What Is Mycotherapy?
An Introduction to Functional Mushrooms
You may have started seeing the word “mycotherapy” pop up more often — on wellness Instagram, in health food shops, and now, here on my own website. So what actually is it, and why am I now offering it alongside homeopathy and yoga.
Mycotherapy, simply put, is the therapeutic use of functional mushrooms.
You've probably already met some of these mushrooms without realising it — Lion's Mane lattes are everywhere at the moment, and Reishi has quietly become a staple in the “adaptogen” aisle of most health shops. But there's a big difference between a mushroom gummy from the supermarket and the kind of high-potency, standardised extracts used in proper mycotherapy — and that difference is really what this post is about.
A long history, a newer name
Fungi have been used in traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years, particularly across Chinese and Japanese practice. What's changed recently isn't the mushrooms themselves, but the science: modern extraction and research methods now let us understand what is actually active in these mushrooms, and study it properly.
You'll notice I use the term “functional mushrooms” throughout my own materials rather than “medicinal mushrooms” — this is simply the term current supplement regulation requires, even though you'll still hear “medicinal mushrooms” used informally.
Why potency matters
There's a real difference between the mushroom powder in a supermarket gummy and a clinical-grade extract. Potency depends heavily on how the mushroom is grown, harvested and extracted, a poorly produced extract can contain barely any of the compounds that make the mushroom interesting in the first place.
This is why I only work with Hifas da Terra, a Spanish biotech company and genuine leader in this field, with over 25 years of research behind their extraction processes. Their strains are genetically identified, cultivated under controlled conditions, and tested at a molecular level for consistency, tested for heavy metals.
How I use it in practice
Mycotherapy isn't a replacement for anything I already offer, it sits alongside it. Depending on what's going on for you, a functional mushroom blend might complement your homeopathic treatment plan, support your general immune health, or simply act as a wellbeing tonic during a particularly demanding season of life. Functional mushrooms can even be prepared in homeopathic potency, so the two approaches work hand in hand, supporting you physically and energetically.
A quick note on regulation
You may notice that some functional mushrooms (Reishi is a good example) are no longer available to buy over the counter in the UK. This isn't because anything has changed about the mushroom itself; it's a change in supplement legislation, and it now means these particular extracts are only available through a registered practitioner. I'm proud to be one of the practitioners in the south of England able to offer these products, following training with Hifas da Terra directly.
What's next
Over the coming weeks I'll be writing a short series on individual functional mushrooms and what they are, their traditional and modern uses, and how they might fit into your own wellbeing plan. First up: Reishi, and why it's become one of the most talked-about (and most restricted) mushrooms in the functional health world.
If you're curious whether mycotherapy might be right for you, do get in touch to book a consultation.
Curious to know more?
If you'd like to explore whether Reishi, or another functional mushroom, might suit your wellbeing goals, get in touch to book a consultation. Next in the series: Lion's Mane, and its growing reputation as the “brain mushroom.”
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