What Are Medicinal Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are remarkably versatile. Certain species play a role in the maturation of cheese or wine. Molds are also familiar to us in contexts beyond damp walls in our homes—for example through the development of penicillin.
From a botanical perspective, fungi are considered a distinct kingdom and are not classified as plants. However, medicinal mushrooms differ significantly from the edible mushrooms we are familiar with in terms of appearance, habitat, and active compounds. That said, some of the medicinal mushrooms mentioned here are also popular as edible mushrooms.
In China and Japan, such “health-promoting mushrooms” have been valued for around 4,000 years. Both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine are partly based on the active compounds found in numerous herbs, tree barks, roots, as well as foods and natural stimulants. Within TCM and Ayurveda, various plant or mushroom components were traditionally combined to make beneficial use of bitter compounds, minerals, vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, flavonoids, and polyphenols.
Medicinal Mushrooms in the Spotlight
You may be wondering whether the belief in their effects is merely driven by placebo responses—or whether the unique combination of active compounds found in medicinal mushroom extracts can genuinely act as a strengthening agent. Modern science has long taken an interest in the constituents of various plants within fields such as ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, and pharmacology. As a result, medicinal mushrooms have also come into the spotlight of scientific attention.
Mushrooms consist largely of water and contain small amounts of dietary fiber. However, they also contain a range of remarkable compounds that are rarely found elsewhere in the plant kingdom.
In Germany, medicinal mushroom extracts are primarily used as dietary supplements. In some cases, their extracts are also added to selected lifestyle products. None of the medicinal mushrooms mentioned here are commonly valued as edible mushrooms in this country.
Research into the remaining mysteries and yet-undiscovered active compounds in medicinal mushrooms may take many more years. Nevertheless, the beneficial effects of medicinal mushrooms are already well known to many people. It may not be essential whether or when the complete nutrient profile of medicinal mushrooms is fully unraveled or whether scientific findings will ultimately confirm traditional medical knowledge. For many people, it is not necessary to understand in detail why something works—what matters most is that it does.
Forms of Medicinal Mushrooms: Tinctures or Capsules with Powder
We offer our medicinal mushroom products either as powdered capsules or as tinctures in our online shop. Medicinal mushroom preparations are now also widely available from many online retailers in Germany. Whenever possible, certified organic products free from contaminants should be preferred.
With our Chaikovsky Chai Teas, we combine our medicinal mushrooms with additional micronutrients. In addition, we also offer pure, unadulterated medicinal mushroom products containing only a single mushroom species. Medicinal mushroom powder contains all vital compounds in their undiluted form. However, the bioavailability of mushroom-specific polysaccharides—such as beta-glucans—can be improved through gentle extraction with hot water.
Information on Individual Medicinal Mushroom Varieties
Our medicinal mushrooms are available as highly purified extracts with highly concentrated polysaccharides, as well as in capsule form containing finely milled, natural powder made from the whole mushroom in raw-food quality to preserve valuable mushroom enzymes. Since each medicinal mushroom species has its own individual properties and an equally unique profile of vital compounds, they are presented individually below.
Cordyceps Organic Medicinal Mushroom
Alternative names: Cordyceps militaris, scarlet caterpillarclub, Chinese caterpillar fungus
Countries of origin: Tibet, Bhutan
Nutrient profile: polysaccharides, vitamins, trace elements, and cordycepin
Additional information: The mycelium of this ascomycete fungus grows parasitically through the larva or pupa of a caterpillar species that has burrowed into the soil, ultimately causing the host to die. It is found only in high-altitude regions above 4,000 meters.
Cordyceps organic medicinal mushroom has been used for more than 1,000 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a strengthening tonic. It has become increasingly rare, and prices continue to rise due to its scarcity.
In our shop, we offer Cordyceps organic medicinal mushroom powder in capsules as well as a Cordyceps organic medicinal mushroom tincture for purchase.
Reishi Organic Medicinal Mushroom
Alternative names: Ganoderma lucidum, varnished conk, Ling Zhi mushroom, mushroom of immortality, ten-thousand-year mushroom, spirit plant
Countries of origin: primarily China; grows preferentially in beech and oak forests and is now also cultivated
Nutrient profile: polysaccharides, β-D-glucose, ganoderanes, polysaccharides, and triterpenes; rich in macronutrients
Additional information: Reishi organic medicinal mushroom has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for more than 4,000 years.
In our shop, we offer Reishi organic medicinal mushroom powder in capsules as well as a Reishi organic medicinal mushroom tincture for purchase.
Hericium Organic Medicinal Mushroom
Alternative names: Hericium erinaceus, bearded tooth mushroom, lion’s mane, monkey head mushroom, yamabushitake, houtou, pom-pom mushroom
Countries of origin: rarely found growing wild; mainly cultivated and therefore distributed worldwide, including in Europe
Nutrient profile: Hericium organic medicinal mushroom contains the complete profile of all eight essential amino acids, as well as water-soluble polysaccharides
Additional information: The Hericium organic medicinal mushroom primarily grows on injured areas of dead or aging deciduous trees and has been cultivated in Asia and other countries since the 1950s.
In our shop, we offer Hericium organic medicinal mushroom powder in capsules as well as a Hericium organic medicinal mushroom tincture for purchase.
Chaga Organic Medicinal Mushroom
Alternative names: Chaga, birch conk, known in Norway as Kreftkjuke (cancer conk)
Countries of origin: Siberia; primarily found in cold regions of the world
Nutrient profile: rich in minerals, high melanin content, low protein and cellulose content; also contains flavonoids, sterols such as inotodiol, betulin, triterpenes, tannins, lectins, polysaccharides such as β-glucans and heteroglycans, as well as protein-bound polysaccharides. In addition, it contains small amounts of acetic, butyric, and oxalic acids.
Additional information: Chaga organic medicinal mushroom grows exclusively on birch trees and is considered a precursor stage of the true birch conk. In Russia and China, it is a commonly used source of vital compounds and a popular strengthening tonic. It is regarded as a highly potent antioxidant.
In our shop, we offer Chaga organic medicinal mushroom powder in capsules as well as a Chaga organic medicinal mushroom tincture for purchase.
Maitake Organic Medicinal Mushroom
Alternative names: Grifola frondosa, hen of the woods
Countries of origin: the cultivated form of Maitake is primarily produced and traded in Japan
Nutrient profile: Maitake organic medicinal mushroom is rich in folate, niacin, riboflavin, biotin, and thiamine, as well as minerals and trace elements such as magnesium, zinc, and iron; it is also rich in polysaccharides
Additional information: Maitake organic medicinal mushroom is a popular medicinal and edible mushroom in China and Japan and is also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is originally native to East Asia, Europe, and North America and grows naturally at the base of old trees. It has been cultivated in Japan since 1981.
In our shop, we offer Maitake organic medicinal mushroom powder in capsules as well as a Maitake organic medicinal mushroom tincture for purchase.
Auricularia Organic Medicinal Mushroom
Alternative names: Auricularia polytricha, wood ear mushroom, cloud ear, jelly ear, Auricularia judae, Mu Err mushroom, elder mushroom, ear lobe mushroom
Countries of origin: the cultivated form is mainly grown in China
Nutrient profile: minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus; trace elements such as iron and silicon; several B vitamins; as well as polysaccharides, an Auricularia biopolymer, beta-D-glucans, glycoproteins, and secondary bioactive compounds
Additional information: The Auricularia organic medicinal mushroom has been a popular medicinal and edible mushroom in Asia for around 1,500 years. It has been known in Europe for approximately 400 years but is rarely used as an edible mushroom. It is utilized in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and thrives primarily on dying elder trees and other deciduous woods.
In our shop, we offer Auricularia organic medicinal mushroom powder in capsules for purchase.