December 2025
By: Deb Martin, Holistic Health Educator
Edited by: Joelle Geiger, Holistic Health Educator
Nature’s Antibiotics: Medicinal Mushrooms
Natural medicine can be quite powerful! In this article you’ll discover a short list of fast-acting medicinal mushrooms to help you manage the “bugs” we all inevitably encounter… those unfriendly viruses and bacteria that ruin a good day, vacation, or even create life-threatening conditions. Having these mushroom friends on hand in travel-ready products that fit in a purse or pocket can be a vacation saver… and in some cases, a life saver.
Over 25 viral- and bacterial-fighting mushrooms are listed in Paul Stamets’ 2005 book, Mycelium Running. His prodigious work continues, and he has published patents—and even worked with the U.S. Government—on a fairly rare, giant, old-growth-forest mushroom called Agarikon, which grows high up in the trees and often resembles a human form. Historical use and research indicate that it is effective against such bad bugs as E. coli, staph infections, and tuberculosis.
These special medicinal mushrooms, part of the fungal kingdom (“fungi” for plural), share greater similarity to mammals than plants do. For example, both mammals and fungi share a similar digestive mechanism. Fungi have an extremely thin but powerful layer of cells on the outside of their delicate and extensive underground “root” structure called mycelium. Mammals, meanwhile, developed an internal organ to contain the digestive process: the stomach.
These and other similarities give mushrooms special powers to help humans. Although timelines vary by researcher, fungi and animals share a distant evolutionary relationship, which helps explain why mushrooms can provide protective and restorative abilities in ways plants cannot.
MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS TO THE RESCUE
I was traveling in South America recently and encountered a virus (or bacteria—I’m not sure which). It found a crack in a tooth I didn’t know I had and took a direct route into my gum. One morning I went to breakfast, and it was uncomfortable to chew on that side of my mouth. Every meal that day it became more painful, so I avoided chewing on that side altogether. That area also became sensitive to touch on my face. It seemed to be growing in size, and the gum was red and swollen.
After dinner that first night, I remembered I had some medicinal mushroom friends with me in a small spray bottle: a product called MycoShield from Host Defense. I began using it frequently, and by the next lunch meal, I hardly noticed a problem. By dinner that second day, it was gone.
MY FUNGI MEDICINE
The specific medicinal mushrooms in the product I used were Agarikon, Turkey Tail, Reishi, Chaga, and Birch Polypore. They work well together, each approaching the pathogen(s) via different mechanisms. Used for thousands of years in Chinese Medicine against viruses and bacteria, they are also supported by modern studies.
- Turkey Tail
Turkey Tail extract has shown broad-spectrum antibacterial effects in test-tube studies, effectively inhibiting the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of staph infections) and Salmonella enterica. Its primary mechanism involves powerful polysaccharides (like Polysaccharide-K or Krestin) that activate the immune system to fight infections. - Agarikon
This large, long-living fungus sits on the cusp of traditional medicine and emerging science and is well known for respiratory infections. It contains chlorinated coumarins and lanostane-type triterpenoids, noted for their antibacterial and antiviral properties. A couple of decades ago, the U.S. Department of Defense employed Paul Stamets, a fungi researcher in Washington State, to study Agarikon as a potential defense against viral and bacterial warfare.
Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CBbTHS8hRcQ/ - Reishi
Reishi mushrooms do not directly kill bacteria, but they act as immune modulators and contain beta-glucans that stimulate the growth of beneficial probiotic bacteria (like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) in the gut. This support for a healthy microbiome indirectly helps the body defend against pathogens. - Chaga
Chaga boosts immune function by promoting the creation of cytokines and stimulating white blood cells to fight bacteria and viruses. It also has a high antioxidant content, supporting a healthy digestive tract. - Birch Polypore
Similar to Reishi and Chaga, this mushroom supports gut health and strengthens the immune system. It has anti-inflammatory effects and known antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. In traditional medicine, it has been used to clean wounds and stop bleeding. A specific antibiotic compound called piptamine has been isolated from it.
FINDING HIGH-GRADE MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
As with anything you ingest, finding a healthful source of mushroom products is essential to achieving results. Mushrooms clean up the soil, thereby absorbing toxic compounds present in it. Therefore, you want mushrooms grown in safe and healthy organic conditions.
Another factor to consider is acquiring the proper parts of each mushroom (the ones containing the best compounds for desired effects). Mushrooms for supplements are often grown in a substrate of rice, and mushroom products may be made from:
- substrate (less potent),
- fruiting bodies,
- mycelium.
The most medicinal products typically include fruiting bodies and mycelium. The active compounds differ in each part, so it’s important to buy from highly knowledgeable growers using the most medicinal parts.
Lastly, the method of extraction is critical. Mushroom cell walls are made of chitin, a hard substance that stomach acid cannot break down. The best products are heat-extracted, which breaks down chitin. (Uncooked mushrooms don’t provide medicinal benefits because the cell walls remain intact.) If you want medicinal effects, you’d need to consume a lot of cooked mushrooms—far more than you’d typically eat. A high-quality extract is your best option.
Always choose organic mushrooms to avoid consuming toxic soil residues.
A PERSONAL THANK YOU
Much of my knowledge of medicinal mushrooms comes from Paul Stamets’ research and his prolific educational resources, many of which are on YouTube. He is a man of great intelligence, heart, and purpose. His companies grow, formulate, and manufacture medicinal mushroom products—several of which we carry at Lotus Blossom Clinic, including the MycoShield spray that resolved my gum infection. That’s no small feat! Dental infections are one of the Eight Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease.
https://www.lotusblossomclinic.com/the-eight-causes-of-alzheimers/
CAUTION
These mushrooms are indeed powerful medicine. If you have a serious illness or are on immune-suppressing drugs, these natural medicinal mushrooms could work against prescription medicines. Please talk with your doctor and do your own research.
CONCLUSION
In summary, all five mushrooms in this article contribute to the body’s defense against pathogens, either through direct antibacterial compounds or by strengthening the immune system and promoting a healthy gut environment. The anti-pathogenic capabilities these fungal friends contain offer only a small window into the wide effects they can have on human health. For example, 4 of the 5 fungi in this article also have proven anti-tumor effects (see the first recommended resource below).
These are the kinds of medicinal friends with whom I love to spend time!
Honoring the Fungi,
David Martin, AP, DOM
Lotus Blossom Clinic – Where Your Health Blooms!
(239) 277-1399
Serving the greater Fort Myers area with natural and holistic medicine, including Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Massage, Science-backed Food as Medicine, Near Infrared Light, Energy and Transformational Sessions, and community classes and events.
Related Articles
- Lion’s Mane Mushroom for the Brain and Nerves (+ Meet the Mushroom Man, Paul Stamets) — Deb Martin, Feb. 2017
https://www.lotusblossomclinic.com/the-mighty-mushroom-lions-mane/ - Cordyceps the Conqueror — Deb Martin, 2017
https://www.lotusblossomclinic.com/medical-mushroom-series-cordyceps-2/ - Reishi, Queen of the Mushrooms — Deb Martin, August 2017
https://www.lotusblossomclinic.com/mighty-mushroom-series-reishi-queen-of-mushrooms/
Highly Recommended Resources
- Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World — Paul Stamets, Ten Speed Press, 2005
(Excellent charts in this book include a mushroom type vs. cancer type chart, page 41.) - Medicinal Mushrooms: A Clinical Guide — Martin Powell, Mycology Press (UK), 2010 & 2014
(The first part of the book describes each medicinal mushroom; the second part identifies specific mushrooms by disease and mechanisms of action.) - U.S. Patent: Antiviral and Antibacterial Activity from Medicinal Mushrooms
https://patents.google.com/patent/US8765138B2/en - Video: Paul Stamets on Agarikon Mushrooms
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CBbTHS8hRcQ/ - Talk: Mushrooms and Medicine (2014 Exponential Medicine Conference)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7agK0nkiZpA