Herbal Adaptogens vs. Mushroom Products

People often ask whether ashwagandha or reishi is "better" for stress. The sources we read do not answer that, because the two have never been compared against each other in the material we found. What they do show is that these are different kinds of living things with different evidence and different cautions. This page lays out the documented differences. It does not pick a winner.

Safety note. Both groups can cause harm. NIH says liver injury linked to ashwagandha supplements is rare but has been reported, and that ashwagandha should be avoided in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. [1] Memorial Sloan Kettering says reishi can increase bleeding risk, that people on immunosuppressants should talk to a provider, and lists a report of liver toxicity linked to powdered reishi that led to death in one instance. [2] Cordyceps may also raise bleeding risk and lower blood sugar. [3] Supplements can interact with medicines, so tell a pharmacist or clinician about everything you take. [4] See how medicine interactions work.

What each one is

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an evergreen shrub; supplements typically contain root, leaf, or root and leaf extracts. [1][5]
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is a fungus, not a plant. [2][5]
• Cordyceps is a name used for several fungi. Memorial Sloan Kettering describes the wild one, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, as a parasitic fungus that grows on the larvae of a moth. [3][5] Which cordyceps species a product contains is its own question; see the cordyceps species guide.

NCCIH defines herbal supplements as made from plants, algae, fungi, or a combination of these. [4] That is why a "mushroom adaptogen" can sit on the same shelf as a root.

Is "adaptogen" the same word for both?

Not in any official sense. The EU's herbal committee (HMPC, 2008) wrote that the term is not accepted in the pharmacological and clinical terminology commonly used in the EU. [6] Calling a mushroom an adaptogen is a marketing and tradition-based grouping, not a regulatory class. Memorial Sloan Kettering says cordyceps is used in traditional Chinese medicine "as an adaptogen or immune stimulant", which is a traditional-use statement. [3] Read more in what adaptogens are.

Traditional use and research, kept apart

Traditional use. NIH says ashwagandha has been used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years, especially in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. [1] Memorial Sloan Kettering says reishi holds an important place in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries. [2] These are different traditions with different histories. Traditional use is not offered here as proof.

Research. The table sets out what each source says. It compares what was written, not results from a single trial.

Head-to-head evidence

Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed for trials that compared a herbal adaptogen directly with a medicinal mushroom product and found none we could use. A difference in two separate bodies of research does not show one works better than the other, because the people, products and outcomes differ.

Form questions that differ

Ashwagandha questions are about plant part (root versus leaf) and extract. Mushroom questions add whether the product uses fruiting body, spores, or grown mycelium. Proper evidence not found for a head-to-head comparison of those forms in the sources we read; our PubMed search for it returned nothing we could use. Reishi guides in the Mushrooms library cover the forms: reishi spores, fruiting body and mycelium products.

Who should be especially careful

• People on blood thinners or with a bleeding risk, because reishi and cordyceps are both flagged for bleeding. [2][3]
• People on immunosuppressants or with autoimmune conditions: reishi is flagged for immunosuppressants, and NIH advises against ashwagandha in autoimmune disorders. [2][1]
• People with diabetes, because cordyceps may lower blood sugar. [3]
• Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding (ashwagandha), or about to have surgery, who should tell the surgical team. [1]

Where to go next

For the mushroom side, see the mushroom adaptogens overview and the Mushrooms library comparison medicinal mushrooms vs adaptogen herbs. For ashwagandha, see its full guide. To judge any product, use the comparison checklist.