The 9 Best best mushroom supplements of 2024
People have been reaping the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms for millennia, but it’s only recently that mushroom supplements have started popping up on shelves.
From chaga to reishi to lion’s mane, functional mushrooms are definitely having a moment—and the potential benefits are not unfounded.
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But with the increase in the availability of mushroom supplements can come confusion about which ones are the best to take.
Whether you’re looking for immune support, mental clarity, stress management, or a boost in athletic performance, we’ve got you covered with the seven best mushroom supplement brands, starting with our top pick, Solaray Fermented Mushroom Complete.
Best Mushroom Supplements
Best for: People looking for a comprehensive blend of functional mushrooms at an affordable price.
Our top mushroom supplement is Solaray Fermented Mushroom Complete for its affordable blend of eight fermented mushrooms thought to support immunity.
The fermentation process helps pre-digest the mushrooms and their beneficial compounds into more bioavailable forms to increase the maximum benefit from each dose.
Containing a mouthful of mushrooms—150mg each of fermented chaga, lion’s mane, maitake, reishi, royal agaricus, shiitake, turkey tail, and cordyceps—this Solaray supplement may support immune function, cognition, and stress management.
Plus, Solaray products are non-GMO, vegan, and third-party tested for potency and purity.
Best for: People looking for an affordable single-mushroom supplement; people wanting a natural energy boost.
At just $0.33 per serving, the NOW Cordyceps supplement is significantly less expensive than many other mushroom supplements.
While many other supplements use a blend of mushrooms, this one solely contains a hefty dose (750mg) of cordyceps, a mushroom thought to increase natural energy levels by increasing cellular production of ATP.
Cordyceps may also provide anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-aging properties.
Best for: People who would rather drink or cook with their mushrooms; those looking for an affordable blend of many functional mushrooms.
For those who don’t like taking pills and would rather use a powder, the Om Mushroom Master Blend is an excellent choice.
With a blend of ten functional mushrooms—lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, turkey tail, chaga, king trumpet, maitake, antrodia camphorata, shiitake, agaricus blaze—and the adaptogens holy basil, astragalus, and ginkgo biloba, this Om Mushroom powder is a great bang for your buck.
This blend of mushrooms and adaptogens is thought to support immunity, cognition, focus, stress management, and antioxidant capacity.
Plus, all of the mushrooms contain both the mycelium and fruiting bodies—the vegetative body of the mushroom that grows underground and the reproductive structure, respectively—which have different functions and benefits.
However, while most reviewers don’t mind the taste of this powder—especially when mixed into coffee or smoothies—others are not too fond of the slightly earthy taste.
Note: if you prefer a capsule, Om has those too.
Best for: Those looking for a targeted and highly affordable mushroom supplement that blends well with any drink and supports healthy cognition.
Squeaky clean and verified for a potency of at least 30% beta glucans, Real Mushrooms Lion’s Mane Powder makes for a super easy addition to your favorite morning (or daytime) beverage.
That said, hand-measuring a gram of powder each time can be a bit of a drag, as there’s no scoop. But this USDA organic, vegan, and non-GMO mushroom powder dissolved very easily, and was virtually tasteless in every beverage other than water (a very mild taste, but there).
Another reason we appreciate Real Mushrooms Organic Lion’s Mane Powder is the fact that they use, well, real hand-picked mushrooms and not mycelium grown on grain.
There are no additives, fillers, or preservatives, and after testing, we noticed mental fatigue setting in considerably later in the late afternoon/evening than usual.
Best for: People looking for a caffeine-free alternative to coffee; those looking to uplevel their morning coffee with great-tasting functional mushrooms.
With excellent ingredients and four functional mushrooms, truBrain Morning Mushrooms is our top choice for a mushroom coffee alternative—or addition to your morning cup of joe.
This mushroom powder contains lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps, and reishi flavored with cacao, chai, turmeric, and cinnamon, with no sugar, artificial sweeteners, additives, or fillers.
We loved adding this powder to our regular cup of coffee, but many will find that the cinnamon and chocolatey flavors are also a great-tasting alternative to coffee—plus, lion’s mane stimulates focus, cordyceps supports energy, and reishi modulates stress.
One downside is that this powder is on the expensive side, at $1.30/serving—and you need to be careful with the powder, as the turmeric can easily stain any fabrics or surfaces you spill it on (yep, we’re speaking from personal experience here!).
Best for: People wanting to take their mushroom supplements traveling; those wanting their mushroom powders to not taste like mushrooms.
For those who like to get the benefits of powdered mushrooms while traveling, the Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane packets are a perfect fit.
The lion’s mane powder also contains the adaptogen Rhodiola and rose hips to add both flavor and natural vitamin C—most reviewers state that it tastes like a floral, slightly earthy tea.
In addition to the lion’s mane elixir (AKA their “Think” mix), Four Sigmatic also carries a “Chill” elixir consisting of reishi mushroom, “Perform” with cordyceps, and “Defend” with chaga to support immunity.
However, as most single-serve items are—we’re paying for convenience, after all—these packets are on the more expensive side.
Best for: People wanting to boost their athletic performance; those looking to splurge on a mushroom supplement.
Onnit Shroom Tech Sport is the mushroom supplement for people wanting to improve their athletic performance and cellular energy production.
It contains a hefty dose of functional mushrooms (1500mg of cordyceps) to boost energy utilization during exercise, ashwagandha to help with stress management, decaffeinated green tea extract to support endurance, and Rhodiola and astragalus for their adaptogenic qualities.
Plus, it provides over 31,000% of the Daily Value for vitamin B12, which is thought to increase energy.
This supplement also has clinical data backing it up, as seen in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial done at Florida State University.
The trial found that young males supplementing with Shroom Tech Sport had significant increases in exercise performance, including 7% more reps during squats and bench pressing and an 8.8% increase in running volume compared to the placebo group.
However, at $2.66 per serving—and only 21 servings per bottle—this supplement is definitely not inexpensive.
Best for: People wanting a high-potency mushroom supplement for supporting the immune system.
Containing an impressive blend of 17 mushrooms, the Host Defense MyCommunity supplement is our top pick for immune support.
From the often-utilized functional mushrooms, like chaga, reishi, and cordyceps, to the lesser-known, including royal sun blazei, enokitake, and amadou, this Host Defense supplement ensures you aren’t missing out on any mushroom magic—for your immune system, that is.
For example, in animal and cell-based studies, the royal sun blazei mushroom exhibits antiviral and immunomodulatory effects while the maitake mushroom displays anti-tumor activity.
But with only 15 servings per bottle and $1.33 per serving, this supplement is on the more expensive side—but for people wanting advanced immune support, it may be well worth it.
Best for: People looking for functional mushrooms to aid cognition and focus; those looking for an affordable memory support supplement.
With a combination of 1000mg of lion’s mane and 300mg of Bacopa monnieri extract per serving, Nordic Naturals Cognition Mushroom Complex is a great choice for people looking for cognitive support.
Lion’s mane is thought to support cognitive function and alertness because it contains bioactive compounds called erinacines that support nerve growth factors, cognition, and neurogenesis—the growth of new neurons.
One study found that 50- to 80-year-old adults with poor cognitive function who supplemented with lion’s mane for 16 weeks had significantly improved cognitive function scores compared to those taking a placebo.
The brain-boosting benefits are furthered by the addition of Bacopa monnieri, which supports cognitive health by acting as an antioxidant, increasing blood flow in the brain, and modulating neurotransmitter activity.
FAQs About Mushroom Supplements
What Are Medicinal Mushrooms?
Medicinal mushrooms—also known as functional mushrooms—have been used both culinarily and therapeutically for millennia, dating back to Eastern healing practices in the 5th century.
While there is plenty of overlap, each mushroom is thought to be used for varying purposes, ranging from supporting sleep to strengthening immunity to boosting energy.
The most commonly consumed functional mushrooms are cordyceps, chaga, reishi, lion’s mane, maitake, and turkey tail.
Some of the mushrooms, like reishi, also function as adaptogens, meaning they help the body adapt to stressors.
What Is the Healthiest Mushroom Supplement?
The healthiest mushroom supplement depends on what you want to use it for.
If you want to boost your athletic performance, try Onnit Shroom Tech Sport or NOW Cordyceps.
For memory support or increased focus, go with the Nordic Naturals Cognition Mushroom Complex or Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane elixirs.
What Is the Best Mushroom Supplement for the Brain?
The Nordic Naturals Cognition Mushroom Complex and Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane contain beneficial amounts of lion’s mane, a mushroom thought to support brain health.
What Is the Best Mushroom Supplement for Focus?
The Nordic Naturals Cognition Mushroom Complex, Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane, Solaray Fermented Mushroom Complete, and Om Mushroom Master Blend all contain lion’s mane mushroom, which is thought to improve focus.
Are Mushroom Capsules or Powder Better?
Mushroom capsules typically consist of mushroom extracts, while powders are made of dehydrated and ground whole mushrooms.
There isn’t one answer as to whether mushroom capsules or powder are better.
Some people think that powders have more benefits because they contain the entire mushroom and may have increased bioavailability when added to hot water.
However, others believe that extracts (found in capsules) can contain more concentrated forms of the beneficial parts of the mushroom.
Overall, there is value in both capsule and powdered forms.
Who Should Not Take Mushroom Supplements?
It’s sometimes stated that some people with autoimmune conditions should not take functional mushrooms.
This is because they are thought to stimulate the immune system, which could make the autoimmune condition worse.
However, other research has found that functional mushrooms are more likely to modulate or balance the immune system rather than overstimulate it.
Some mushrooms, like reishi, may increase the risk of bleeding in people taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications.
Others, like chaga, can cause decreases in blood sugar or blood pressure (which is typically a good thing)—however, people on blood pressure or blood sugar-lowering medications may experience hypoglycemia or hypotension.
If you’re not sure, talk to your healthcare provider before starting a mushroom supplement.
