10 Astounding Health Benefits of Mushrooms

If you’ve gotten the sense that mushroom breakthroughs and trend items have been popping up like, you know, mushrooms, it’s not your imagination. Medical, culinary and beauty experts have all been expanding on what our ancestors began to discover thousands of years ago. Hippocrates the Greek physician recognized the amadou mushroom as an anti-inflammatory and wound cauterizer around 450 BC. Scientists have classified more than 14,000 species of mushrooms so far. About 3 percent of those are poisonous, so you should make sure you know what you’re doing before you head into the woods with a basket, but around 4 percent are considered delicacies — and at least 270 are known to have therapeutic properties.

So, which mushrooms deserve your attention? And how should you use them? "It’s important for consumers to realize just because something is considered natural doesn't mean someone won’t react to it or have an allergy to it," notes Anthony M. Rossi, a dermatologic surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. When it comes to, say, improving your skin with mushroom extracts (as an endless array of buzzy cosmetic ads now promise you can), “I think one of the biggest questions is how well these substances actually penetrate the skin to cause an effect,” explains board-certified dermatologist Shoshana Marmon, assistant professor and director of clinical research in the department of dermatology at New York Medical College in New York City. “It is important to really understand if the benefits derived from ingestion of these mushroom extracts are replicated when applied as an ointment or cream.” And in many cases, that research is ongoing. Here, then, is what we know so far — and how you can eat and shop accordingly.

Hericium erinaceus — a shaggy white puffball better known by its descriptive common name, the lion’s mane mushroom — is gaining attention as a dietary supplement that could have a beneficial effect on cognitive impairment. In a 2019 study, “authors point to the high content of plant bioactive compounds that may improve brain health by reducing aspects that contribute to degeneration,” explains Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at Cleveland Clinic. According to a 2019 research review, other studies to date have also had positive results, and clinical trials are underway for lion’s mane products that could help prevent and improve symptoms of neurological afflictions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

A 2017 study found that lion’s mane has no known toxicity or side effects, but as with all new-to-you supplements, it’s best approached with your doctor’s guidance. If you’d like to try these mushrooms as a gourmet foodstuff that just happens to boost brain power, in turn, you can find them in Asian and specialty markets — or grow your own with a mini-kit from Far West Fungi.

“Although mushrooms have a long history of use in Chinese medicine, mainly as edible supplements, their incorporation into skincare is more recent,” Dr. Marmon notes. “Newer studies suggest that the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and lightening properties of these extracts are also effective when integrated into topical formulations.” Both shiitake and reishi mushrooms, for example, have active compounds that can help treat rosacea. Try toning and balancing angry skin with a gentle, reishi- and shiitake-fortified spray or a cleanser with cordyceps and reishi.