Could Mushrooms Be the Key to Improving Immunity?

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola  Fact Checked

STORY AT-A-GLANCE -
 Mushrooms, long valued for their medicinal properties, are being explored as tools to
boost immunity and fight viruses, including SARS-CoV-2

 Three studies — two of them FDA-approved — are evaluating whether mushrooms have
therapeutic potential for treating COVID-19

 Research identified chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus) as having the “widest range
of antiviral activity” against different subtypes of influenza virus

 Mushrooms contain several immunomodulators, including lectins, proteins,

polysaccharides and terpenoids, while there are more than 400 bioactive compounds in
reishi mushrooms alone

 Researchers from the People’s Republic of Bangladesh believe mushroom-based

therapeutic approaches could be used to achieve a “COVID-free world”

Mushrooms, long valued for their medicinal properties, are being explored as tools to
boost immunity and fight viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Dr. Gordon Saxe, director of
research at the Centers for Integrative Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine, is the
principal investigator of three studies evaluating whether mushrooms are therapeutic
for treating COVID-19.1

During the early days of the pandemic, Dr. Andrew Shubov, director of inpatient
integrative medicine at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, said he was frustrated
by the lack of effective treatments for COVID-19. "People were taking increasingly toxic
drugs, and nothing was working," he told JAMA.2

Saxe, Shubov and colleagues believe mushrooms and Chinese herbs may be the answer,
given their strong antiviral properties. One type of mushroom, agarikon, was also
previously found to inhibit two types of influenza (H1N1 and H5N1) as well as herpes.
These immune-enhancing effects is part of what triggered Saxe to choose mushrooms
in their studies against COVID-19.3

Three Studies Underway Using Mushrooms to Treat COVID-19

Mushrooms and Chinese Herbs for COVID-19, known as MACH-19, is a multicenter

study led by University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UCLA. Their
trials, which are still recruiting subjects, involve people who have tested positive for
SARS-CoV-2 and are quarantined at home with mild to moderate symptoms.

Two of the three studies have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
as Phase 1 clinical safety trials for investigational compounds to treat COVID-19.4
Additional trial details follow:5

1. Mushroom-Based Product for COVID-19 — Running from December 2020 to

December 2022, this study is testing a blend of half agarikon and half turkey tail
mushrooms in capsule form.

2. Chinese Herbal Formula for COVID-19 — Running from July 2021 to December
2022, this study is testing 21 Chinese herbs from Taiwan, known as Qing Fei Pai Du
Tang, which is used as a remedy for COVID-19 in China.

3. RCT of Mushroom Based Natural Product to Enhance Immune Response to COVID-

19 Vaccination — This trial is evaluating whether a capsule of medicinal
mushrooms, given at the time of a COVID-19 injection, can increase antibodies.

According to Saxe, "Mushrooms may not only increase the number of these
antibodies, but also enhance T-cell immunity against virally infected cells. Further,
 because mushrooms bind to receptors on human immune cells, they can modulate
our immunity — boosting it in some ways and calming it down in others. And this
property of mushrooms may also reduce vaccine-related side effects."6

A fourth trial may also soon be launched to explore whether medicinal mushrooms
could enhance immune response to COVID-19 booster shots. Safety data from the initial
three trials are expected by the end of 2021, while efficacy data will take another year.
Saxe said:7

"We hope these treatments will reduce the need for hospitalization …
Mushrooms have the advantage that they co-evolved with us. So bacteria,
viruses and other fungi prey on mushrooms just like they prey on humans. And
mushrooms have developed exquisite defenses against those pests, and we
believe they can confer those to us when we eat them."

Mushrooms' Impressive Antiviral and Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Writing in the journal Immunology, researchers from Oslo University Hospital in Norway
also highlighted the potential therapeutic effects of mushrooms against COVID-19,
specifically the severe lung inflammation that often follows the infection.8 They looked
at lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus), hen of the wood (Grifola frondose) and
Basidiomycota Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM) mushrooms.

An extract of the three was found to significantly reduce bacteria in the blood and
increase survival in mice with pneumococcal sepsis. Their anti-inflammatory effects
also led to improvements in symptoms and quality of life in patients with inflammatory
bowel disease.

Due to their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, "such mushroom extracts

could have prophylactic or therapeutic effect against the pneumonic superinfection and
severe lung inflammation that often complicates COVID-19 infection," the researchers
explained.9
Long chain polysaccharides, particularly alpha and beta glucan molecules, are primarily
responsible for mushrooms' beneficial effect on your immune system. In one study,
adding one or two servings of dried shiitake mushrooms was found to have a beneficial,
modulating effect on immune system function.10

While there are at least 126 medicinal functions attributed to mushrooms,

polysaccharides have received special attention and been the subject of a number of
research studies.

According to the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, "[T]he most important

for modern medicine are polysaccharides with antitumor and immunostimulating
properties. Several of the mushroom polysaccharide compounds have proceeded
through Phase I, II and III clinical trials and are used extensively and successfully as
drugs in Asia to treat various cancers and other diseases."11

Chaga Mushroom Fights Flu

As noted in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary medicine, more than 14,000
species of mushrooms have been identified (it's believed that more than 140,000 exist),
with more than 2,000 of them being edible and/or medicinal.12

Some of these species hold promise for acting as antivirals against influenza viruses
that can cause pandemics.13 Research from the State Research Center of Virology and
Biotechnology Vector in Russia, for instance, identified chaga mushrooms (Inonotus
obliquus) as having the "widest range of antiviral activity" against different subtypes of
influenza virus.14

Chaga contains polysaccharides that have antiviral and immunomodulatory effects, and
in mice it was found to work as well as the drug Tamiflu against pandemic influenza
virus.15 Beyond its antiviral effects, in vitro studies show that chaga mushrooms have
antibacterial, immunostimulating and antitumor activity,16 and as noted in the Journal of
Internal Medicine are also anti-inflammatory:17
 "Chaga mushrooms (grows mainly on the bark of birch trees in Northern Europe,
Siberia, Russia, Korea, Northern Canada, and Alaska) possess a powerful
enzymatic system and a strong system of defense due to their parasitic mode
of life. They have shown promising results in attenuation of inflammatory
responses that have been associated with COVID-19."

Reishi Could Help Achieve a 'COVID-Free World'

Other mushroom species have also been celebrated for their anti-COVID-19 potential,
with reishi, also known as lingzhi, emerging as an exemplary player.18 As noted in the
International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, functional foods and nutraceuticals
made from medicinal mushrooms make sense in the fight against COVID-19:19

"COVID-19 manifests a multitude of illnesses, some of which are symptomatic

while others are asymptomatic. Among them, immunological deregulation (i.e.,
the cytokine storm) is the most notable manifestation of COVID-19. Thus,
modulation of the compromised immune system has become the focal point in
combating COVID-19.

Immunomodulation is the regulatory process that maintains a balanced

immune system: it does not allow all immune cells to be active altogether. In
this regard, food and nutraceutical-based approaches boosting immune
defense and modulating compromised immunity seem apt as a defense against
COVID-19."

Mushrooms contain several immunomodulators, including lectins, proteins,

polysaccharides and terpenoids, while there are more than 400 bioactive compounds in
reishi mushrooms alone.20 Various immunomodulators isolated from mushrooms have
been shown to:21

Suppress replication of respiratory Lower IL-6 expression and inflammation

syncytial virus (fungal (FIP-fve)
immunomodulatory protein (FIP)-fve)
 Enhance trained immunity, an innate Ameliorate both upper and lower
immune response that produces respiratory tract infections and boost
antibody-free memory to pathogens that immunity (mushroom derived beta-
lasts for months (β-D-glucan) glucan)

Lower the level of common cold events Alleviate influenza (H1N1 and H5N1) in
by one-fourth (β-D-glucan) rats

The effects are so strong that the researchers, from the People's Republic of
Bangladesh, believe mushroom-based therapeutic approaches could be used to achieve
a "COVID-free world." They explained:22

"Although the exact mechanism of anti-viral effect is not yet known, overall
enhanced immunity seems apt. This enhancement might occur either through
direct immune stimulation or through TRIM [trained immunity]. Thus, usage of
β-D-glucan as both a therapeutic and prophylactic agent seems apposite."

Strong Immunity Is Key, Mushrooms Help

Building strong immunity was described in the Journal of Pharmacy and Biological
Sciences as a "major weapon to fight against COVID-19." The researchers listed many
commonsense approaches to build strong immunity, ranging from sound sleep and
meditation to vitamins C and D, along with medicinal mushrooms:23

"Medicinal mushrooms have been used since ancient times for prevention and
treatment of infections and infectious diseases, different types of medicinal
mushrooms have been studied for immunity boosting potential. Over 270
species of medicinal mushrooms are known to have immune enhancing
properties, few examples include: cordyceps, lion‟s mane, maitake, shaitake,
reishi, and turkey tail are beneficial for human health."

As one of nature's most powerful immune builders, mushrooms also make a useful
functional food in times of both good and ill health.
In fact, the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms researchers advised "quick
actions in preparing mushroom-based food items for COVID-19 sufferers" and
requested that the World Health Organization "disseminate a mushroom-based
therapeutic and preventive approach against SARS-CoV-2." They pointed out that
mushrooms are easily accessible and simple to distribute where needed:24

"As the preparation of mushroom powder is simple and does not require
sophisticated handling and preservation processes, supplying mushroom
powder to patients with COVID-19 and comorbidities around different parts of
the globe would also be less cumbersome for aid agencies."

Basidiomycetes mushrooms, which include reishi, almong, pom-pom and maitake

mushrooms, are traditionally consumed in China and Japan for cancer prevention due to
their ability to modify the immune response and provide nutritional support during
chemotherapy.

These mushrooms also show promise as both prophylactic and therapeutic remedies
for COVID-19 as well as to help curb related immune overreaction and inflammation, as
noted in the Journal of Internal Medicine.25

Mushrooms Act as Health Tonics

It's not only your immune system that benefits when you eat mushrooms, as medicinal
varieties possess a plethora of potent medicinal properties, including:26

Antitumor Immunomodulating Antioxidant

Cardiovascular Antihypercholesterolemic Antiviral

Antibacterial Antiparasitic Antifungal

Detoxification Hepatoprotective Antidiabetic

Mushrooms can be used medicinally in supplement and extract form as well as enjoyed
as a dietary addition. If you enjoy mushrooms, consider growing your own at home. For
more information on the many health benefits of mushrooms, check out the infographic
below.

Sources and References

1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 UC San Diego Health November 12, 2021

2 JAMA. 2021;326(20):1997-1999. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.19388
8, 9 Immunology July 6, 2020
10 The FASEB Journal April 1, 2013
11 Int J Med Mushrooms. 2012;14(2):95-134
12 J Tradit Complement Med. 2013 Jan-Mar; 3(1): 62–68
13, 18, 19 International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms January 2021
14 J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Oct 11;137(3):1077-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.07.024. Epub 2011 Jul 28
15 Nutrients. 2020 Sep; 12(9): 2573
16 J Tradit Complement Med. 2021 Jul; 11(4): 293–302
17, 20, 25 Journal of Internal Medicine: Science & Art, V2, 2021 PDF
21, 22 International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms January 2021, Immunomodulatory Role of Mushrooms
23 Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences May-June 2020, Medicinal Mushrooms
24 International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms January 2021, Immunomodulatory Role of Mushrooms,
Section VII
26
 Mini Rev Med Chem. 2018;18(13):1095-1109