Mushroom teas offer an easy and enjoyable way to incorporate functional mushrooms into your health routine. From an aromatic Reishi blend in the evening, to a revitalizing Lion’s Mane drink upon awakening – mushroom tea offers many ways to experience these remarkable fungi!

These teas are created by steeping fungi in hot water like traditional tea, making their bioactive compounds more accessible than through pills or capsules.

Reishi

Reishi mushrooms have long been revered as symbols of longevity and an integral component of traditional herbal medicine, from wild harvesting them in nature or including them in tea as an aid to immunity. Today, this seemingly magical fungus has become more accessible than ever; over ten millennia of cultural and historical evidence have shown the many health benefits Reishi provides, from managing blood sugar levels to supporting the immune system.

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is known as the “Mushroom of Immortality.” Reishi belongs to the Ganoderma genus of mushrooms with shelf-like fruiting bodies that resemble antlers or kidneys when wet, creating an opaque lacquered look when wet. Reishi’s name comes from its distinctive glossy surface reflected by its Latin binomial name Ganoderma lucidum; meaning’shiny skin shiny’ in Latin.

Reishi mushrooms have long been utilized as part of traditional herbal medicines for their ability to strengthen immunity, providing patients with effective immunity-enhancing medicines against diseases like cancer and viral infections. Reishi mushroom has also been demonstrated to boost white blood cell count and enhance lymphocyte activity – qualities which aid cancer patients fighting off infections as well as cancer cells – helping fend off infections that arise while fighting disease progression. It has even been recognized for its chemopreventive qualities which allow patients with certain cancers to halt and potentially prevent further progression over time.

Reishi mushrooms have long been touted for their ability to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, and this claim has been confirmed through multiple clinical studies. Additionally, Reishi mushroom possess anti-inflammatory effects which help inhibit proinflammatory cytokine release.

More research needs to be conducted in order to verify these claims, with experts suggesting Reishi may offer limited benefits for healthy adults. Studies suggest the mushroom may help reduce fatigue and depression symptoms while improving quality of life by relieving symptoms associated with nervous breakdown such as headache and dizziness.

Reishi can be found growing naturally in forests, typically on decaying hardwood logs. Indoor cultivation techniques use sterilized sawdust, with typical fruits appearing within 14-21 days. Outdoors it prefers hardwood logs half buried in the ground such as oak, cherry, elm or sycamore trees as hosts.

Chaga

Inonotus obliquus, commonly referred to as Chaga, is a parasitic mushroom found on birch trees in cold climates. Recognizable by its rocklike appearance and vanilla-like taste, Chaga has long been used in folk medicine in Russia, Siberia, China, Korea and some occidental countries to support immunity. Furthermore, as an edible functional food it offers antioxidants, vitamins minerals plant compounds as well as low calories, high fiber intake, low sugar consumption.

Chaga lives up to its label as a superfood in every respect – packed full of B vitamins, zinc, copper, selenium and manganese along with polysaccharides beta glucans betulinic acid and other powerful phytochemicals such as betulinic acid – making it one of the richest sources of essential nutrition available today. In terms of preventative or curative properties Chaga boasts several potential curative uses such as immune boosting, blood sugar regulation balancing anti-inflammatory and detoxifying.

As winter nears, keep an eye out for Chaga on your favorite birch tree, and harvest it during its dormant stage. Remember to leave at least one-third of it behind so it can continue growing and providing health-promoting benefits over time.

Chaga chunks can be used to prepare an invigorating and healing tea. Chaga tea boasts an irresistibly rich coffee-like taste and is loaded with essential nutrients such as vitamin D, B vitamins, potassium magnesium selenium copper iron. To brew your own delicious and healing beverage using Chaga chunks use one to three chunks per liter of water and let steep on low for 6 to 8 hours or even overnight for optimal results – for best results cut chunks into 1-inch cubes before steeping for optimal results.

Far West Fungi provides organic and wild foraged Chaga products in loose leaf and powder form, air dried in-house without sodium or other additives, making our offerings suitable for tea drinking or use in smoothies, hot chocolate, granola bars and other recipes. Chaga’s warm toasty flavor pairs beautifully with many ingredients and its versatility allows its enjoyment hot or cold; in our house we especially love sipping on it alongside coffee!

Lion’s Mane

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is an edible mushroom with long, shaggy white spines resembling those seen on lions’ manes, found commonly among hardwood trees throughout North America, Europe and Asia and used medicinally since ancient Chinese traditions began using this species of mushroom as medicine.

Mushrooms are packed with nutrients, and one such nutrient-rich option is shiitake mushrooms, packed with many antioxidants that can be consumed raw or cooked. Sauteeing and blending shiitake into soups, smoothies or stews is a popular method, while it also makes an excellent brain-boosting addition to tea!

Research suggests that Lion’s Mane mushrooms could help reduce inflammation and protect against Alzheimer’s by slowing amyloid plaque production, improving cognition (such as improving recall) by increasing nerve growth factor and nerve cell connectivity and improving memory retention. Furthermore, their anti-inflammatory properties may help treat various conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcers and cardiovascular disease.

The lion’s mane mushroom can be taken as either an oral supplement or by injection, with most manufacturers suggesting a dosage between 1000-3000mg daily at any time of day, taken either orally or intravenously. Some studies indicate it may assist with treating chronic depression and anxiety; further studies will need to confirm these claims. It has hypoglycemic properties which may help in the prevention or treatment of diabetes as well as more research needs to be conducted in this regard.

Mushrooms such as Reishi and Chaga may be sold either individually, as supplements, or combined together into tinctures made using alcohol extraction method to remove water-soluble components while leaving behind beneficial compounds making it an extremely potency supplement.

Lion’s mane mushrooms can be grown from both spores and log inoculation methods; however, some growers opt for using a mushroom growing bag as this simplifies substrate preparation, inoculation and incubation processes to achieve more consistent product that’s easy to sell.

Turkey Tail

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) is one of the world’s most ubiquitous polypore mushrooms, found year-round on decomposing hardwood logs and stumps throughout forests in autumn. Its vibrant clusters add color and vibrancy to dull woodland environments.

But with proper observation and identification skills, mushrooms are fairly easy to identify without the aid of a microscope. Their caps feature thin and flexible micro hairs that feel fuzzy to touch; their surfaces feature earthy tones of browns, grays, blacks, yellows, greens reds or blues; while their undersides often sport numerous tiny pores as opposed to similar looking counterparts that lack pores altogether.

Turkey tail mushrooms are not only beautiful, they also possess many medicinal benefits that promote wellness. Packed with antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids that reduce oxidative stress while supporting cellular integrity and the body’s natural immune response, turkey tail mushrooms also contain triterpenoids which strengthen immune defenses by activating natural killer cells and B lymphocytes in your immune system.

As saprotrophs, turkey tail mushrooms contribute significantly to maintaining forest ecosystems by recycling nutrients and encouraging biodiversity. Furthermore, their mycelial network decomposes organic matter while enriching soil for plant growth.

Turkey tail mushrooms are an effective and affordable solution to enhance immunity and digestive health, available as powdered dried whole mushroom extract capsules or tinctures. As prebiotics, turkey tail can stimulate healthy microflora growth.

Turkey Tail’s popularity can be traced to its rise in the natural health and wellness market, where consumers use it as tea, supplement or diet item. Available as powder, tea bags, capsules or tinctures depending on consumer preference – turkey tail should ideally be consumed within one year after drying either as whole product or extract form.