Research by Mushroom
A snapshot of how much PubMed research mentions each medicinal and culinary mushroom, how much is tagged as human or animal work, and what we actually read for each one.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
Short answer. The amount of research differs enormously between mushrooms, and a large number of papers does not mean strong proof. Counts below come from our own PubMed searches on 2026-10-23. They show how much has been indexed, not whether any mushroom works.
Safety note. This page is a map of research, not advice. Supplements are not treatments, and the US National Cancer Institute says the FDA has not approved medicinal mushrooms to treat cancer or any other medical condition. [1] Ask a pharmacist or clinician before using any product, particularly with medicines, kidney or liver disease, cancer care or surgery. See mushroom safety and interactions.
How to read the table
We searched PubMed for each mushroom's scientific or common names in the title or abstract. "Records" is every match. "Humans" and "animals only" are library tags applied to records; a human tag does not by itself show that people ate the mushroom, and we did not screen records one by one. "Trials" are records tagged as randomized controlled trials; "reviews" are tagged systematic reviews or meta-analyses. [2] Some records are unrelated to health, and some trials test blends or multi-ingredient formulas.Evidence snapshot
| Mushroom (accepted name) | Records | Humans / animals only | Trials / reviews | What we read | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) | 772 | 220 / 196 | 5 / 5 | Three small trials: promising for older adults with mild impairment, mixed in healthy adults [3][4] | More about Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) → |
| Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum; G. lingzhi is a synonym of G. sichuanense) | 4,485 | 1,136 / 927 | 28 / 17 | Two Cochrane reviews and a 17-trial meta-analysis: no good evidence of benefit for heart risk factors, insufficient for cancer [5][6][7] | More about Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum; G. lingzhi is a synonym of G. sichuanense) → |
| Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis; C. militaris is a separate species) | 3,139 | 640 / 959 | 32 / 23 | Mixed exercise trials; kidney reviews of low quality [8][9][10] | More about Cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis; C. militaris is a separate species) → |
| Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) | 2,004 | 308 / 209 | 21 / 12 | Cochrane review of PSK extract in colorectal cancer: low to very low certainty [11] | More about Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) → |
| Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) | 465 | 143 / 115 | 0 / 0 | Proper evidence not found for trials; case reports of oxalate kidney injury [12] | More about Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) → |
| Maitake (Grifola frondosa) | 625 | 182 / 200 | 5 / 4 | A review found a lack of systematic study; one 2026 bread trial, strain-dependent [13][14] | More about Maitake (Grifola frondosa) → |
| Shiitake (Lentinula edodes, also Lentinus edodes) | 2,291 | 652 / 452 | 35 / 15 | A food trial with blood markers; a purified-extract (lentinan) cancer trial without survival gain [15][16] | More about Shiitake (Lentinula edodes, also Lentinus edodes) → |
| Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) | 500 | 83 / 102 | 3 / 0 | One 75-person trial of memory complaints [17] | More about Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) → |
| Agaricus subrufescens (and A. blazei; GBIF lists both as accepted) | 418 | 118 / 133 | 7 / 1 | One small trial in people on diabetes medicines [18][19] | More about Agaricus subrufescens (and A. blazei; GBIF lists both as accepted) → |
| Poria (Wolfiporia cocos; Poria cocos is a synonym) | 872 | 232 / 242 | 5 / 18 | Not read for this page; no statement made [19] | More about Poria (Wolfiporia cocos; Poria cocos is a synonym) → |
| Antrodia cinnamomea (now Taiwanofungus camphoratus) | 704 | 272 / 145 | 4 / 0 | One 28-person fatty liver trial [20][19] | More about Antrodia cinnamomea (now Taiwanofungus camphoratus) → |
| Oyster (Pleurotus genus searched) | 4,108 | 503 / 598 | 17 / 5 | Not read for this page | More about Oyster (Pleurotus genus searched) → |
| Button, cremini, portobello (Agaricus bisporus) | 1,780 | 249 / 221 | 11 / 1 | Not read for this page | More about Button, cremini, portobello (Agaricus bisporus) → |
| Enoki (Flammulina genus searched) | 702 | 96 / 126 | 1 / 2 | Not read for this page | More about Enoki (Flammulina genus searched) → |
| Wood ear (Auricularia genus searched) | 951 | 152 / 370 | 2 / 5 | Not read for this page | More about Wood ear (Auricularia genus searched) → |
Reading the pattern
- Lion's mane has 772 records but only five tagged trials. See human versus animal research. [2]
- Reishi and Cordyceps each have 17 or more tagged reviews, and the reviews we read rate certainty low or very low. [2][7][10]
- Chaga has no tagged trials. Proper evidence not found.
- "Not read" does not mean "no benefit". It means we make no claim.
Limits
Our terms may miss papers that use other names. A species name can hide different products; fruiting body, mycelium and extract are not interchangeable. For detail on trials, see human clinical studies and the research overview.Frequently asked questions
Which mushroom has the most human research?
By tagged trials in our search, shiitake names had 35, Cordyceps 32 and reishi 28. [2]
Does more research mean a mushroom works?
No. Counts show volume, not results; reviews of reishi rate certainty very low. [7]
Is chaga proven to help with anything?
Proper evidence not found: no trials were tagged in PubMed, while case reports describe kidney injury from oxalate. [2][12]
Are animal studies counted as human evidence?
No. Animal-only tags are listed separately. [2]
Is this a ranking?
No. It is a count of records and a note on what we read.
References
- National Cancer Institute. Medicinal Mushrooms (PDQ), health professional version. Updated 2024-11-06. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Library of Medicine. PubMed, searched through NCBI E-utilities (esearch) on 2026-10-23. Each mushroom was searched by scientific and common names in the title or abstract, filtered by publication type (randomized controlled trial; systematic review or meta-analysis) or by the Humans and Animals MeSH tags, for records up to 2026-10-23. The goal snapshot combined a fixed list of medicinal mushroom names with goal words. Counts change as records are added. Read 2026-10-23.
- Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009. PubMed 18844328. Read 2026-10-23.
- The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study. Nutrients. 2023. PubMed 38004235 (full text via Europe PMC PMC10675414). Read 2026-10-23.
- Ganoderma lucidum mushroom for the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015. PubMed 25686270. Read 2026-10-23.
- Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016. PubMed 27045603. Read 2026-10-23.
- The Nutritional Significance of Ganoderma lucidum on Human Health: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Food Sci Nutr. 2025. PubMed 40510787. Read 2026-10-23.
- Cordyceps Sinensis (CordyMax Cs-4) supplementation does not improve endurance exercise performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004. PubMed 15118196. Read 2026-10-23.
- Effect of Cs-4 (Cordyceps sinensis) on exercise performance in healthy older subjects: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2010. PubMed 20804368. Read 2026-10-23.
- Cordyceps sinensis (a traditional Chinese medicine) for treating chronic kidney disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014. PubMed 25519252. Read 2026-10-23.
- Coriolus (Trametes) versicolor mushroom to reduce adverse effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy in people with colorectal cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022. PubMed 36445793. Read 2026-10-23.
- Chaga case reports of oxalate kidney injury: Chaga mushroom-induced oxalate nephropathy. Clin Nephrol. 2014. PubMed 23149251; Development of End Stage Renal Disease after Long-Term Ingestion of Chaga Mushroom. J Korean Med Sci. 2020. PubMed 32419395; Chaga mushroom-induced oxalate nephropathy that clinically manifested as nephrotic syndrome. Medicine. 2022. PubMed 35451393. Read 2026-10-23.
- Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa): systematic review by the natural standard research collaboration. J Soc Integr Oncol. 2009. PubMed 19476741. Read 2026-10-23.
- Maitake Mushroom (Grifola frondosa) Enhances Cognitive Function in Healthy Older Japanese: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol. 2026. PubMed 42055721. Read 2026-10-23.
- Consuming Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) Mushrooms Daily Improves Human Immunity: A Randomized Dietary Intervention in Healthy Young Adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015. PubMed 25866155. Read 2026-10-23.
- Randomised phase III study of S-1 alone versus S-1 plus lentinan for unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer (JFMC36-0701). Eur J Cancer. 2016. PubMed 27501505. Read 2026-10-23.
- Efficacy and Safety of Tremella fuciformis in Individuals with Subjective Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Food. 2018. PubMed 29319408. Read 2026-10-23.
- The mushroom Agaricus Blazei Murill in combination with metformin and gliclazide improves insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2007. PubMed 17309383. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Names checked through the species match API (api.gbif.org/v1/species/match) on 2026-10-23. Read 2026-10-23.
- Hepatoprotective Effect of Antrodia cinnamomea Mycelium in Patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Am Coll Nutr. 2021. PubMed 32657670. Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.