Which Medicinal Mushroom is Best for Me?

Unsure which mushie is best for you? We hear you! We get asked this question a lot.

Navigating which medicinal mushroom extract you should go with can be a little confusing. Questions often arise like can I mix mushrooms? What’s the best time of day to take them? How do I take them?

Don’t sweat it. We’re here to help.

The best place to start is to work out the benefits that you are seeking. Here’s a couple of the key ones:

Energy & Performance | Cordyceps, Chaga

Focus & Cognitive Health | Lion’s Mane, Tremella

Calm | Reishi  

Immune Support | Turkey Tail, Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga, Lion’s Mane, Tremella

Longevity | Chaga, Reishi

Gut Health | Turkey Tail, Lion’s Mane

Skin Health | Tremella, Chaga, Reishi

Potential Benefits

Can I Combine Medicinal Mushrooms?

You can absolutely combine medicinal mushrooms. Different medicinal mushrooms work in synergy with each other so we’d encourage you to consider their individual benefits and work from there. 

However, if you’re new to medicinal mushrooms we would recommend potentially starting out with just one. When you’re trying something for the first time there can be a tendency to get excited and take all the mushies all at once. We get it. And excitement is a good thing! But when we’re introducing several new substances at the one time whether that be mushies, herbs or supplements it can be hard to distinguish what we’re getting the most benefit from. Starting with just one gives us the opportunity to really observe, listening to our body and the benefits we might be experiencing.

If you do choose to combine mushies we’d recommend paying attention to the combined dosage.

How Much Medicinal Mushroom Powder Should I Take?

We recommend starting out with ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon at a time. This might seem like a small amount however our mushies have some of the highest extract ratios available in Australia meaning you won’t have to take as much as other medicinal mushroom products you may have tried to get the same benefit.

For instance, our Chaga has a 20:1 ratio, meaning 20 kg of raw Chaga makes 1 kg of our Chaga extract. You might notice some more affordable extracts in your local bulk health food store that may have a 1:1 extract ratio. This means that you’d have to consume a lot more of this lower extraction mushie to get the same active benefit.

What Time of Day Should I Take Medicinal Mushrooms?

There’s no absolute right or wrong time to take specific medicinal mushrooms, and it can often come down to individual preference or routines, but the best time of day to take different mushies can be a little confusing. This was one of the main reasons we developed our Adaptogenic Blends, to act as a guide for time-of-day consumption.

We like the more invigorating mushies like Cordyceps, Chaga and Lion’s Mane earlier in the day and Reishi in the evening to make the most of its peace-promoting effects.

How Do I Take Medicinal Mushrooms?

As food substances, medicinal mushrooms are incredibly versatile and can be incorporated into endless recipes.

Medicinal Mushrooms as a Tonic Tea

Our preferred way of enjoying our mushies is straight up with a ¼ teaspoon added to a warm cup of water to make a tonic tea. This allows you to not only experience the flavour and the qualities of the individual mushrooms but also access to the benefits in an unadulterated form. 

It’s also so incredibly easy. Pop the kettle on, add your mushroom extract, stir a couple of times and you’re ready to sit back and enjoy your mushroom tonic tea. Our Inner Atlas extracts are 100% pure mushroom with no fillers and a high extract ratio. These combined factors mean our extracts are 100 % water-soluble.

Medicinal Mushrooms in Coffee or Tea

One of the first ways we started enjoying medicinal mushrooms all those years ago was by adding them to coffee, and this widespread trend is only growing. With their anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant profiles, medicinal mushrooms can go a long way to help mitigate some of the unwanted side effects of caffeine.

Medicinal Mushrooms in Juice or Smoothies

Medicinal Mushrooms are an effortless addition to your favourite juice or smoothie and another easy way to incorporate mushies into your daily routine. 

Medicinal Mushrooms in Savoury Meals

Our fully-extracted Inner Atlas mushies aren’t sensitive to heat meaning you can cook them into any recipe and experience the benefits. Your mushies can be blended in or made the star of the recipe adding to the flavour profile.

Medicinal Mushrooms in Dessert

Medicinal mushrooms often aren’t the first thing we think of when we go to create something sweet, but they can be used to supercharge any recipe with their phytonutrients, antioxidants, beta-d-glucans and minerals. We particularly love combining the rich dark flavours of Reishi and Chaga with chocolate, check out our Dreamy Chocolate Hazelnut and Reishi Brownies and thank us later!

Inner Atlas Adaptogenic Blends

Last but not least our Inner Atlas Adaptogenic Blends were created for you to enjoy medicinal mushrooms with ease. Stir 2 heaped teaspoons into a warm milk of choice (we love coconut) for a delicious cacao latte in the case of Dawn and Dusk, and maca latte in the case of Day Blend.

For more detail head over to our earlier Journal entry 'The Best Ways to Use Medicinal Mushrooms.'

A Final Note

Medicinal mushrooms are indeed amazing and can go a long way to elevate your health and wellbeing but they are not a panacea and work best with a self-care game that's on point. Wherever you can be sure to nourish yourself with whole foods and a balanced diet, exercise, connect with your loved ones and those around you, spend time in nature, hydrate and get some sleep.

For any specific health concerns, or if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding we always recommend chatting with your health care practitioner before incorporating medicinal mushrooms into your diet to make sure the mushies you’re interested in are right for you.