Medicinal mushrooms supplements are the latest celebrity wellness trend, adored by the likes of Meghan Markle, Gwyneth Paltrow and Elle Macpherson, but does the science behind them stack up? We took a deep dive into the world of functional mushrooms. Plus, why you need to try ‘shroom stacking’

Meghan Markle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elle Macpherson — these are just a few of the celebrities who are evangelical about spiking their morning lattes with ‘shrooms — just not the variety you think.

Medicinal mushrooms are the latest wellness trend to take over, with the purported benefits of this so-called “functional” variety spanning everything from beating burnout to boosting libido and getting gorgeous glowing skin. The Duchess of Sussex gave the trend her seal of approval last year via an investment in Clevr Blends, a powdered coffee brand that combines medicinal mushrooms, adaptogens and probiotics and, naturally, she’s got Hollywood pal Oprah on board, who publicly endorsed the brand on her own Instagram. This side of the pond, London just landed its very own adaptogenic coffee bar in Piccadilly Circus, Shroom Town.

So is this the year functional mushrooms are going to take off? And what’s the science behind them? If any? We’ve done the hard work for you and taken a deep dive into the world of super shrooms. You’re welcome.

Medicinal mushrooms, a brief history

Mushrooms have been used medicinally in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Today in Japan, mushroom active compounds called polysaccharides, which include beta-glucans, are used to treat digestive cancers. But closer to home, many western medicines, like penicillin are derived from the mushroom kingdom, too. 

What makes a medicinal mushroom ‘medicinal’?

While you will certainly reap health-supporting nutritional benefits from packing your diet and meals with the paper bag variety, like button, chestnut, oyster and portobello, medicinal mushrooms — also known as “functional” mushrooms — simply contain more potent levels of antioxidants and beta-glucans. Read more: https://bit.ly/3vU1Bx9