I’ve recently gone a little bit mushroom mad. And no I’m not talking about the hallucinogenic kind. I’m not a 20-year-old frequenting warehouse raves in Sheffield anymore. No, I’m an adult now who enjoys going to sleep at 9 pm and waking up first thing in the morning to go to the gym.
I am always on the lookout for ways to enhance my natural state so that I can go about my day with more energy and focus. And something to dull down the anxiety and stress that plagues my sleep.
Yes, the sensible me wants to enhance my life to become better at adult stuff. So that means swapping magic shrooms for something a little more functional.
This is why I am now much more interested in the adaptogenic kind of mushrooms, which includes the likes of lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps and reishi. All of these are now being used to create different types of mushroom supplements, including tinctures and mushroom coffees, sold to people like me who want to enhance their day-to-day life.
I must admit though, juggling all of the science and advertising behind these best mushroom supplements and figuring out when to consume what mushroom did stress me out a bit at first. But hopefully, I can make the process a lot easier for you with my guide to the best mushroom supplements that you can buy in the UK!
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or health professional. I am writing about my own experiences of trying out these products. If you have any medical concerns, do talk to your doctor before consuming any of these mushroom supplements.
My top picks
- Best overall range: Solve Labs | Skip to review
- Best organic mushrooms: Erbology | Skip to review
- Best mushroom spray: Mycogenius | Skip to review
- Best mushroom coffee: London Nootropics | Skip to review
- Best mushroom gummies: Feel Gud | Skip to review
- Best value for money: Vivo Life | Skip to review
What are mushroom supplements good for?
This really depends on the type of mushroom that you are consuming. Overall, the majority of functional mushroom supplements will boost your immune system, promote the absorption of probiotic-rich foods and fight free radicals.
More specifically, mushroom supplements that contain cordyceps will help with your energy levels, whilst lion’s mane powders will help get rid of brain fog, chaga will reduce inflammation, and reishi will give you calming effects that soften mental health issues. They are pretty much the coolest and most effective plant-based superfoods.
Are there any side effects of mushrooms?
As with any food item, there is the possibility that you may be intolerant or allergic to an ingredient. So when you first try out any mushroom supplement make sure to keep the dose low and monitor yourself for the next couple of hours. That being said, it is very rare that this will happen. Other potential side effects could be related to existing health conditions and medicines that you may take, so it is wise to consult a doctor before consuming any mushroom powder.
Do I need to take a break from adaptogenic mushrooms?
Your body can build up a resistance to anything that you consume, so whilst you may see some great short-term benefits from taking adaptogenic mushrooms these may subside over time if you don’t take breaks. The length of time that it can take for your body to become resistant can be dependent on the mushroom.
On average, it is recommended that you take a week off after 6 weeks of taking any functional mushroom. One brand who are really honest and informative about this is Erbology, as they provide tailored information on each of their mushroom products.
Solve Labs
- Type of mushroom: Lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, and chaga
- Form: Powder, capsules, blends and more
If you prefer flexibility when it comes to supplementation, then you’ll love the whole range on offer at Solve Labs. They do everything from matcha and hot chocolate mixes to vegan protein powder, pure powders and capsules. Find out more in my Solve Labs review.
Everything is made using 100% fruiting bodies from a range of different functional mushrooms. You can opt for a high-dose supplement, either in powder or capsule form or you can choose a pre-made blend.
I personally really enjoy taking their capsules. They make supplementing mushrooms incredibly easy. Plus you get a high dose of the mushroom every day.
Erbology
- Type of mushroom: Lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps, reishi, turkey tail, and more
- Form: Powder
If you are anything like me and you find all of these different blends a bit overwhelming, then you may be happy to know you can buy a large variety of mushroom powders in their pure form from Erbology.
After learning about each mushroom and its benefits, I enjoyed being able to pick and choose which powder(s) I mixed into my coffee or my pre-sleep time vegan hot chocolate, depending on what I needed it for. I even baked their immunity blend into my peanut butter cookie recipe as a sweet treat.
I also enjoyed being able to increase the dose each day as I got used to the effects. With pre-mixed blends, you would have to consume a lot more coffee or hot chocolate to do that.
Mycogenius
- Type of mushroom: Lion’s mane and cordyceps
- Form: Tincture spray
If you are looking for a mushroom supplement that is easy to add to your daily routine, then you are in luck. This mushroom tincture comes in a handy spray bottle that allows you to spray the adaptogens directly into your mouth, or to your cup of coffee.
I find this tincture convenient to use and the taste is quite subtle once it is sprayed in your mouth. You also don’t notice the taste once you mix it with your tea, coffee or juice.
The spray contains a mixture of two effective mushrooms, lion’s mane and cordyceps. Together they will help boost mental clarity and provide energy for working or exercising.
London Nootropics
- Type of mushroom: Lion’s mane and cordyceps
- Form: Flavoured instant coffee powder
I’m not normally one to big up instant coffee, but these adaptogenic coffee sachets from London Nootropics are a real exception. The flavour of each of their blends is delicious, not at all like the instant coffee that I know.
They have three blends, with two of them containing mushroom powder, Flow and Mojo. Flow is for focus and Mojo is for energy.
I can drink 2 of these a day without getting any coffee jitters and I find each blend to do exactly what it says! You can tell they’ve really thought about their choice of mushrooms for each blend. Find out more in my London Nootropics review.
Feel Gud
- Type of mushroom: Lion’s mane, reishi, chaga and cordyceps
- Form: Gummy sweet
These little mushroom gummies are a really easy and tasty way to get a good dose of 4 key functional mushrooms every day.
They are completely vegan, gluten-free, and sweetener-free, made using pectin and natural raspberry flavour.
They taste sweet and the flavour isn’t artificial. The dosage is also pretty good considering the size of the gummies, with 700mg of each mushroom per serving.
This is a great all-in-one supplement that allows you to get a good mix of mushrooms at the same time, for an affordable price. By consuming all 4 you can increase your chances of strengthening your immune system and increasing your energy!
Vivo Life
- Type of mushroom: Lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, and cordyceps
- Form: Powders, coffee, hot chocolate, and chai
Vivo Life sells a range of affordable mushroom powders that are still made from 100% fruiting bodies, with no fillers or pesticides. They offer pure powders of the core four mushrooms: lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, and cordyceps.
On top of this, they also sell some pre-made mixes, like ground coffee to use in your cafetiere and a hot chocolate mix.
Their pure powders come in at as little as £0.35 per serving, making them really affordable whilst also effective!
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