Functional Mushrooms: A Plain Guide to the Main Species
The short answer
- "Functional mushrooms" is a marketing term, not a scientific category. It is used for mushroom species sold as supplements, such as lion's mane, reishi, chaga and tremella, rather than eaten as everyday food.
- In the UK they are sold as food supplements, not medicines. Only authorized health claims may be used for foods, and we don't make health claims for any of our products.
- They come as dried mushroom, raw powder, extracts in capsules or tinctures, and blends. The label tells you which species, which part of the mushroom and how much is in a serving.
- The species we sell and describe here are not psilocybin ("magic") mushrooms.
About this guide: Mushroom Dispensary sells single-species mushroom capsules and tinctures. This is our own guide, not an independent review. It explains what functional mushrooms are and how they are sold, without health claims.
The term "functional mushrooms" appears on supplements, drinks and online product content. The phrase sounds technical, but it is really a label the supplement industry uses. This guide explains what it covers, the main species you will see in the UK, how they are sold, and what to check before you buy.
What are functional mushrooms?
There is no official definition. In practice, "functional mushrooms" means mushroom species that are sold as supplements or added to drinks, as opposed to the button, chestnut and portobello mushrooms you would buy for cooking. Some, such as lion's mane, are also good to eat fresh. Others, such as reishi and chaga, are hard and woody, so they are not cooked like other mushrooms and have traditionally been brewed into tea.
The term says nothing about what a mushroom does. Under UK food law, mushroom supplements are foods, and a food can only carry a health claim that is on the authorized list. That is why you will not find promises of results on our labels or in this guide.
The main species at a glance
| Common name | Latin name | What it looks like | Traditional use as food or drink |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lion's mane | Hericium erinaceus | A white, shaggy ball of hanging spines; no cap, no gills | Cooked fresh as a culinary mushroom |
| Reishi | Ganoderma lucidum | A hard, glossy, red-brown kidney-shaped shelf fungus | Sliced and simmered as tea in China and Japan |
| Chaga | Inonotus obliquus | A black, cracked growth on birch with a rust-brown interior | Brewed as a folk tea in Russia, Finland and the Baltic countries |
| Tremella | Tremella fuciformis | A translucent, frilly jelly fungus, also called the snow mushroom | Simmered into sweet soups in Chinese cooking |
Other species sold under the functional label include turkey tail, cordyceps, shiitake and maitake. For more on individual species, read our guides to lion's mane, reishi, chaga and tremella, or compare two of them in lion's mane vs reishi.
How functional mushrooms are sold
- Fresh or dried. Fresh lion's mane is sold for cooking; dried reishi slices and chaga chunks are sold for brewing.
- Raw powder. The dried mushroom, milled. Hard species such as reishi and chaga are mostly woody material in this form.
- Extracts. The mushroom processed to concentrate it, then dried into a powder for capsules or kept as a liquid tincture. Labels often state a ratio such as 10:1. Our mushroom extract explainer covers what ratios mean.
- Capsules and tinctures. The two formats we sell. Capsules are swallowed whole; a tincture is measured with a pipette and taken under the tongue or stirred into a drink. Our tinctures are alcohol-based.
- Blends. Several species in one product. A blend label often gives one total for the whole mix, so you can't tell how much of each species is in a serving; see mushroom blends vs single species.
Fruiting body, mycelium and sclerotium
Labels describe which part of the fungus the product is made from. The fruiting body is the mushroom itself. Mycelium is the root-like network it grows from, and some products grow it on grain, so the powder can include the grain. Chaga is different again: what is harvested is a sclerotium, a dense mass of fungal tissue on birch, not a fruiting body. None of these is a health claim; they are simply different raw materials, and a good label tells you which one you are buying.
What to check before you buy
- One named species, with its Latin name.
- Fruiting body, mycelium or (for chaga) sclerotium, stated.
- Extract or raw powder, ideally with a ratio for an extract.
- Serving size and servings per pack, so you can work out the price per serving.
- All other ingredients listed, including any added herbs or vitamins.
- A company you can contact, and where the product comes from.
- No promised results on the pack.
Our guide to the best mushroom supplements in the UK goes through each check in detail and applies it to our own range.
Labels, servings and cautions in the UK
Mushroom supplements are sold in the UK as food supplements, and their labels must follow food law. Buy from a seller who labels the product clearly, follow the serving on the label and don't exceed it. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical care, speak to your GP or pharmacist before use.
Don't forage these species for yourself: identifying wild fungi takes real expertise, and wild lion's mane is protected by law in Britain.
Our range
We sell six single species as 60-capsule jars, three of them also as 30ml alcohol-based tinctures, from £19.99 for 30 servings. Our mushrooms are harvested in Finland and bottled in Sheffield, and orders are dispatched from Barnsley. Our current Buy 2, get 1 free offer applies to one-time purchases: put any three qualifying items in your cart and the lowest-priced one is free. Browse the full range, read our story, or try the mushroom finder.
Frequently asked questions
What are functional mushrooms?
A marketing term for mushroom species sold as supplements or added to drinks, such as lion's mane, reishi, chaga and tremella. It is not a scientific category and says nothing about what a mushroom does.
Do functional mushrooms make you high?
The species sold by Mushroom Dispensary and described here are not psilocybin ("magic") mushrooms and are not sold as psychoactive products. Our products are single-species mushroom capsules and tinctures sold as food supplements.
Do functional mushrooms actually work?
We don't make claims about what any of our products do for your health, and only authorized health claims may be used for foods in the UK. We can tell you what is in each product, where it comes from and what it costs per serving.
Which functional mushroom should I start with?
Start with the species you want to try and the format you prefer. Our mushroom finder asks a few questions about format and routine and suggests a starting point.
Can I take more than one?
Our products are sold as separate single-species items, so each label tells you what that product is. If you are considering taking more than one supplement, follow each label and ask your GP or pharmacist where the standard cautions apply.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical care, speak to your GP or pharmacist before use.