The Flu-Fighting Power of Culinary and Medicinal Mushrooms

A Robust Defense Against Contagious Illness

If you are seeking a simple way to boost your immune system this influenza season, culinary and medicinal mushrooms have you covered! The secret to their immune-boosting, illness-fighting properties lies in a compound called beta-glucan. Used by Ancient Greek warriors before engaging in battle and considered an “elixir of life” in Traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, mushrooms are an outstanding ally as we head into the cold and flu season.¹

Immune-Boosting, Health-Promoting Benefits

Nutritionally, mushrooms are packed with fiber, riboflavin, niacin, and selenium. Importantly, they are also one of the few plant-based sources of vitamin D — an important nutrient that supports immune function. Here’s how several culinary and medicinal mushrooms can help to keep you healthy throughout the cold and flu season and beyond.

A small 2015 study found that healthy young adults who consumed shiitake mushrooms regularly for a month experienced significant improvements in immunity and lowered markers of inflammation.² Likewise, research in 2019 established that reishi medicinal mushrooms promote a robust immune response via activation of immune cells in the body.³

Another study explored the impact of eating white button mushrooms. Participants were split into two groups: half ate their normal diet, while the other group ate their normal diet with the addition of cooked white button mushrooms every day for a week. Then the researchers took saliva samples of the participants and measured the levels of IgA. IgA (immunoglobulin A) is a type of antibody that helps to protect us against toxins, viruses, and bacteria.⁴

There was no change in IgA levels for the control group, yet after only a week of consuming common white mushrooms, IgA secretion jumped by an impressive 50% — and remained elevated for a week after they stopped eating the mushrooms.

But don’t elevated antibodies also contribute to chronic inflammation? In this case, no. In fact, the researchers found that mushrooms have an “anti-inflammatory capacity in vitro, suggesting that they could be regarded as a potential source of natural anti-inflammatory agents.” They believe this is due to the phytonutrient pyrogallol found in mushrooms that cools inflammation, while also boosting immunity and anticancer effects.

And that’s not all. In a recent study published in the scientific journal Nature Immunology, it was found that the compound beta-glucan in both medicinal and culinary mushrooms “reprograms hematopoietic stem cells to generate neutrophils with a new ‘regulatory’ function, which is required for promoting disease tolerance and maintaining lung tissue integrity against viral infection” — specifically against influenza A viral infection (IAV).⁵

The team had previously established how β-glucan enhances host resistance against tuberculosis and set out to find if it would also be effective against IAV in animal models.⁶ What they found is that the compound does indeed boost immune function and protects against influenza A, including the inflammation that can cause lung damage.

Harnessing the Power of Medicinal Mushrooms This Influenza Season

For the highest level of protection against contagious illness — including influenza, we feel there is no better option than our concentrated fruiting-body Mushroom FOURtress Bundle. It contains powerful extracts of reishi, lion’s mane, turkey tail, and cordyceps medicinal mushrooms to help keep you healthy and strong throughout the flu season and beyond.

Cordyceps supports immunity with antiviral compounds like cordycepin, which has been shown to inhibit viral entry and replication, while also calming chronic inflammation. Lion’s Mane helps reduce inflammation, supports autoimmune balance, and promotes better sleep for improved immunity. Reishi, rich in beta-glucans and triterpenes, is a potent anti-inflammatory and immune regulator that also promotes quality sleep and resilience against stress. Turkey Tail complements these benefits with its ability to soothe inflammation, modulate immunity, and combat bacterial and viral infections, including influenza and colds. Together, these mushrooms offer a natural foundation for strengthening the immune system, reducing inflammation, improving sleep, and enhancing the body’s defenses against viral challenges.

Why Fruiting Body Medicinal Mushrooms Matter

At Nicole’s Apothecary, we believe in crafting herbal medicine that truly honors the entire plant. Our medicinal mushroom and lichen tinctures are made using dual extraction, using both alcohol and water to unlock each therapeutic compound. We then utilize the spagyric method, transforming spent plant material into mineral-rich ash so the full spectrum of nutrients and enzymes are preserved.

For our mushroom formulas, we source only the fruiting bodies (not mycelium or grain substrate) to deliver maximum levels of beta-glucans and immune support. This creates the most potent extract available. Fruiting body extracts contain 30 to 40 percent beta-glucans, compared to mycelium extracts, which typically have only 5 to 7 percent. The result? Powerful herbal medicine rooted in tradition and science.

Stay strong this influenza season and beyond. Explore our carefully crafted herbal extracts designed to keep you healthy. Visit my apothecary today to learn more!

Nicole Apelian

Nicole’s Apothecary Products in this Post

References

1. Valverde, María Elena et al. “Edible mushrooms: improving human health and promoting quality life.” International journal of microbiology vol. 2015 (2015): 376387. doi:10.1155/2015/376387
2. Dai, Xiaoshuang et al. “Consuming Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) Mushrooms Daily Improves Human Immunity: A Randomized Dietary Intervention in Healthy Young Adults.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition vol. 34,6 (2015): 478-87. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.950391
3. Wang, Xin, and Zhibin Lin. “Immunomodulating Effect of Ganoderma (Lingzhi) and Possible Mechanism.” Advances in experimental medicine and biology vol. 1182 (2019): 1-37. doi:10.1007/978-981-32-9421-9_1
4. Jeong, Sang Chul et al. “Dietary intake of Agaricus bisporus white button mushroom accelerates salivary immunoglobulin A secretion in healthy volunteers.” Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) vol. 28,5 (2012): 527-31. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2011.08.005
5. Khan, N., Tran, K.A., Chevre, R. et al. β-Glucan reprograms neutrophils to promote disease tolerance against influenza A virus. Nat Immunol 26, 174–187 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-024-02041-2
6. Moorlag, S. et al. β-Glucan induces protective trained Immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection: a key role for IL-1. Cell Rep.31, 107634 (2020).