Many of us take functional mushrooms because it helps us relax. And now we have clinical evidence backing it up.
A new randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (the gold standard in science) just found that a blend of functional mushrooms (Reishi, Lion’s Mane, and Cordyceps) significantly improved mood, sleep quality, and stress levels in healthy young adults, all within just 25 days.
Let’s unpack the study and why it matters.
The Study in Plain English
Researchers at Sri B.M. Patil Medical College in India recruited 80 adults aged 18–40 who reported low mood, anxiety, or poor sleep.
Participants were split into four groups: capsules or snack bars, with or without a 125 mg mushroom blend, taken twice daily.
After 25 days, those taking the mushroom blend saw:
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Significant improvements in mood and stress
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Better sleep quality
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Lower cortisol levels
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No side effects
What Was in the Mushroom Blend?
The supplement combined four organic extracts:
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Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi): Long used to calm the mind and balance stress hormones.
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Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane): Known for supporting neurogenesis, mental clarity, and emotional balance.
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Cordyceps militaris + Cordyceps sinensis: Shown to boost mitochondrial function and energy while stabilising mood.
Together, they deliver a variety of unique compounds, including β-glucans, triterpenes, polysaccharides and cordycepin.
The researchers suggest benefits may be mediated, at least in part, through modulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, which is the brain’s central stress circuit that links mood, sleep, and energy regulation.
How the Mushrooms Helped Sleep and Stress
Participants started noticing changes by Day 13, with improvements continuing through Day 25.
The researchers found that:
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People fell asleep faster and woke up less during the night.
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Stress hormones (salivary cortisol) dropped, especially in the morning and evening.
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The effect was stronger than placebo, meaning it wasn’t just wishful thinking.
In short, these mushrooms seemed to help the body reset its internal stress rhythm, reducing cortisol spikes, which in turn calms the nervous system and supports deeper, more restorative sleep.
Why This Matters
This is the first controlled human trial showing that a daily blend of mushroom extracts can directly improve mood and sleep while lowering physiological stress in a healthy population.
It gives scientific backing to what traditional medicine has said for centuries: that mushrooms like Reishi and Lion’s Mane are adaptogens that help the body adapt to stress rather than blunt it.
And importantly, both capsules and snack bars worked equally well. Mushies snack bar anyone?
Previous Research
This isn’t the first time mushrooms have been linked to better mood, stress resilience, and sleep. But it is one of the most structured human trials to confirm it.
Previous research has laid the groundwork:
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Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus):
Multiple small trials have found that Lion’s Mane can improve mild anxiety and depression while enhancing cognitive performance. A 2019 double-blind study in Biomedical Research reported significant mood improvements in participants after four weeks of supplementation, likely due to its compounds hericenones and erinacines, which stimulate nerve growth and brain plasticity. -
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum):
Reishi’s triterpenes act as natural adaptogens, regulating the stress response via the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. In a 2005 study, Reishi extract reduced fatigue and improved wellbeing in patients with neurasthenia (a condition marked by chronic exhaustion and anxiety). Its traditional use as a “spirit-calming” mushroom is increasingly supported by modern data showing reduced cortisol and improved subjective well-being. -
Cordyceps (C. militaris and C. sinensis):
Cordyceps has been shown to improve ATP production (the body’s core energy currency) and help regulate mood through effects on adenosine and serotonin systems. Animal and human studies have found that it reduces oxidative stress and supports balanced energy and mood during periods of mental or physical strain.
Together, these earlier findings suggested that mushrooms could act on multiple biological fronts: reducing inflammation, balancing cortisol, promoting neurogenesis, and improving mitochondrial energy metabolism.
What’s new about the 2024 study is that it combined these three species in a single standardised blend and demonstrated clear, measurable improvements in mood and sleep within just a few weeks with physiological evidence to back it up.
It takes what used to be anecdotal - feeling calmer, sleeping better - and shows it happening biochemically.
The Big Picture
We’re living in an age of chronic overstimulation and under-recovery. Sleep quality is collapsing, stress is spiking, and many of us are struggling to regulate our moods.
This study suggests that functional mushrooms might offer a natural way to support the body’s own balance systems, improving emotional regulation, sleep architecture, and energy metabolism through biological pathways.
Final Take
In 25 days, a simple blend of Reishi, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane improved sleep, mood, and stress, safely and measurably.
It’s one more sign that mushrooms aren’t just food or overhyped wellness tonics. They’re intelligent biological tools for restoring human balance.
Explore our mushroom extracts here.
Source:
Venter, R.N., Wildman, R.E.C., Haub, M., Riddell, M.K., & Chandradhara, D. (2024). Mood and Sleep Benefits of Mushroom Supplementation in Young Adults: An Exploratory Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
