Mushrooms for Inflammation: Which Have Evidence? (UK Guide)

What is inflammation? Acute vs chronic

Inflammation is the immune system’s response to injury or infection, and there are two very different kinds.

• Acute inflammation is short-term: the redness, heat and swelling around a cut or a sprained ankle, which settle as the tissue heals. It is a normal, protective process.
• Chronic inflammation is a low-level, body-wide inflammatory state that can rumble on for months or years. A 2019 review in Nature Medicine linked this “systemic chronic inflammation” with many of the leading causes of disability and death worldwide, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and autoimmune and neurodegenerative conditions.

The same review lists what drives it: physical inactivity, a poor diet, ongoing infections, pollutants and long-term stress. That points to where the real gains are.

Research usually tracks inflammation with blood markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Keep in mind that a lower marker in a small study is not the same as fewer symptoms or less disease.

Inflammation caused by conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) or psoriasis is a different matter. It needs a diagnosis and medical treatment, and no supplement replaces that.

Which mushrooms have been studied for inflammation?

Here is what each popular mushroom has actually been tested for. “Cell” means cells in a dish, “animal” means mostly mice or rats, and “human” means a trial in people.

For a wider look at these species, see our functional mushrooms guide.

What the studies found, mushroom by mushroom

Shiitake: the clearest human signal

After four weeks of eating dried shiitake daily, the 52 adults in the 2015 trial had more active immune cells in lab tests, higher saliva antibody (sIgA) levels and lower CRP. But some inflammatory signals, including TNF-alpha, went up, and with no comparison group it is a promising hint from ordinary food, not proof. Our shiitake guide covers cooking and side effects.

Reishi and inflammation

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum, or lingzhi) is one of the mushrooms most often linked with inflammation online, because of lab and animal studies. Tested in people, results are quieter: the four-week placebo-controlled trial found no significant change in any marker, including inflammation, though reassuringly no sign of liver, kidney or DNA toxicity either. More in our reishi guide.

Lion’s mane and inflammation

Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) is mostly researched for memory and nerves. Its inflammation evidence so far is in cells and mice, for example a 2026 study of a beta-glucan-rich extract in mice with induced colitis. See our lion’s mane guide.

Turkey tail and inflammation

Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) is studied mainly in cancer care, alongside standard treatment. A dose-finding trial in nine women after breast cancer radiotherapy is a long way from evidence for everyday inflammation. Our turkey tail guide explains the cancer question carefully.

Chaga, cordyceps and maitake

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center notes that chaga’s safety and effects have yet to be evaluated in clinical studies, and it carries a kidney risk (see safety). Human trials of cordyceps have measured exercise, not inflammation. In the maitake trial, an extract pushed some immune measures up and others down, and the researchers warned such extracts can depress immune function as well as enhance it: “immune modulating” is not automatically good. See our guides to chaga, cordyceps and maitake.

What the evidence does not show

Many articles rank the “best mushrooms for inflammation”. The honest answer is that nobody can rank them yet, for several reasons.

• Very few human trials. A 2025 review in Frontiers in Nutrition counted only 12 randomised controlled trials of mushroom-based products in chronic inflammatory diseases, with 24 to 180 participants each and lasting 4 to 12 weeks.
• Lab results don’t transfer neatly. The same review flags poor bioavailability (little of a compound may reach the bloodstream), a lack of standardised products and unclear doses as the main barriers to using these findings in people.
• No head-to-head trials. No study has compared reishi with lion’s mane, turkey tail or chaga for inflammation, so “best” lists are opinion.
• Markers are not outcomes. A lower CRP after four weeks does not show less pain, fewer flares or a lower risk of disease.
• Products vary hugely. Fruiting body or mycelium, water or alcohol extract, and the strength of the extract all change what you get, and studies rarely use the products sold in shops.

Mushrooms for joint pain and arthritis

People often search for mushroom supplements for joint pain. We could not find good-quality human trials showing that any mushroom supplement helps joint pain or arthritis, so we can’t recommend one for that.

Joint pain has many causes, and the right next step depends on which it is. Our guides to joint pain and arthritis explain the main types. The NHS advises seeing a GP if:

• joint pain is stopping you doing normal activities or affecting your sleep
• the pain or swelling is getting worse or keeps coming back
• it hasn’t improved after two weeks of treating it at home
• your joints are stiff for more than 30 minutes after waking up

iAsk for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 if the skin around a painful joint is swollen and hot, or if you have joint pain and feel generally unwell or have a high temperature.

Weighing up other options? Our guide to turmeric and curcumin research covers the trials and side effects in the same plain way.

Food first: what has better evidence

The strongest evidence for lower inflammation markers comes from how you eat overall. A 2026 meta-analysis of 33 randomised trials with 3,476 adults found that a Mediterranean-style diet lowered high-sensitivity CRP, IL-6 and IL-17 compared with control diets. It made no significant difference to standard CRP or TNF-alpha, so even this picture isn’t perfect, but it is far stronger than anything for mushroom supplements.

A Mediterranean-style diet means:

• plenty of vegetables, fruit, beans and wholegrains
• olive oil as the main fat, plus nuts and seeds
• oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel (our omega 3 guide covers the best sources)

Mushrooms fit into this easily. Shiitake, oyster, maitake and chestnut mushrooms work in stir-fries, soups, risottos and pasta sauces. Cook shiitake thoroughly (see safety).

Other everyday steps that tackle the drivers of chronic inflammation:

• Regular activity and a healthy weight.
• Not smoking and drinking less alcohol.
• Good sleep and managing long-term stress.
• Treating underlying conditions with your GP’s help.

Mushrooms as food vs supplements

Everyday mushrooms such as shiitake, oyster, maitake and button mushrooms add fibre, B vitamins and beta-glucans to your diet, and the best human evidence comes from eating them. Supplements vary hugely in what they contain. If you choose one, check the label for:

• The species, ideally with its Latin name (for example Ganoderma lucidum for reishi).
• The part used: fruiting body (the mushroom itself) or mycelium, which is often grown on grain.
• The extract strength, such as an extract ratio or a stated beta-glucan content.
• Independent lab testing for contaminants such as heavy metals.
• No disease claims. A UK product that says it fights or reduces inflammation is breaking the rules (see below), which is a red flag about the seller.

Our guides to choosing the best mushroom supplement in the UK, mushroom gummies and mushroom coffee go into formats, doses and value.

Our Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex is an evening hot chocolate made with cocoa, reishi mushroom, maca, cinnamon and coconut sugar. The cacao contains a little natural caffeine. It isn’t a treatment for inflammation or any condition: we make it as a warm, comforting ritual for adults to enjoy as part of a varied diet.

Safety: who should be careful

iConcentrated supplements are different from cooking mushrooms. If you take any regular medication, check with your GP or pharmacist before starting one. The key points:

• Reishi and the liver. There are rare case reports of liver injury with reishi, mostly with powdered products, including one death. Stop taking it and speak to your GP if you feel unwell while using it.
• Blood thinners. Memorial Sloan Kettering advises that reishi can increase the risk of bleeding and that chaga may too. If you take warfarin or another anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicine, talk to your GP or pharmacist first.
• Chaga and the kidneys. Daily chaga powder over months has been linked in case reports with oxalate damage to the kidneys. One 69-year-old man taking 10g to 15g a day with vitamin C needed dialysis. Avoid chaga if you have kidney disease or have had kidney stones.
• Diabetes medicines. Chaga lowered blood sugar in lab studies, so check with your pharmacist if you take diabetes medicines.
• Immunosuppressants. Reishi can enhance immune responses, and Memorial Sloan Kettering says it may not be safe if you take immunosuppressants. Ask your specialist first.
• Autoimmune conditions. Mushroom extracts can push immune measures in both directions, as the maitake trial showed. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease or another autoimmune condition, talk to your specialist before trying one.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and we’d suggest avoiding mushroom supplements in general at these times unless your midwife or GP says otherwise.
• Adults only. Our products are for adults aged 18 and over. Don’t give mushroom supplements to children.
• Raw shiitake. Raw or undercooked shiitake can cause a striking, itchy, whip-like rash in some people, thought to be a reaction to lentinan, a compound broken down by thorough cooking. See our shiitake guide.
• Wild mushrooms. Never forage wild mushrooms unless you’re an expert.

Why no mushroom can claim to reduce inflammation

In Great Britain, food and supplement labels and adverts can only use health claims listed in the GB nutrition and health claims register. No mushroom has an authorised health claim. That is why a responsible UK brand, including Evopure, won’t tell you a mushroom reduces inflammation, boosts immunity or relieves joint pain.

That doesn’t make mushrooms useless. The evidence simply hasn’t reached the standard needed for a claim: interesting lab science, a handful of small human studies, and no clear answers yet.

See also our anti-inflammatory diet guide, with a UK foods list and a 7-day plan.

If you’d rather drink your mushrooms, here’s how to make mushroom tea at home.