Blog
Articles and reviews
A chronological feed of publications. Each piece is an independent reworking of open sources with references and a verification date. Main topics — mushroom species, mycology, ecology and practical use.
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Mushroom supplements and medicines: an interaction map (adapted from MSKCC About Herbs)
An adaptation of Memorial Sloan Kettering's 'About Herbs' database — the major cancer centre where a pharmacist-botanist maintains supplement monographs.
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A forager's seasonal calendar for the temperate zone: what, when, and where danger lurks
Month by month: which mushrooms appear in the temperate zone, which are conditionally edible and need processing, and which deadly species grow at the same time in the same places.
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Ergothioneine: the molecule humans can only get from food
Ergothioneine is a rare case: the body built a dedicated transporter for it but cannot synthesize it.
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Mushroom supplements in oncology: what to ask your doctor
Not 'can I take mushrooms with cancer' — that question is not for the internet.
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Mushrooms and vitamin D: how UV turns a button mushroom into a 'plant fish'
Mushrooms are the only non-animal food that can synthesize vitamin D under ultraviolet light.
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Fruiting body vs mycelium: how to read a mushroom supplement label
A practical guide to the mushroom supplement label: fruiting body vs mycelium, β-glucans vs 'polysaccharides', the starch trap of mycelium-on-grain, extraction types — and six red…
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Shiitake (Lentinula edodes): what has actually been measured in humans
Shiitake is the world's second most cultivated mushroom and one of the most studied medicinal species.
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How chaga can change your health: a comprehensive review of current data
An adapted review of the MushroomReferences.com editorial article: a comprehensive look at chaga — traditional use, active substances, modern research and realistic prospects.
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Cordyceps: clinical evidence and areas of use
A review of clinical data on cordyceps: performance and endurance, kidney function, immunity. What is confirmed in RCTs and what remains preclinical.
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Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) for brain and body: a comprehensive review of current data
An adapted review of the MushroomReferences.
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Mushroom supplements in Italy: opening Pandora's box
An adapted review of the MushroomReferences.com editorial article: the state and regulation of the Italian mushroom supplement market, product quality and consumer risks.
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Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum): what is known from clinical studies
A review of clinical data on reishi: immunomodulation, oncology, metabolism, sleep and anxiety. Where the evidence base exists and where it remains weak.
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Mushroom supplements in integrative oncology: a 2026 evidence review
A review of Mohammed et al.
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Mushrooms as immunomodulators in the context of COVID-19: what 2020–2026 clinical studies show
A consolidated review of clinical data on mushroom preparations in COVID-19: the FoTv mycelial blend (Fomitopsis + Trametes), agarikon, reishi, cordyceps, shiitake.
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Maitake (Grifola frondosa): medicinal properties, bioactive substances and modern research
Grifola frondosa, known as maitake, is one of the most studied medicinal mushrooms.
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Entomopathogenic fungi: biological insect control
An adapted retelling of one of Stamets's key topics: Metarhizium and Beauveria fungi as an alternative to chemical insecticides.
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Mycelium Running — Stamets's main book: what it is about
An adapted review of Paul Stamets's book Mycelium Running (2005): the four roles of mycelium, key ideas and criticism.
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Paul Stamets: a short biography of the mycologist
A short biography of American mycologist Paul Stamets: from a 1970s autodidact to the author of Mycelium Running and co-founder of Fungi Perfecti.
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Mycoremediation: how fungi clean soil
An adapted retelling of research on how mycelium breaks down hydrocarbons and pesticides and binds heavy metals in contaminated soils.
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Mycorrhiza: how fungi feed the forest
What mycorrhizal symbiosis is, which trees depend on fungi the most, and why it matters for forestry.
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Beta-glucans and immunity: what is known
An overview of peer-reviewed research on mushroom beta-glucans: laboratory data, clinical work, and the limits of the evidence base.
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Mushrooms and bees: research on mycelium extracts
Several independent groups have published data on the effect of mycelium extracts on viral load in honeybees. What is known today.
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Chaga: antioxidant and metabolic effects, a review of 2020–2025 research
Current data on the bioactive substances of chaga (Inonotus obliquus): melanins, betulin, polysaccharides. Antioxidant and metabolic effects from preclinical and clinical work.
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Lion's mane and neurogenesis: research on hericenones and BDNF
A review of modern Hericium erinaceus research: stimulation of nerve growth factor (NGF) and BDNF, memory improvement and protection against neurodegeneration.
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Paul Stamets's open letter: legacy, open patents and saving ecosystems
A breakdown of Paul Stamets's open address to the scientific world: transferring patents, protecting ancient forests, fighting the bee pandemic and the role of mycelium in ecology.
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Trametes versicolor: PSK and PSP in adjuvant cancer therapy
Current data on the clinical use of PSK and PSP polysaccharides from Trametes versicolor: adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and other nosologies.