If you've spent any time on the wellness internet recently, you'll have noticed that mushrooms are having a moment. Not the ones on your pizza, the ones in your coffee, your chocolate, your tincture bottle, and (yes) our MYND bars.

They're called functional mushrooms, and the marketing around them has a habit of getting a bit cosmic. Words like "adaptogenic", "nootropic" and "bio-available" get thrown around with very little explanation, which is a shame, because the actual story is genuinely interesting and you don't need a biology degree to follow it.

This is a simple guide to the three you'll see most often: Lion's Mane, Reishi and Cordyceps. What they are, what people take them for, and how to fit them into your routine. 

First — what does "functional" actually mean?
A "functional" food or mushroom is one that's eaten for a specific benefit beyond basic nutrition. So a regular button mushroom is food. Lion's Mane is food and it contains compounds that researchers are interested in for cognitive support.

Most functional mushrooms have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese, Japanese and Indigenous medicine. What's new is that Western researchers have started taking a serious look at the compounds inside them, and finding that some of the traditional uses stand up surprisingly well to a lab.

A quick honest note before we go further: a lot of the research is still early-stage. The benefits below are best understood as "promising and well-tolerated", not "miracle cure". If you take medication or have a health condition, check with your GP before adding any supplement to your routine.

Lion's Mane — the focus one

• What people take it for: focus, memory, mental clarity, and a general "I can think straight" feeling. It's the one you'll see called "the smart mushroom" or talked about as a natural nootropic.
• Why people are excited about it: Lion's Mane contains two groups of compounds, hericenones and erinacines, that is being studied for its effects on nerve growth factor, a protein involved in keeping your brain cells healthy and talking to each other. Most of the strongest evidence so far comes from animal and lab studies, with a smaller (but growing) body of human research suggesting benefits for mild cognitive performance and mood.
• What it tastes like: mild. Fresh Lion's Mane has a slightly seafood-like texture (people compare it to crab or lobster). In powdered or extracted form, it disappears easily into chocolate, coffee or a smoothie.

Reishi — the calm one

Reishi is the elder statesman of the group. It's been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years and was historically reserved for emperors. Its nickname is "the mushroom of immortality", which is a lot to live up to, but you can see why people liked the marketing.

• What people take it for: stress, sleep, immune support, and a general sense of calm. If Lion's Mane is "switch on", Reishi is "wind down".
• Why people are excited about it: Reishi is classed as an adaptogen — a substance that may help the body cope with stress and stay in balance. It contains compounds called triterpenes and beta-glucans, which are being studied for their effects on the immune system and inflammation.
• What it tastes like: properly bitter. Reishi is not a snacking mushroom. It's almost always taken as a tea, tincture, capsule or in small doses inside a flavoured product where the other ingredients carry it.
• Best time to take it: evening, traditionally. Reishi is the one you'd reach for in the wind-down hours rather than mid-meeting.

Cordyceps — the energy one

Cordyceps is the mushroom you might know from nature documentaries, yes, including the one that takes over insects. (Reassuringly, the species used in supplements, Cordyceps militaris, is a totally different and totally non-zombifying variety, grown on grains in clean facilities.) 

• What people take it for: energy, stamina, athletic performance, and oxygen utilisation. It's the favourite of runners, cyclists and anyone who finds the 4pm slump particularly unforgiving.
• Why people are excited about it: small studies have looked at Cordyceps for endurance and exercise performance, with some suggesting it may help the body use oxygen more efficiently. It's also been studied for general fatigue and energy regulation.
  What it tastes like: earthy, slightly sweet, easier to live with than Reishi. It works well in coffee blends and pre-workout drinks.
• Best time to take it: morning or pre-workout. Cordyceps is your "let's go".

Functional mushrooms now come in roughly four forms:

• Powders are the most flexible — stir into coffee, smoothies, porridge or hot chocolate.
• Tinctures are concentrated liquid extracts, usually a few drops under the tongue or into a drink, and tend to be the most potent per ml. 
• Capsules are the convenient option if taste isn't your friend (looking at you, Reishi). And increasingly, you'll find them already built into food and drinks — chocolate, coffee, snacks — which is, frankly, the easiest way to make them a habit.

A couple of things worth knowing when you're buying:

• "Fruiting body" is the gold standard. That's the actual mushroom, the bit that looks like a mushroom. Some cheaper supplements use mycelium grown on grain, which contains fewer of the active compounds. If a label doesn't specify, it's usually a sign it's not fruiting body.
• Dual-extracted products (using both water and alcohol) tend to capture the widest range of beneficial compounds, because some are water-soluble and others aren't.
• Look for a real dose. A "Lion's Mane latte" with a pinch of powder for marketing is not the same as a product with a meaningful, stated mg amount.

Where NUUDA fits in
We're big believers that the best way to make any wellness habit stick is to bake it into food you'd want to eat anyway. That's why our Energise MYND bars contain 250mg of high-grade Lion's Mane per two-bite portion, using both a tincture of the fruiting body and organic Lion's Mane powder, so the dose is meaningful rather than decorative. It's the same philosophy that runs through our ready meals: nutritionally-considered food, made by chefs, designed to fit into a normal life. 

Curious to try Lion's Mane in the easiest possible format? Explore our MYND bars →