Stress, Anxiety & Depression: Mushrooms Might Be Your Mind’s Best Friend

Way too many people struggle with anxiety, stress, depression and insomnia that can lead to illness and diminish quality of life. This new study shows that a blend of powerful traditional medicinal mushrooms can help.

Around the world, rates of stress, fatigue and poor sleep are just continuing to go up. As many as 28% of people may be depressed, 26.9% may be anxious, 36.5% may be stressed and 27.6% may have trouble getting a good night’s sleep.

A number of powerful medicinal mushrooms have shown an ability to alleviate stress, depression, anxiety and insomnia. This new study put five of those mushrooms together to see what effect they might have.

50 people with at least 3 stress related symptoms were included in the double-blind study. They all had moderate to severe levels of stress and fatigue. Half were given a placebo; half were given a combination of mushrooms. The mushroom supplement was a blend of shiitake, maitake, reishi, lion’s mane and cordyceps. The dose was 1g with food for 12 weeks. The mushroom supplement was standardized for at least 30% β‐glucan and at least 30% total polysaccharides.

At the end of the 12 week study, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale showed a 33.5% improvement in anxiety in the mushroom group compared to a significantly less 13.1% in the placebo group. The Beck Depression Inventory showed that depression improved by 16.8% in the mushroom group while worsening by 4.1% on placebo. According to the Perceived Stress Scale, stress went down by 10.1% on placebo, but by a significantly greater 17.8% on the mushrooms. Already by week 6, the mushrooms were significantly better for anxiety, depression and stress than the placebo.

The primary objective of the study was to see what effect the mushrooms would have on stress reduction as measured by changes in cortisol levels. While cortisol went down by 0.8% in the placebo group, it went down by a significantly greater 5.5% in the mushroom group.

When faced with stress, the pituitary hormone ACTH triggers the production of cortisol. While ACTH levels went down by 0.2% in the placebo group, they went down by a significantly greater 8.1% in the mushroom group.

But that’s not all. The mushrooms improved physical fatigue by 9.2% versus a significantly less impressive 2.1% in the placebo group. When it came to markers of fatigue, the mushrooms were significantly better than the placebo for improving norepinephrine and C‐reactive protein.

When it came to sleep, overall sleep quality worsened slightly in the placebo group by 0.4%, but it improved by a significantly greater 6.4% in the mushroom group.

The mushrooms gave all this benefit with no risk. All safety parameters, including liver function, kidney function, hematological indices, electrolyte levels, and blood glucose levels remained normal on the mushrooms.

This study shows that “the mushroom blend offers a natural and effective intervention for managing stress‐related health issues,” including stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia.

Brain Behav. 2026 Jan 15;16(1):e71193.

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For much more on preventing and treating stress, anxiety, depression & insomnia naturally, see our book The Family Naturopathic Encyclopedia.

For much more on medicinal mushrooms, see our book Healthy Herbs: Your Everyday Guide to Medicinal Herbs and Their Use.

For comprehensive natural help with your health, including mental health make an appointment to see Linda Woolven now. Linda’s clinic is now open for in person and virtual appointments.

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