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Science Weekly

Do medicinal mushroom products actually work?

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2938 Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2025

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

More of us are turning to products containing mushroom extracts, with the medicinal fungi market now worth billions of pounds. Promises of benefits to mental and physical health have seen its popularity spill over from wellness influencers to the shelves of Marks & Spencer – but is there any scientific evidence behind these claims? Ian Sample chats to Madeleine Finlay about the appeal of mushroom drinks and supplements, and hears from the mycologist Prof Nik Money on what we really know about how fungi can affect our minds and bodies. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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0:00.0

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1:11.3

Discover more at ring.com. This message was paid for by Ring.

1:19.1

Functional fungi products like mushroom powders, drinks and pills have become a multi-billion pound market.

1:32.5

This is my little collection of mushroom extracts that I take on a daily basis,

1:36.6

and genuinely they make me feel better than I have ever felt before.

1:40.1

So I've definitely been on a bit of a mushroom coffee kick recently, trying different brands.

1:45.5

You might have a friend who swears by their morning, Lion's Main coffee, or afternoon

1:51.0

Shataki supplement.

1:53.3

A warning about Lionsmane, it will give you a ton of energy.

1:57.1

Lionsman's claim to fame is its ability to bolster and repair nerve growth and protect against dementia.

2:03.0

All of us know how good ratio is for your mental health. It's an adaptogen, so it helps your body's response to stress and it limits depressive episodes because of its adaptogenic properties.

...

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