Medicine or marketing?

Will Britain’s mushroom boom transform health or simply feed another wellness trend? Natalie Li writes.

Walk into a health food shop or browse the wellness aisle of a supermarket and you’ll find them everywhere: mushroom powders and gummies promising sharper focus, tinctures marketed as stressbusters, and coffee blends infused with fungi.  

The UK mushroom market is expanding rapidly, driven by both culinary demand and the surge in functional mushroom products. Once dismissed as fringe remedies, mushrooms are now firmly part of Britain’s booming wellness economy. 

According to Grand View Research, the sector is set to more than double from USD 1.00 billion in 2023 to USD 2.12 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 11.3%. 

These figures underline a clear trajectory: mushrooms are no longer a niche product but a mainstream growth market in Britain, fuelled by wellness trends, plant-based diets and sustainability concerns. 
 
But behind the glossy packaging and Instagram hashtags lies a deeper story: a collision of ancient traditions, modern science, and a cultural hunger for natural solutions to stress, anxiety, chronic illness and the quest for longevity. 

Healing properties?

“All mushrooms are ‘medicinal’ actually,” says Tom Baxter, a UK-based mushroom producer and educator from the Bristol Fungarium, pictured above. “From a human health perspective, the best advice I can give is to just eat more mushrooms. It’s kind of that simple and it doesn’t really matter which ones.” 

It’s a striking claim, but one backed by nutritional science. Even the humble button mushroom contains antioxidants and fibre that support immune health. Oyster and shiitake mushrooms are rich in compounds linked to cholesterol reduction. And then there are the so-called “functional mushrooms” – Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Chaga, which have become the ‘poster children’ of the wellness boom. 

Reishi: The stress mushroom

Reishi, long revered in Chinese medicine, is marketed in Britain as a natural antidote to stress. Baxter explains: “Reishi in traditional Chinese medicine is viewed as a heart tonic: the compounds that are of relevance with Reishi will actually attach onto the same receptors that, for example, cortisol attaches onto. So, by taking up space on those receptors, you’re regulating the stress response.” 

In a country where one in four adults report high levels of anxiety, the promise of a mushroom that can modulate cortisol – the stress hormone – is irresistible. Reishi teas and tinctures are now staples in health shops across the UK. 

It is also one of the most studied in scientific literature. Nutritional Therapist Kirsten Chick notes in her research,  Mushrooms, Cancer and the Gut Microbiome, that while many obscure Asian mushrooms featured, “the one that was most frequently studied was Reishi, which is quite interesting because it’s not the one that’s on everybody’s lips in integrative oncology.” 

Lion’s Mane: Brain food or placebo?

If Reishi is the mushroom of calm, Lion’s Mane is the mushroom of focus. Its shaggy white fruiting body has been linked to nerve repair and cognitive enhancement. 

 “I think Lion’s Mane is sort of a perfect offer to the modern world because everyone is adamant that the problem is in their brain and if they could just fix their brain everything would be fine,” Baxter says. “I’m slightly sceptical, however, huge quantities of our customers claim remarkable things by taking them.” 

His caution reflects the scientific debate. While animal studies suggest Lion’s Mane stimulates nerve growth factor, human trials remain limited. Yet Baxter points to one area of confidence: “The one thing I am sure of is its ability to repair the myelin sheath, an insulating layer that forms around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord. We’ve had umpteen people with nerve damage and I’m more comfortable believing Lion’s Mane has a positive impact on reparation.” 

The one thing I am sure of is its ability to repair the myelin sheath

Lion’s Mane’s popularity is undeniable. “It seems to be really helpful for brain fog and other cognitive symptoms – not for everybody, but when it does work, it works quickly and it works beautifully,” according to Chick, who also points to its dual benefit: “Lion’s Mane actually has been studied a lot for its gut health properties too, it just makes sense when you think of we’ve been banging on for ages now about the gut-mind connection. And here’s a beautiful example of a mushroom that works on both.” 

For those living with neuropathy or nerve injuries, such claims are compelling – even if the evidence is still emerging. 

Quality control: a murky market

With mushroom products flooding the UK market, quality is a growing concern. Baxter offers a blunt test: “The great thing with tinctures is that it’s very easy to tell if they’re decent quality. If they taste really mushroomy and look dark… you can trust your senses. It’s much harder to do with powders. If you get a tincture that looks transparent and light yellow, then it’s probably got nothing in it.” 

The lack of regulation means consumers are often left to navigate a confusing landscape of brands and claims. “A lot of commercial companies have taken and run with [this popularity]. And some of those companies will be fantastic. But a lot of them, I would question the quality and quantity and efficacy of what’s going on,” Chick cautions. For a sector built on trust, transparency will be key. 

The science is slow

Beyond anecdote; research is beginning to validate some of the hype. Chick’s review examined how medicinal mushrooms influence cancer progression via the gut microbiota. Out of 23 studies, most in mice, 85% showed tumour reduction when mushrooms – particularly Reishi – were introduced. 

The mechanism? Mushroom compounds act as prebiotics, reshaping gut bacteria and increasing short-chain fatty acids that modulate immune responses.  

Chick’s review highlights that the anti-cancer benefits are not limited to the digestive tract: “A lot of these studies were outside of the gastrointestinal tract. They were breast cancers and sarcomas. And you know lung and skin and other types of cancer. So, it’s really looking at, is there a systemic effect?” This systemic effect is achieved because the mushrooms act as prebiotics, she adds: “When the gut microbes eat the mushrooms, it leads to the production of those short chain fatty acids [which] can be absorbed into the gut… and they can then carry on having a systemic effect.” 

Yet she cautions that human trials are scarce, and clinical applications remain speculative. “It’s really interesting how it’s opening up, but we’re at very early stages,” Chick concludes. Still, the findings highlight mushrooms’ potential not just as wellness supplements but as serious candidates in integrative oncology. 

Factories of biochemistry

Why are mushrooms so potent? Baxter offers an evolutionary explanation: “Fungi are basically factories of biochemistry. They’ve been launching biochemical warfare for one and a half billion years. That’s why they have these compounds relevant to viral, bacterial, endocrine, immune systems. The shape of the compounds fungi make are very similar to the shapes of compounds in the human body.” 

It’s a reminder that fungi are not just food but ancient allies, their molecular structures honed by millennia of survival battles. 

Britain’s mushroom moment

In Britain, mushrooms are no longer niche. Cafés serve mushroom lattes, supermarkets stock mushroom powders, and wellness influencers tout fungi as the next big thing. Their appeal is multifaceted: natural, sustainable, plant-based, and versatile. Mushroom farming also requires fewer resources than livestock, adding a climate-friendly dimension to their popularity. 

The mushroom boom reflects a broader cultural shift: a search for remedies that feel both ancient and modern, rooted in tradition yet validated by science. 

The bottom line

So, are mushrooms the ancient cure modern wellness has been waiting for or just today’s fashionable illusion? The answer probably lies somewhere in between. The UK’s mushroom craze may look like a wellness fad, but it is underpinned by serious science and cultural momentum. From Reishi’s stress-regulating compounds to Lion’s Mane’s nerve-repair potential, mushrooms are being reframed as more than food, they are symbiotic partners in health. 

As Baxter puts it: “Just eat more mushrooms”. Whether in a stir-fry or a tincture, fungi are poised to become central to Britain’s wellness landscape. And as research hopefully deepens, the humble mushroom may yet prove to be one of the more powerful tools in our collective pursuit of health. 

A quick guide to mushrooms 

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) 
Benefits: Stress regulation, immune support, heart tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. 
UK trend: Popular in teas and tinctures for anxiety and sleep. 

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) 
Benefits: Potential to stimulate nerve growth factor, support memory and focus, aid nerve repair. 
UK trend: Capsules and powders marketed for cognitive health. 

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) 
Benefits: Antioxidant-rich, supports immune defence, studied for anti-inflammatory properties. 
UK trend: Brewed as earthy teas, often positioned as a coffee alternative. 

Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) 
Benefits: Linked to improved oxygen uptake and stamina, traditionally used for vitality. 
UK trend: Found in sports supplements and mushroom coffees aimed at gym-goers 

Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) 
Benefits: Supports cardiovascular health, contains compounds that may lower cholesterol.