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A few years ago the only mushrooms we sold were the dried shiitake in the cooking aisle. Now people come in asking for lion's mane by name, usually because a podcast told them it would fix their focus. Functional mushrooms are having a real moment, and while some of the claims get ahead of themselves, there is a long history here worth understanding before you buy.
These are not the ones you fry with garlic. They are a handful of mushrooms used for a long time in traditional medicine, taken as a powder, a tea or a tincture rather than eaten as food. The four you will hear about most are lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps and chaga, and each has its own reputation.
Lion's mane is the brain one. It is the mushroom people reach for when they want focus and clear thinking, and it is the current favourite by a wide margin. Reishi is the calm one, traditionally taken in the evening to wind down and support sleep, which is why you will often see it in a nightly blend rather than a morning coffee. Cordyceps is the energy and stamina one, popular with people who train and with anyone dragging through the afternoon. Chaga is the antioxidant one, usually brewed like a dark earthy coffee.
Being straight with you, the human research is still young. There are promising studies, several of them small or done in a lab rather than on people, so treat the bolder internet claims with a pinch of salt. Mushrooms can also interact with medications, blood thinners in particular, so if you are on anything regular or you are pregnant, check with your doctor before you start.
A tincture is a liquid extract you drop under the tongue or into a drink, quick and easy and good if you do not want another powder in the cupboard. A powder stirs into coffee, a smoothie or hot milk, and tends to work out cheaper per serve. The thing that actually matters is that the product uses the fruiting body and lists a real extract, rather than being mostly grain the mushroom was grown on, so it is worth reading past the front of the label.
The Mycro tinctures are the simplest way in, a few drops in your morning coffee and you are done, and there is a zero alcohol cordyceps if that matters to you. Teelixir chaga is the one to brew, and the Nya matcha blend folds tremella through a ceremonial matcha for people who would rather drink their mushrooms than dose them.
Start with one, not a cabinet full. Lion's mane in the morning if you are after focus, reishi in the evening if you are after calm. Give it a few weeks of daily use before you decide, because these are a slow burn rather than a hit of caffeine. And keep your expectations sensible, a mushroom in your coffee is a nice habit, not a replacement for sleep.
The full range is under Medicinal Mushrooms, and if you would rather talk it through with a person we are at 936 Anzac Parade, Maroubra, open seven days.
