08/12/2026
🍄 Wellness Wednesday: What exactly is a “functional mushroom”?
You’ve probably heard the term functional mushroom thrown around a lot lately... but what does it actually mean?
Simply put, some mushrooms are enjoyed primarily for their flavor and texture, while others have a long history of being used for the naturally occurring compounds they contain.
And sometimes, they’re BOTH!
🍄 Oyster mushrooms are delicious on your dinner plate and contain beta-glucans and other naturally occurring compounds.
🧠 Lion’s Mane is an edible gourmet mushroom that’s also widely studied for compounds associated with cognitive and neurological health.
🌿 Reishi is usually too tough and bitter to cook like a traditional mushroom, so it’s commonly prepared as teas, powders and extracts.
🌈 Turkey Tail is another tough, woody mushroom that is better suited to extraction than your frying pan.
That’s one of the things we love most about fungi. There is an incredible amount of diversity hiding inside a kingdom most of us were taught very little about.
Fresh, dried, powdered or extracted... there’s a whole lot more to mushrooms than the little white buttons at the grocery store. 🍄🌿
