9 mushroom myths busted – including ‘Does cooking them damage their benefits?’

Let’s set the record straight. Mushrooms are fungi, not vegetables. And while natural, edible mushrooms like chestnut and button have great nutritional value, they’re different to functional mushrooms.

Functional mushrooms and supplements don’t contain psychoactive compounds and they’re not addictive or toxic. Instead, studies suggest they contain compounds like beta-d-glucans and polyphenols, which can have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, and some have compounds that may inhibit cancerous cells.¹

Standard edible mushrooms are often classed as superfoods as they’re an excellent dietary source of vitamins B and D, selenium, potassium and fibre. However, functional mushrooms include many different types of fungi and each one has different potential effects. Some mushrooms are considered adaptogenic, which is another way of saying that they could help with different wellness areas.

Perhaps you’ve seen people on social media pairing their mushrooms with orange juice or vitamin C supplements? “People might be taking mushrooms with vitamin C because they’ve heard it aids in the absorption of other nutrients, such as iron,” says Madalena.²

Sure, boiling and cooking vegetables at high temperatures can reduce their nutritional content – especially vitamins C and K.³ But the opposite can be true for fungi. 

More of us are turning to mushroom teas and coffees as an alternative morning wake-up. These are a fusion of traditional coffee and functional mushrooms. “The mix varies depending on the percentage of coffee in that particular product,” says Madalena. 

You might just be hearing about trendy Lion’s Mane, but everyone from Greek physicians to Chinese alchemists have already been using medicinal mushrooms for thousands of years.⁴

Not so – there's no simple way to know what you’re looking at.

Not necessarily. There’s power in eating common edible and functional mushrooms in their freshest form. Whole foods are less processed and, according to Madalena, could be more nutritionally dense than supplements.

Some research has shown that cordyceps mushroom could potentially help increase blood flow and oxygen uptake during exercise, so it might be best taken in the morning or before your workout.⁵  Reishi has a reported calming effect, so you could add this to your evening routine.⁶ 

While research is still emerging, edible mushrooms remain a great addition to your diet, whether you start with whole foods as Madalena recommends or go for a supplement or coffee. Feeling inspired? Check out seven mushroom products our customers love.