Mushroom

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Memory and thinking²

  In older people with mild memory problems, Yamabushitake mushroom improved test scores, but scores dropped after they stopped taking it.

• Benefit

  Dementia risk in women³

  In women, eating mushrooms was linked to a lower risk of dementia, but no link was seen in men.

• Open question

  Gut comfort and digestion⁴

  Eating mushrooms twice a day gave people more gas and fuller stools than eating meat.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria⁹

  In lab studies, digested mushroom powder helped good gut bacteria grow and made more helpful acids.

• Benefit

  Fat digestion¹⁰

  In lab studies, fiber from shiitake mushrooms, called LEHSDF, blocked fat buildup in cells and slowed the enzyme that digests fat.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Brain and nerve health⁶

  Lion's mane mushroom may help nerves, but scientists do not yet know whether it works in people.

• Benefit

  Health benefits of a food⁷

  Mushrooms are an edible source of antioxidants and phytonutrients with nutraceutical properties, including anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic ones.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria and health⁸

  Mushrooms may change the mix of bacteria in your gut and help them make helpful substances.

Single cases of misuse or overdose

One person or one incident, such as an accidental overdose or a mistake in a kitchen or factory. They are real, but a single case does not show what happens at normal amounts, so the signal does not count them.

• Kidney damage from a supplement⁵

  A man who took Chaga mushroom powder daily for months developed sudden kidney injury.

How it’s made and used

• Vitamin D in food¹¹

  How mushrooms are frozen, canned or dried changes how much vitamin D2 they keep after a year.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.