What five culturally significant mushrooms can teach us about the relationship between food, medicine, tradition, and modern science.

Walk into almost any health-food store today and you’ll find mushrooms everywhere.

They’re in coffee, teas, powders, capsules, tinctures, protein bars, and skincare. Reishi is marketed for longevity. Lion’s mane has become synonymous with cognitive health. Cordyceps is promoted for energy and athletic performance. Maitake and shiitake appear in products promising immune and metabolic support. The modern “functional mushroom” industry can make these fungi seem like recent discoveries.

They aren't.

Long before mushrooms became ingredients in wellness products, people were cultivating them, cooking them, preserving them, trading them, studying them, and incorporating them into traditional medical systems. But there is another side to this history that is just as important. Traditional use is not the same thing as clinical evidence. A mushroom can have centuries of documented medicinal use without modern research establishing that it treats a particular disease. Conversely, modern researchers may discover a biological activity that was never part of the mushroom's traditional reputation.

The five fungi I work with—reishi, lion's mane, maitake, shiitake, and cordyceps—offer five different ways of looking at that relationship.

Five fungi, five histories

The chart below brings together three different kinds of knowledge: traditional use, modern biological research, and human clinical evidence.

I’ve included cultural context because these mushrooms didn't emerge from a laboratory. They have histories, names, foodways, medical traditions, and relationships with particular landscapes and communities.

At the same time, I've separated those histories from modern evidence because one should not be used as a substitute for the other.

Swipe horizontally to explore the full chart on smaller screens.

Category	Reishi	Lion's Mane	Maitake	Shiitake	Cordyceps
Scientific name	Ganoderma lingzhi / G. lucidum complex ¹	Hericium erinaceus ²	Grifola frondosa ³	Lentinula edodes ⁴	Ophiocordyceps sinensis; Cordyceps militaris is a distinct species ⁵
Primary traditional regions	China, Japan, Korea	China, Japan, Korea	Japan, China	China, Japan, Korea	Tibetan Plateau, China, Himalayan regions
Traditional classification	Primarily medicinal	Culinary + medicinal	Culinary + medicinal	Culinary + medicinal	Primarily medicinal
Historical role	Medicinal fungus associated with longevity, vitality and spiritual cultivation ¹	Edible mushroom with centuries of medicinal use, particularly in traditional Chinese medicine ²	Highly valued edible mushroom with a long history in East Asian cuisine and traditional medicine ³	Long-established cultivated food and medicinal mushroom ⁴	Rare and highly valued medicinal fungus-insect complex ⁶
Specific documented traditional uses	Traditional sources describe uses associated with respiratory complaints, insomnia, digestive complaints, weakness and general vitality. ¹ ⁷	Gastric discomfort, gastritis, gastric ulcers and digestive nourishment; historically used as both food and medicine. ²	General nourishment and health-promoting use as both food and traditional medicine. ³	Traditionally consumed as food and used in East Asian medicinal traditions for general health and nourishment. ⁴	Traditionally used as a tonic for fatigue and weakness and in preparations associated with respiratory, renal and convalescent care. ⁵ ⁶
Traditional preparation	Dried fruiting body; decoction; powder or extract	Food; soup; decoction; medicinal preparations	Food; soup; medicinal preparations	Food; soup; extracts and preparations	Whole fungus-insect material; decoction; powder or extract
Major compounds studied	Polysaccharides; triterpenoids; sterols; phenolic compounds	Polysaccharides; hericenones; erinacines	β-glucans; polysaccharides; proteoglycans	β-glucans including lentinan; eritadenine; other metabolites	Cordycepin; adenosine-related compounds; polysaccharides; peptides
Primary modern research areas	Immunomodulation; inflammation; metabolic and cardiovascular markers; oncology	Neurobiology; cognition; mood; gastrointestinal health; inflammation	Immunomodulation; glucose metabolism; inflammation; oncology	Immune function; metabolic health; oncology; gastrointestinal research	Exercise physiology; metabolism; inflammation; respiratory and renal research
Mechanistic evidence	Substantial preclinical research involving polysaccharides and triterpenoids	Substantial preclinical research involving neurotrophic signaling, inflammation and gastrointestinal pathways	Extensive preclinical research involving β-glucans and immune/metabolic pathways	Extensive research on lentinan and other bioactive compounds	Extensive preclinical pharmacology, although species and preparations vary
Human clinical evidence	Human trials exist, but outcomes are inconsistent and certainty of evidence remains low. ⁸	Several small randomized and pilot clinical studies exist; findings remain preliminary. ⁹	Human studies exist, including early clinical research, but the clinical literature remains relatively small. ¹⁰	Human research exists, particularly involving specific preparations such as lentinan; findings should not automatically be generalized to whole-mushroom consumption. ¹¹	Human trials and reviews exist, but study quality, species and preparations vary. ⁵
Evidence status	Emerging / limited	Preliminary	Limited / emerging	Emerging for specific preparations	Mixed / limited
Important clinical distinction	Evidence for a specific extract or preparation should not automatically be applied to whole-mushroom consumption. ⁸	Modern claims concerning cognition and “brain health” extend beyond the historical evidence base. ⁹	The volume of laboratory research is substantially greater than the human clinical evidence. ³	Lentinan is a specific extracted compound and is not equivalent to eating shiitake. ¹¹	O. sinensis and C. militaris are distinct species and should not automatically be treated as interchangeable. ⁵
Key cultural element	Lingzhi has been associated with longevity, auspiciousness and spiritual cultivation in Chinese culture. ¹	A valued culinary and medicinal fungus in East Asia; its historical emphasis differs substantially from today's “nootropic” framing. ²	Maitake means “dancing mushroom” in Japanese and has historically been associated with rarity and value. ¹²	A major East Asian food mushroom with more than 2,000 years of documented consumption. ⁴	The famous caterpillar fungus was historically rare and highly valued in Tibetan and Chinese medical traditions. ⁶
Modern Western framing	Immune support; longevity; “adaptogen”	Brain health; focus; cognition; nerve growth	Immune and metabolic health	Functional food; immune and metabolic health	Energy; endurance; respiratory performance
Clinical bottom line	Historically important medicinal fungus with substantial biological research, but current human evidence does not establish broad therapeutic effects. ⁸	An intriguing research area, particularly in neurological and gastrointestinal research, but human evidence remains early. ⁹	Strong preclinical interest with substantially less developed clinical evidence. ¹⁰	An important example of food and medicine occupying overlapping categories; clinical evidence is strongest for specific preparations rather than the whole mushroom. ¹¹	A particularly important example of why species, preparation and traditional context must be distinguished in modern research. ⁵

Sources

¹ Ganoderma: Traditional uses, chemical components and pharmacological activities. View source

² Hericium erinaceus: A medicinal fungus with a centuries-old history; evidence in gastrointestinal diseases. View source

³ Bioactive Ingredients and Medicinal Values of Grifola frondosa (Maitake). View source

⁴ Review of Bioactive Molecules Production, Biomass, and Basidiomata of Shiitake Culinary-Medicinal Mushrooms, Lentinus edodes. View source

⁵ Cordyceps spp.: A Review on Its Immune-Stimulatory and Other Biological Potentials. View source

⁶ Properties of Cordyceps sinensis: A review. View source

⁷ Pharmacological Activities and Safety of Ganoderma lucidum Spores: A Systematic Review. View source

⁸ The Nutritional Significance of Ganoderma lucidum on Human Health: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. View source

⁹ Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: A systematic review. View source

¹⁰ Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials. View source

¹¹ Medicinal Mushrooms as Multicomponent Mixtures — Demonstrated with the Example of Lentinula edodes. View source

¹² Unveiling the full spectrum of maitake mushrooms: A comprehensive review of their medicinal, therapeutic, nutraceutical, and cosmetic potential. View source

Five Fungi: Traditional Uses, Biological Research & Clinical Evidence

How to read the evidence

Traditional use describes how a fungus was historically incorporated into a particular culinary, cultural, or medical tradition.

Preclinical evidence refers to laboratory or animal research. It can help researchers understand biological mechanisms, but it does not establish that an intervention works in humans.

Clinical evidence comes from research involving human participants.

And perhaps most importantly, evidence for one mushroom preparation does not automatically apply to every form of that mushroom. Species, growing conditions, extraction methods, dose, and the compounds being studied can all matter.

Reishi: The Mushroom of Longevity

Ganoderma lingzhi

Of the five, reishi probably has the strongest association with the idea of the “medicinal mushroom.”

Known as lingzhi in Chinese traditions, Ganoderma has been associated with longevity, vitality, auspiciousness, and spiritual cultivation for centuries. Unlike shiitake or maitake, reishi's tough, woody texture meant that it was not primarily treated as a culinary mushroom.

Instead, it was typically prepared as a medicinal material—often dried, powdered, or made into a decoction.

Traditional sources describe its use in connection with respiratory complaints, digestive problems, weakness, insomnia, and general vitality. Traditional Chinese medical concepts such as qi and shen also appear in descriptions of its use, concepts that don't map neatly onto Western biomedical categories.

Modern research has focused particularly on polysaccharides and triterpenoids, along with their potential immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity.

That research is extensive.

But extensive laboratory research isn't the same thing as established clinical efficacy.

Human trials have produced mixed results, and a recent systematic review assessing the clinical literature found the certainty of evidence to be low.

That doesn't make the research uninteresting.

It makes the distinction between biological potential and demonstrated clinical benefit especially important.

Lion's Mane: From Digestive Medicine to “Brain Mushroom”

Hericium erinaceus

If reishi represents the traditional medicinal mushroom, lion's mane may be the clearest example of a mushroom whose modern reputation has evolved considerably from its historical one.

Hericium erinaceus has a long history as both food and medicine in East Asia. Traditional literature describes its use in connection with the digestive system, including gastric discomfort and conditions involving the stomach.

Today, however, lion's mane is perhaps best known in Western wellness culture for something very different:

the brain.

Researchers have become interested in compounds called erinacines and hericenones, as well as polysaccharides, because of their potential effects on neurotrophic signaling and other neurological pathways.

This has led to an expanding body of research examining cognition, mood, nervous-system function, and neurobiology.

There is some human evidence. A 2025 systematic review identified several randomized and pilot clinical studies examining lion's mane supplementation. But the authors emphasized that the clinical literature remains limited.

This creates an important distinction.

It is reasonable to say that lion's mane is being investigated for neurological effects.

It is much harder to say that traditional medicine “knew it was a brain supplement” centuries ago.

Those are two different stories.

Maitake: The Mushroom Worth Celebrating

Grifola frondosa

Maitake offers another perspective because its history is deeply connected to food, foraging, scarcity, and value.

The Japanese name maitake translates to “dancing mushroom.” One traditional explanation is that people would dance with excitement after finding the mushroom because of how highly it was valued.

Historical accounts describe maitake as sufficiently valuable that productive locations could be closely guarded. Some accounts from feudal Japan even describe it being exchanged according to its weight in silver.

Whether every colorful detail of those stories can be independently verified is less important than the broader historical picture: wild maitake was a valuable resource.

And it was both food and medicine.

That distinction is worth lingering on.

Modern Western culture often divides substances into categories:

food
medicine
supplement

Traditional food cultures have not always made those boundaries so neatly.

Maitake was something people could eat, value, preserve, share, and incorporate into traditional health practices.

Modern research has focused heavily on its β-glucans, polysaccharides, and proteoglycans, particularly in relation to immune signaling, inflammation, and metabolic pathways.

There is human research as well, but it remains much smaller than the preclinical literature.

Maitake therefore represents an important lesson:

A fascinating mechanism is a reason to investigate something—not necessarily a reason to promise an outcome.

Shiitake: When Food and Medicine Are the Same Thing

Lentinula edodes

Shiitake may be the most familiar of the five, and perhaps the one that most clearly challenges our modern distinction between food and medicine.

It has been cultivated and consumed in East Asia for more than 2,000 years and has a long history as both a culinary mushroom and a health-promoting medicinal resource.

Its culinary importance is enormous.

But shiitake has also become important to modern medicinal-mushroom research because of compounds such as lentinan, a β-glucan that has been studied extensively for its immunomodulatory properties.

Here, however, we encounter another important scientific distinction:

Lentinan is not the same thing as a shiitake mushroom.

Research involving a purified or standardized compound cannot automatically be translated into a claim about eating the whole mushroom.

This distinction becomes particularly important when medicinal mushroom research enters the supplement market, where an isolated compound, concentrated extract, mycelium preparation, and whole fruiting body may all be marketed under the same mushroom's name.

Shiitake therefore gives us an opportunity to reconsider what “medicine” means.

Perhaps the more interesting question isn't whether shiitake is a food or a medicine.

Perhaps it is:

What happens when something can be both?

Cordyceps: A Fungus, an Insect, and a Very Different Medical Tradition

Ophiocordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris

Cordyceps is the mushroom on this list that requires the most taxonomic caution.

When people talk about the famous traditional “cordyceps,” they're often referring to caterpillar fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis.

It isn't simply a mushroom growing in the forest.

The organism is part of a remarkable parasitic relationship between fungus and insect. The fungus infects a larva and eventually produces a fruiting structure from the insect's body.

The resulting fungus-insect complex became a highly valued medicinal material in Tibetan and Chinese medical traditions.

Traditional uses included applications related to fatigue and weakness, respiratory complaints, convalescence, and vitality, as well as traditional concepts involving the lungs and kidneys.

The modern cordyceps market, however, is complicated by cultivation.

Many contemporary products use Cordyceps militaris, a different species that can be cultivated much more readily than wild O. sinensis.

That matters.

A study of O. sinensis cannot automatically be interpreted as evidence for every C. militaris supplement on the market.

Modern research has investigated cordyceps compounds such as cordycepin and polysaccharides, with research areas including metabolism, inflammation, respiratory function, renal health, and exercise physiology.

There are human studies, but their quality and preparations vary considerably.

Cordyceps is therefore a particularly good reminder that the word “mushroom” isn't enough information.

Species matters.

Preparation matters.

Dose matters.

And context matters.

What Happens When Traditional Knowledge Enters the Wellness Industry?

Looking across these five fungi, I notice something interesting. The modern wellness industry tends to compress complicated histories into simple categories:

Reishi → immunity

Lion's mane → brain

Maitake → immune/metabolic health

Shiitake → immunity

Cordyceps → energy

Those associations aren't necessarily invented from nothing. They often have some relationship to either traditional use or modern biological research. But something happens during the translation. A complex history becomes a slogan. A biological mechanism becomes a benefit. A preliminary human study becomes a product claim. And eventually, a mushroom with thousands of years of cultural history can be presented as though its primary purpose has always been to serve as a modern supplement.

That's where I think we lose something.

The Problem With Calling Them “Ancient Remedies”

There is a temptation, particularly in the wellness world, to use history as proof.

People have used this mushroom for thousands of years, therefore it must work.

But history doesn't work that way.

Traditional use is valuable evidence of human experience, cultural knowledge, observation, and practice.

It can tell us what people valued.

It can tell us what they noticed.

It can tell us how they prepared something and what role it played in their lives.

It can even help generate scientific questions.

But it cannot substitute for a clinical trial.

The reverse is also true.

Modern science can identify compounds and mechanisms that traditional practitioners never described in biomedical terms.

That doesn't make traditional knowledge irrelevant.

It means we're looking at the same organisms through different systems of knowledge.

Five Mushrooms, More Than Five Stories

What I find most compelling about these fungi isn't a list of potential health benefits.

It's how many different relationships humans have developed with them.

Reishi became a symbol of longevity and spiritual cultivation.
Lion's mane was valued as food and medicine long before “nootropics” existed.
Maitake was valuable enough to inspire celebration when found.
Shiitake demonstrates how food and medicine can occupy the same cultural space.
Cordyceps represents one of the most extraordinary relationships between a fungus, an insect, a landscape, and a medical tradition.

And now all five have entered a new ecosystem: the modern wellness industry.

That transition is worth examining carefully. Because perhaps the most useful thing these fungi can teach us isn't that nature contains a collection of miracle cures. It's that our understanding of health is shaped by the relationships we build with the natural world—and by the questions we choose to ask about it.

The fungi haven't changed nearly as much as the frameworks through which we understand them have.

And maybe that's the more interesting story.

Before They Were Supplements: The Traditional Lives of Five Fungi