Should you take a bioactive mushroom?

Bioactive mushrooms (also known as medicinal mushrooms) are a class of mushroom that contains compounds with specific physiologic effects on humans. They have been used for millennia in traditional medicine systems and are particularly common in East Asian medicine. These mushrooms are rich in a variety of compounds that offer several health benefits. While beta glucans are typically the compounds in mushrooms that are cited as being particularly bioactive (Krestin in turkey tail, for example—more on that below), they all have complex profiles of bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates that can have immune-modulating effects—beta glucans fall into this category), triterpenes, peptides, phenols, sterols, alkaloids, and glycoproteins. Bioactive mushrooms are used for a variety of purposes, ranging from general health promotion to specific therapeutic properties. Described benefits include immune system support, antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory properties, adaptogenic qualities (an adaptogen is botanical that helps the body adapt to stress and maintain balance), brain health, blood sugar regulation, heart health, gut health, bone health, and cancer treatment support.