Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
This review describes compounds in medicinal mushrooms and how they work in lab and animal studies. It lists many possible effects, such as immune changes, anti-inflammatory and anticancer actions, and names key molecules like polysaccharides (β-glucans), terpenes, and fungal proteins. Most evidence so far comes from in vitro or animal…
This paper is a 2015 review that brings together many studies about the lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus). It describes the mushroom’s chemical makeup, nutrients, food uses, and about 70 identified bioactive compounds. The review reports many claimed health effects seen in cell, animal, and some human studies—such as anti-inflammatory…
This review describes several medicinal mushrooms — including Lion's Mane, Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, Shiitake, and Turkey Tail — as low‑fat, low‑calorie foods that contain high levels of bioactive compounds (for example (1,3)(1,6)-β-d-glucans, triterpenes, phenolic compounds, and sterols). The review reports that these compounds have been linked in studies to anticancer,…
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, people took supplements containing the mushroom Hericium erinaceus for 12 weeks. The researchers gave three mental tests and found that only the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) showed a statistically significant improvement and less decline in the group taking the mushroom. The authors say compounds…
