Mushroom lattes, potions, and tonics have made their debut in the wellness world as practitioners of a healthy lifestyle have begun singing the praises of fungi for their incomparable health benefits and healing and beauty-enhancing capabilities. When I decided to consume mushrooms for a whole month, I started out by setting my parameters. I would focus on the “tonic” or “potion” as the main vehicle of the four mushrooms I had been hearing most about—reishi, chaga, lion’s mane, and cordyceps.

These four medicinal mushrooms have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries for effects as varied as strengthening the immune system (all of them, but especially chaga); increasing focus, concentration and memory (lion’s mane); supporting a spiritual practice (reishi); and improving athletic performance and sex drive (cordyceps). Read More