Mushrooms have been making a lot of headlines lately, especially the magic kind, but if you’re not yet ready to be a “mommy who mushrooms,” don’t worry–the health benefits of mushrooms go beyond the hallucinogenic kind.
I’m a mommy who took mushroom gummies for 30 days (specifically, Fungies Lion’s Mane Mushroom) and am here to tell you all about my experience. If you’re mushroom-curious but not yet ready to start microdosing, here’s what you need to know about these promising supplements.
Health Benefits Of Mushrooms
Mushroom gummies are the latest of the supplement craze, promising to deliver benefits as far-ranging as more energy, an enhanced immune system, better sleep, and so on. Mushroom gummies are made of mushroom powder from fungi like Lion’s Mane (others include Reishi, Turkey’s Tail, and more).
Research has started to show us that Lion’s Mane, for one, may protect against dementia, anxiety, depression and repair nerve damage. It also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-boosting abilities that may indeed lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, ulcers and diabetes in animals. Aka, mushrooms and their multitude of health benefits are no joke.
Honest Review: Fungies
Mushroom gummies, like any gummy supplement, take extracts of the mineral and combines them with sugar to make them more palatable. You may be thinking, sugar equals bad. But I’ve had capsules of Lion’s Mane supplements in my house since my husband watched “Fantastic Fungi” on Netflix two years ago, and they’ve just sat on the shelf collecting dust. When Fungies sent me a sample of their gummies, suddenly we started taking them every day. It’s difficult to quantify a benefit like “memory,” but I can say that I am diligently taking these gummies, they’re delicious and I believe in the science.
Ingredients
Each Fungies Lion’s Mane gummy contains 500mg of dual extracted lion’s mane mushroom.
They are naturally flavored with juicy blueberries and sweet strawberries, are vegan, and contain no yeast, dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, gelatin, peanuts, shellfish, artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Key Benefits
The key benefits according to package and press materials provided by the company:
- Packed with antioxidants.
- May help with memory, focus, clarity, and overall cognitive performance.
- Shown to help improve mood, increase energy, provide immune support, and manage inflammation.
Health Experts Weigh In
“While the benefits of functional mushrooms have been known for centuries in other cultures, they are just now becoming popular and better understood in Western scientific circles,” registered dietitian nutritionist Ana Reisdorf who is associated with the company explains.
“Lion’s mane mushroom, found in the Fungies Gummies, has been found in initial human and animal studies to have many cognitive benefits. It has been shown to help with memory, focus, and improved clarity. It may also help support immunity and mood.”
How does it work, exactly? “The benefits likely come from the beta-glucan and antioxidant composition of the mushrooms. Beta-glucan is a type of fiber found in a variety of foods that has a variety of benefits for heart health, blood sugar, and immunity.”
