MUSHROOMS
Updated: 6 days ago
Medicinal mushrooms are a popular way to support the immune system during Lyme treatment. My daughter and I have both used them. Links to every product are under WHERE TO BUY near the bottom.
Short on time or energy? A quick-view graphic with the key points is at the bottom of this post.
MY EXPERIENCE
- During my treatment years, I used combination mushroom formulas for my immune system. Years ago, my doctor had me use Host Defense MyCommunity for quite some time, and it gets mentioned often in our groups.
- I've used cordyceps on its own for fatigue.
My Cordyceps post:
- In past years, I often used lion's mane for neuropathy. Super Lion's Mane by Mushroom Wisdom is my preferred one.
My Lion's Mane post:
- I'm not taking any mushrooms right now.
WHAT A LYME DOCTOR SAYS
- Dr. Bill Rawls writes on LymeDisease.org that reishi and cordyceps rank among the best immunomodulators, and both also count as adaptogens.
- He explains that immunomodulators help turn up the parts of the immune system that are underactive and calm the parts that are overactive.
- He names reishi and cordyceps among the herbs and mushrooms often used in chronic Lyme protocols.
My Adaptogens post:
WHAT EACH MUSHROOM IS KNOWN FOR
Immune support is the main reason medicinal mushrooms show up in Lyme protocols. A few are also used for other things, like energy and the brain.
- Reishi: immune balance and a calmer stress response. Dr. Rawls often includes it in chronic Lyme protocols.
- Cordyceps: immune balance plus energy and stamina. It's traditionally used for fatigue.
More in my Cordyceps post:
- Lion's mane: best known for the brain and nerves. Small human studies suggest it may help with thinking and mental speed. In animal studies, it helped injured nerves repair, and a 2026 review called it the most promising mushroom for nerve injury, though studies in people are still needed. Older animal studies (2015 and 2020) also found it eased nerve pain.
More in my Lion's Mane post:
- Turkey tail: immune support. Dr. Rawls ranks it among the strongest mushrooms for immunity.
- Shiitake: immune support. Dr. Rawls and Dr. Jill Carnahan both point to its immune-helping beta-glucans.
- Maitake: immune support. In a 2026 study of healthy adults, one type of maitake was linked to fewer days of fever and runny nose, though people didn't catch fewer colds.
- Chaga: Dr. Rawls says this tree mushroom has medicinal value.
- Mesima: one small 2022 study found it boosted the activity of natural killer cells, a type of immune cell.
- Some blends also include other mushrooms, like royal sun blazei (agaricus), that aren't covered here.
A note from me: this list doesn't cover everything. Many of these mushrooms may offer more benefits than I've included here. I'm sharing the uses that are best known or most studied as of today, from sources I trust. Research keeps growing, and one post can only cover so much.
TOP BRANDS AND THEIR MUSHROOM FORMULAS
Two of my Lyme doctors recommended Real Mushrooms, NFH (Nutritional Fundamentals for Health) and Host Defense, and I've used all three.
- Real Mushrooms: 5 Defenders
- Host Defense: MyCommunity
- Mushroom Wisdom: Mushroom Emperors
- NFH: Mushroom Complex SAP
- Gaia Herbs: Everyday Mushrooms
- Designs for Health: MycoSupreme
Some products use the mushroom itself (the fruiting body), and some use mycelium grown on grain such as brown rice. The label tells you which.
EATING MUSHROOMS ON A YEAST-FREE DIET
- Dr. Richard Horowitz recommends cutting out yeast-containing foods, including mushrooms, on an anti-Candida diet. This is about eating mushrooms as food. If you're on a yeast-free diet, ask your doctor whether mushroom supplements are right for you.
My Candida post:
IF YOU'RE MOLD SENSITIVE
- Dr. Jill Crista, a naturopathic doctor known for her mold illness work, suggests a low-mold diet that skips fungal foods like mushrooms.
- For patients dealing with both mold and Candida, she asks them to avoid everything in the fungus family, including medicinal mushroom supplements and S. boulardii. She finds these often make mold-sick patients feel worse, since the body is already dealing with too much fungus. When someone has Candida without mold, she notes they can be helpful.
- Dr. Jill Carnahan also lists mushrooms among the foods to avoid on her low-mold diet. In 2019, when a reader asked about a cordyceps supplement, she shared that many people with mold exposure are very sensitive to mushrooms, while those who aren't sensitive or allergic may do fine with them.
- A 2024 medical case report described a teen with mold allergies whose throat itched and felt tight after eating pizza with mushrooms, though canned mushrooms didn't bother him. The authors noted that mold and mushroom allergies may overlap.
- If you're dealing with mold, talk with your doctor before adding a mushroom supplement or eating mushrooms.
BEFORE YOU START
- Read the warning on each bottle. Several mushroom labels say to check with your doctor first if you're pregnant or nursing, take medications, or have a medical condition.
- Reishi and cordyceps may add to the effect of blood thinners, so ask your doctor first if you take one.
WHERE TO BUY
Buy products on Fullscript for a 25% discount:
Buy here (5 Defenders capsules by Real Mushrooms: turkey tail, maitake, reishi, shiitake and chaga):
Buy here (5 Defenders powder by Real Mushrooms: turkey tail, maitake, reishi, shiitake and chaga):
Buy here (MyCommunity capsules by Host Defense: 17 mushrooms, including reishi, cordyceps, lion's mane, chaga and turkey tail):
Buy here (MyCommunity liquid extract by Host Defense: mushroom blend; contains alcohol):
Buy here (Stamets 7 by Host Defense: royal sun blazei, cordyceps, reishi, maitake, lion's mane, chaga and mesima):
Buy here (Mushroom Emperors by Mushroom Wisdom: 11 mushrooms, including maitake, lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps and chaga, plus vitamin C):
Buy here (Mushroom Complex SAP by NFH: turkey tail, maitake, reishi and shiitake):
Buy here (Everyday Mushrooms by Gaia Herbs: cordyceps, reishi, turkey tail, shiitake and chaga):
Buy here (MycoSupreme by Designs for Health: reishi, chaga, lion's mane, cordyceps, maitake, shiitake, agaricus and turkey tail, plus L-ergothioneine):
My preferred lion's mane:
Buy here (Super Lion's Mane by Mushroom Wisdom: lion's mane, plus vitamin C):
RELATED POSTS
Lion's Mane
Cordyceps
Beta Glucans
Adaptogens
Immune System Solutions
EBV and Viral Solutions
Fatigue Solutions
Neuropathy Solutions
SOURCES
How are multiple sclerosis and chronic Lyme related? (Dr. Bill Rawls, LymeDisease.org, April 2025)
Comparing herbal therapy to antibiotics for chronic Lyme disease (Dr. Bill Rawls, LymeDisease.org, September 2024)
Does Mold Exposure Cause Candida or Mold Colonization? (Dr. Jill Crista, May 2025)
Taking the Next Step in Your Mold Recovery Journey (Dr. Jill Crista, May 2025)
Low Mold Diet: What Foods Are Allowed on the Low-Mold Diet? (Dr. Jill Carnahan, updated March 2023; her reader reply dated June 2019)
Pollen food allergy syndrome secondary to molds and raw mushroom cross-reactivity: a case report (Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, January 2024)
Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: a systematic review (Frontiers in Nutrition, September 2025)
Application of Medicinal Mushrooms for the Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Injury: A Systematic Review (Medical Sciences, January 2026)
Maitake mushroom supplementation modulates upper respiratory symptoms and immune responses in healthy adults (Food and Function, September 2026)
A Comprehensive Review of Herbal Supplements Used for Persistent Symptoms Attributed to Lyme Disease (Integrative Medicine, March 2023)
The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults (Nutrients, November 2023)
Effects of Phellinus linteus extract on immunity improvement (Medicine, August 2022)
Dr. Bill Rawls, Vital Plan articles on medicinal mushrooms, reishi and cordyceps (2023 to 2024)
Dr. Jill Carnahan, Trained Immunity: How Beta Glucans Teach Your Innate Immune System to Remember (September 2026)
Fullscript product pages and labels for each product above (no date shown; links above)
Older sources, still worth reading:
Effects of Hericium erinaceus Mycelium Extracts on the Functional Activity of Purinoceptors and Neuropathic Pain in Mice with L5 Spinal Nerve Ligation (Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2020)
Protective Effect of Ethanol Extracts of Hericium erinaceus on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Neuropathic Pain in Rats (Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015)
The Relationship Between Candida and Lyme Disease (Jennifer Crystal, Global Lyme Alliance, November 2020; shares Dr. Horowitz's diet advice)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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