient against stress and ageing.

In addition to these effects on the brain, studies show that Lion’s mane also helps modulate inflammation, balances cholesterol levels, stimulates digestion, eases ulcers and acidity, reduces the risk of cancer, and boosts the immune system.

This mushroom grows throughout Asia and in other parts of the world in white, globular fruits with long, shaggy tendrils that look like a white lion’s mane. It has a very long history of culinary and medicinal use.

Zen Maitri offers Lion’s mane supplements to conveniently enable you to bring in the potency of these mushrooms into your day-to-day life. These are plant-based capsules containing concentrated Lion's Mane extract. The capsules contain 100% lion’s mane, and they are entirely suitable for vegans. You can take two of these capsules per day, with water, with breakfast for example. Two capsules provide you with 1,300 mg of Lion’s mane (a mixture of organic biomass and organic dual extract). This is superior to the dose required for measurable improvements in cognitive impairment (see for example this study, which analysed an intake of 250 mg tablets 3 times a day for 16 weeks – so 750 mg total taken per day –, and found significantly increased scores of cognitive function compared to placebo).

Lion’s mane is also included in our Mushroom Power Mix, a delicious powder mix that harnesses the potent benefits of a range of medicinal mushrooms and which can be conveniently added into your morning coffee, into shakes and smoothies, or mixed into stir-fries, risottos and soups for a healthy boost.

There are several medicinal mushrooms that can be particularly beneficial for respiratory health. One key example is cordyceps – a parasitic fungus that grows on caterpillars throughout Asia. It has been used for millennia to increase stamina and endurance. It has been scientifically shown to improve tolerance to high-intensity exercise: it stimulates the enzyme lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), which enables your body to more efficiently eliminate lactic acid (which can lead to muscle cramps), and it increases the availability of adenosine triphosphate to power up muscles for exercise. In-vitro research has also shown that Cordyceps helps decrease smoking-related cellular damage in the lungs. Studies also suggest that it can be an effective treatment for allergic asthma.

Cordyceps is included in our Mushroom Power Mix, a delicious powder mix that harnesses the potent benefits of a range of medicinal mushrooms and which can be conveniently added into your morning coffee, into shakes and smoothies, or mixed into stir-fries, risottos and soups for a healthy boost.

Maitake means “dancing mushroom” in Japanese – it is said to have been given this name after people danced with happiness upon finding it in the wild, because of its potent healing properties. It is also known as hen-of-the-woods, sheep’s head and ram’s head.

Maitake is revered for its taste in cooking and its tonic action for the body, as it increases vitality and longevity. It is rich in antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins (particularly B vitamins and vitamin D2) and minerals (including potassium, calcium and magnesium). It is an adaptogen, which means it increases resilience to stress, helping to regulate the body’s systems in the face of mental or physical difficulty.

It boosts immune function, supports the elimination of metabolic waste, lowers cholesterol, balances blood sugar levels, alleviates inflammation and soothes the digestive tract.

Maitake is included in our Mushroom Power Mix, a delicious powder mix that harnesses the potent benefits of a range of medicinal mushrooms and which can be conveniently added into your morning coffee, into shakes and smoothies, or mixed into stir-fries, risottos and soups for a healthy boost.

Known as the “mushroom of immortality”, reishi has been used for centuries as a longevity tonic. It grows at the base of hardwood trees, where it forms large, dark mushrooms, with varying colours from reddish-orange to black.

There is robust scientific evidence showing that Reishi mushrooms can enhance immunity, relieve insomnia, reduce fatigue (especially when due to low oxygen levels), lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, improve resilience to stress, protect against free radical damage and act as a natural anti-allergenic (making it very useful in cases of asthma and allergies).

Reishi belongs to a class of medicines known as adaptogens. These powerful substances support the homeostasis of the body and support resilience to stress of all kinds – physical, chemical, biological, and mental.

Reishi mushrooms are particularly rare in the wild, and increased demand means Reishi is now one of the most widely cultivated medicinal mushrooms to avoid endangering it.

The exact way Reishi's immune-boosting powers work remains uncertain, but scientific studies have shown multiple positive effects. Some of these include increasing the number of white blood cells in the body, altering inflammation pathways, and improving lymphocyte function.

Reishi is included in our Mushroom Power Mix, a delicious powder mix that harnesses the potent benefits of a range of medicinal mushrooms and which can be conveniently added into your morning coffee, into shakes and smoothies, or mixed into stir-fries, risottos and soups for a healthy boost.

Chaga is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods available on the planet – with higher antioxidant activity than blueberries, turmeric and açaï. This means it protects cells against free radical damage from environmental toxins and other stressors, and studies suggest it can help prevent cancer and decrease the proliferation of cancerous cells.

Chaga has a long history of traditional use as an immune-booster, natural anti-inflammatory and gut soother – among a range of other uses. Research shows that it can help reduce fatigue, enhance immunity, improve mental function, soothe inflammation (particularly in the gut), support liver function and relieve skin conditions like psoriasis.

Like many medicinal mushrooms, chaga is packed with beta-glucans, which have an array of health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, enhancing immunity and improving heart function.

The best chaga supplements come from natural sources. Our chaga is wild-harvested and guaranteed organic. We use a combination of hot water extracts, ethanolic extracts, mycelial biomass, fruiting bodies and synergistic nutrients to optimise the delivery of chaga's many health benefits.

Chaga is included in our Mushroom Power Mix, a delicious powder mix that harnesses the potent benefits of a range of medicinal mushrooms and which can be conveniently added into your morning coffee, into shakes and smoothies, or mixed into stir-fries, risottos and soups for a healthy boost.