From ancient remedies to your Amazon cart, mushroom supplements have traveled a circuitous road. They nourish the body, enhance the mind, and occasionally poison the unlucky. Their biochemical adaptability has intrigued Eastern cultures for centuries. The West has been slow to embrace mushrooms until the 21st century, propelled in part by endorsements from celebrities like Gisele Bündchen and Gwen Stefani.
Today, in a zeitgeist fixated on biohacking and self-optimization, mushrooms are now tools for functional wellness. Gone are the days of foraging and sautéing. Instead, we embrace microdosing. We’re enjoying lion’s mane extract in our adaptogenic lattes and mixing non-GMO cordyceps into our post-workout smoothies, aiming to enhance our cognitive function, boost our gut health, and upgrade our immune systems. Health care researchers are also exploring their potential applications, ranging from cancer therapies to supportive treatments for Covid-19.
For more mushroom coverage, check out our guides to the Best Mushroom Gummies and Best Mushroom Coffee.
Updated September 2025: I've added Om Master Blend Mushroom Gummies, Plant People WonderDay Mushroom Gummies, Slumber Rest & Renew Mushroom Sleep Gummies, and Laird Superfood Organic Coffee with Functional Mushrooms as new favorites. I've also updated information, prices, and links.
What Are Functional Mushrooms?
Functional mushrooms, often referred to as medicinal or adaptogenic, offer more than just nutritional value. The excitement surrounding them isn’t due to recent studies; their advantages have been recognized for years. What has shifted is the way they are presented, allowing for simpler integration into contemporary lifestyles without the need for cooking. Brands like Ryze and PlantFusion have played a significant role in transforming these fungi from traditional remedies to nootropic supplements.
“One of the OG brands was Four Sigmatic,” recalls Brigitte Zeitlin, a NYC-based nutritionist who has swapped caffeine for mushroom coffee and matcha tea. “When they first hit shelves, people were like, ‘Wait, we drink mushrooms now?’”
“If you don’t like the taste or can’t find quality, organic mushrooms at your store, supplements are a great second option,” she adds. “Some people hate swallowing pills or are already taking too many, so mushroom powders are a great alternative because they're already broken down.”
A Very Brief History
For as long as humans have been getting sick, they have relied on fungi as a means of healing. Hippocrates is said to have used amadou, a spongy fungus, to reduce inflammation. Ötzi the Iceman had amadou in his supplies (probably for fire-starting), along with birch polypore, which was likely used to fight intestinal parasites. Native American cultures pressed puffball mushrooms onto wounds to halt bleeding and aid healing. Additionally, they used tiger milk mushrooms to treat asthma.
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