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Mushrooms for Wellness

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Botanical Suggested
Mushroom Description Location Uses Safety Preparation
Name Usage

Due to high
Supports healthy cardiovascular, adenosine
respiratory, immune, hepatic, content,
and nervous system function: reishi is not Food Food, Tea:
specifically, activates immune suitable for Electuary 6 g/day dried
Grows on hardwood
Reddish-orange to black system, increases resistence to hemophiliacs
trees throughout Syrup
color, shiny skin, slender stalk viral infections, promotes diuresis, and should Tincture:
Reishi North America, South
that attaches to cap from inhibits histamine, promotes be used with Tablets 10 mL, 3x/day
America, Europe, and
the side. sound sleep, counters effects of caution in
Ganoderma Asia; widely cultivated. Tea
poisonous mushroom ingestion, individuals Tablet:
lucidum
used in skincare products to taking Tincture 1 g, 3x/day
protect skin against ultraviolet anticoagulant
radiation, inhibits tumors. or antiplatelet
medications.

Supports healthy cardiovascular,

hepatic, and immune function: Dermatitis
specifically, stimulates immune may occur Food Food, Tea:
Grows on fallen
function, increases resistance if shiitake is Tea 6-16 g/day dried
Light amber color, gills, broadleaf trees
Shiitake to bacterial and viral infection, consumed
central to off-central stem. throughout Eastern Tablets
improves liver function, supports raw or Tincture:
Lentinula Asia; widely cultivated.
healthy cholesterol and blood partially Tincture 2-6 mL/day
edodes
pressure, strengthens blood cooked.
vessels, inhibits tumors.

Grows on tree roots Supports healthy cardiovascular,

and at the base of hepatic, and immune function: Food
Masses of small, fan-shaped
stumps throughout specifically, stimulates immune No known Food, Tea:
Maitake caps fused together at the Tea
Eastern United States, function, supports healthy blood toxicity. 3-7 g/day dried
Grifola stalk. Capsule
Europe, and Asia; can sugar, blood cholesterol, and
frondosa
be cultivated. blood pressure levels.

SAFETY INFO: Never harvest a mushroom unless you are certain you have identified it correctly. In addition to the basic description here, seek out detailed identification information and the
guidance of a mushroom expert before harvesting any mushroom. Mushroom sensitivity varies from person to person. All mushrooms should be cooked before eating.
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Mushrooms for Wellness cont’d.

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Botanical Suggested
Mushroom Description Location Uses Safety Preparation
Name Usage

Reports of
Layered clusters of white, Supports healthy cardiovascular
Grows on broadleaf toxicity in animals
brown, or gray thick caps function: specifically, relaxes tense
trees throughout and people when
with a smooth surface, white muscles, stimulates blood flow, Food:
Oyster North America, taken more than Food
flesh, and semicircular shape supports healthy blood vessels 3-9 g/day dried
Europe, and Asia; 30 days or in
resembling an oyster shell, and cholesterol levels, inhibits
Pleurotus widely cultivated. doses exceeding
small stalk (if any). tumors.
ostreatus 3 g/kg.

Overlapping clusters of fan- Supports healthy respiratory, urinary,

shaped, multi-colored caps that digestive, and immune function:
resemble turkeys’ tails and vary specifically, stimulates immune
Grows on dead logs Tea
in shades of browns, whites, function, tonic to the liver, supports No known Tea:
Turkey Tail worldwide; can be
grays, or blues with hairy bands, healthy cholesterol levels, improves toxicity. Capsules 3-6 g/day dried
cultivated.
underside of cap is white with stamina, has been approved by the
Trametes
tiny pores that do not change FDA for use in clinical trials for its
versicolor
color when scratched. anti-tumor benefits.

Grows on alder, birch,

and elm trees. Slow Tea
Supports healthy immune function:
growing and difficult Tea:
inhibits tumors, soothes mucous Syrup
Hard, black, deeply cracked to cultivate. Faces 6-12 g/day
membranes in the digestive tract, No known
Chaga mass; stalkless; looks as if it has heavy wildcrafting Suppository
strengthens lungs, liver, and heart, toxicity.
been burned. pressure.Whenever Tincture:
discourages parasites, highly Tablet
Inonotus possible, choose 2-3 mL, 3x/day.
antioxidant. Tincture
obliquus other mushrooms or
herbs.

Supports healthy eye sight and

respiratory function: specifically,
Grows on the strengthens night-time vision, Food Food, Tea:
Bright orange-yellow, ground near conifers soothes dry, inflammed eyes No known use in
Chanterelle Tea
fleshy, funnel shaped. and broadleaf treas; and dry skin, tones mucous toxicity. moderate
Cantharellus widely cultivated. membranes, increases resistence Tincture amounts
cibarius to respiratory infections, inhibits
tumors.

SAFETY INFO: Never harvest a mushroom unless you are certain you have identified it correctly. In addition to the basic description here, seek out detailed identification information and the
guidance of a mushroom expert before harvesting any mushroom. Mushroom sensitivity varies from person to person. All mushrooms should be cooked before eating.
 L ACAD
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Mushrooms for Wellness cont’d.

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Botanical Suggested
Mushroom Description Location Uses Safety Preparation
Name Usage

Food, Tea:
Supports healthy
Grows on dead wood: May cause nausea use in
cardiovascular and immune
Clusters of honey-colored yellow-capped variety if undercooked moderate
function: specifically, inhibits Food
caps with a white- or honey- grows mostly on or consumed amounts
bacterial infection, slows
Honey colored ring and dark fibers hardwoods, pinkish- with alcohol, do Capsules
heart rate, decreases
on cap that concentrate at brown variety grows not harvest from Capsules:
vascular resistance, regulates Tea
center. on conifers; can be poisonous trees 2 “00” caps
Armillaria digestion, supports healthy
cultivated. (e.g., buckeye). (30-90 g)
mellea eyesight.
3x/day

Supports healthy respiratory

and immune function:
Food:
specifically, inhibits tumors,
use in
Large, cream-colored, round Grows in pastures, increases resistance to Once flesh turns
Food moderate
ball, eventually browns and meadows, or open specific bacterial infections, yellow or brown,
Giant Puffball amounts
the surface of the cap begins places; can be slows external bleeding, taste is poor and Tea
Calvatia to crack and flake. cultivated. reduces fever, soothes sore toxicity is possible.
Tea:
gigantea throat, thins mucus in lungs,
1.5-6 g/day
tones respiratory tract
tissues.

SAFETY INFO: Never harvest a mushroom unless you are certain you have identified it correctly. In addition to the basic description here, seek out detailed identification information and the
guidance of a mushroom expert before harvesting any mushroom. Mushroom sensitivity varies from person to person. All mushrooms should be cooked before eating.

CHART COMPILED FROM THE FOLLOWING REFERENCES:

Gardner, Z., & McGuffin, M. (2013). American Herbal Product Association’s botanical safety handbook, 2nd Ed. New York, NY: CRC Press.
Hobbs, C. (1995). Medicinal mushrooms: An exploration of tradition, healing & culture. Santa Cruz, CA: Botanica Press.
Hobbs, C. (n.d.). Medicinal mushrooms for cellular defense, immunity & longevity. Retrieved from https://vdocuments.site/documents/medicinal-mushrooms-c-hobbs.html
Hobbs, C. (n.d.) Medicinal mushrooms III. Retrieved from http://www.christopherhobbs.com/library/articles-on-herbs-and-health/medicinal-mushrooms-3/
Hobbs, C. (2014). Medicinal mushrooms: A clinician’s overview. Retrieved from https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/sites/default/files/Proceedings/hobbs_christopher_-_medicinal_mushrooms_.pdf
Kuhn, M. A., & Winston, D. (2008). Winston & Kuhn’s herbal therapy & supplements: A scientific & traditional approach. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health.
Landers, D. (2016). Giant puffballs, Calvatia gigantea. Retrieved from https://blog.mycology.cornell.edu/2006/10/26/giant-puffballs-calvatia-gigantea/
McKnight, K. H., & McKnight, V. B. (1987). Mushrooms: Peterson field guides. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
The Herbal Academy. (n.d.). Intermediate Herbal Course mushroom monographs. Retrieved September 16, 2016, from https://theherbalacademy.com/product/online-intermediate-herbal-course/
Tillotson, A.K. (2001). The one earth herbal sourcebook. New York, NY: Kensington Publishing Group.
Winston, D., & Maimes, S. (2007). Adaptogens: Herbs for strength, stamina, and stress release. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.