What is a mushroom really? Two titans of the wellness world duke it out

Their relationship was rooted successful a communal emotion of mushrooms. Paul Stamets and Jeff Chilton met successful 1978 successful Olympia, Wash. Back then, Stamets was a pupil and aspiring mycologist, and Chilton was a commercialized mushroom grower. Their intelligence enslaved grew truthful beardown that successful the coming years they wrote a publication together: The 1983 location mushroom grower usher “The Mushroom Cultivator.” It became a book for aspiring and amateur mycologists that inactive sells 5,000 copies per year, according to Chilton, establishing the duo arsenic the trailblazers successful the popularization of each things fungi. For galore years, they remained close. Chilton was adjacent champion antheral astatine Stamets’ archetypal wedding.

Despite penning a cult classical substance unneurotic that galore radical recognition arsenic the crushed they started increasing fungi, Stamets, 69, and Chilton, 77, are present astatine likelihood implicit the cardinal question of what constitutes a mushroom. Is it a “fruiting body,” amended known arsenic the toadstool, that emerges from the crushed successful a panoply of shapes and textures? Or could a mushroom besides beryllium synonymous with its fungal roots, different known arsenic mycelium, from which the fruiting bodies sprout?

This disagreement is not conscionable a idiosyncratic 1 betwixt Stamets and Chilton. It’s 1 successful which millions of dollars are perchance astatine stake, on with user trust. Mushrooms similar reishi, lion’s mane, chaga and turkey process are large concern successful the U.S., with consumers taking them successful an effort to bolster encephalon and gut health, adjacent though purveyors of specified supplements are cautious not to marque circumstantial claims astir their products. Still, mushroom supplement packaging has been known to see phrases similar “immune support,” “digestive health” oregon “supports intelligence clarity.”

Jeff Chilton, left, holds a shiitake log. Paul Stamets, right, attends “How Psilocybin Mushrooms Can Help Save the World” during SXSW 2023.

(J. Chilton; Nicola Gell / Getty Images for SXSW)

Thanks to a “shroom boom” partially turbocharged by accrued involvement successful some the aesthetic and psychedelic qualities of mushrooms, quality of the imaginable wellness benefits of nonpsychedelic mushrooms has spawned a increasing supplement marketplace for alleged “adaptogenic mushrooms” successful North America. With each time that passes, it seems mushrooms summation a caller convert. Google searches into mushroom supplements person astir quadrupled implicit the past 5 years. Meghan Markle precocious spoke of utilizing nonpsychedelic mushroom supplements to negociate anxiousness and stress, portion crossed the pond, vocalist Ellie Goulding conscionable launched her ain business, specializing successful mushroom lattes made of fruiting assemblage extracts.

All of this mightiness not person been imaginable without Stamets, a bearded antheral who often wears circular tinted glasses and a cap. In 1980, helium founded mushroom supplement institution Fungi Perfecti, which generated $30 cardinal successful yearly gross arsenic of 2020, the astir precocious reported figure. Chilton wouldn’t supply an nonstop number, but helium says that is comparable with his ain family’s 2 companies’ combined revenues.

Google searches for “mushroom supplement” person accrued implicit the past 5 years.

(Google Trends)

Chilton prefers to support a little profile, but Stamets — the idiosyncratic achromatic loop successful tae kwon bash — is the iconic look of the ascendant medicinal mushroom movement, acknowledgment to his longtime nationalist evangelizing of galore types of mushrooms’ benefits. His 2008 TedTalk connected however mushrooms could prevention the satellite has much than 5 cardinal views, portion the archetypal of his 2 podcasts with Joe Rogan has 12 cardinal views connected YouTube, ranking it among the much fashionable episodes. In 2019, Stamets starred successful the fashionable Netflix documentary “Fantastic Fungi,” successful which helium suggests mushrooms could assistance prevention humanity from its seemingly inexorable decease march. Stamets besides has an eponymous Star Trek quality named aft him, and regularly delivers sold-out keynote lectures each astir the world, during which helium recounts however an highly precocious dose of psychedelic mushrooms supposedly cured him of his stammer astatine 19.

When Stamets talks astir mushrooms, oregon is photographed with mushrooms, they’re typically toadstools, but helium besides points to grounds indicating that mycelium has higher wide levels of progressive ingredients than the fruiting bodies. Accordingly, his institution Fungi Perfecti’s Host Defense Mushrooms supplement products are often made solely of mycelium, grown connected a atom substrate successful the company’s Olympia lab, though immoderate dwell of a blend of fruiting bodies and mycelium. Tubs containing pills made up of these fungi are connected the shelves of Whole Foods and Sprouts stores crossed the state and successful the supplement aisles of Erewhon crossed Los Angeles County.

Stamets’ institution describes him arsenic “the satellite person successful medicinal mushroom research,” and helium insists that due to the fact that mycelium is portion of the fungal organism, it is truthful a mushroom. “I similar mushroom effect bodies for nutrient and tea,” helium tells the L.A. Times via email. “I similar mycelium for supporting immunity, neurological health, microbiome wellness and for galore different benefits. ... I cognize that mycelium is acold much immunologically progressive and beneficial for immune enactment erstwhile taken arsenic a supplement.”

Chilton, who is usually clean-shaven, wears wide rectangular glasses and is simply a keen trout fisher, founded mushroom distributor Nammex successful 1989. The institution provides the mushrooms for Real Mushrooms, an online sister steadfast that sells fungi supplements, and is simply a rival to Fungi Perfecti. Real Mushrooms’ supplements are made from fruiting bodies, and grown outdoors successful China to trim costs. Chilton is emphatic successful his content that mushrooms are not mycelium, not slightest since they disagree successful operation and chemistry, and for much than a decennary helium has been connected a crusade to exposure what helium believes has been rampant mislabeling crossed the industry, spawning a tit-for-tat combat that has mostly been fought successful competing world papers, podcasts and the gossip chambers of the mycology world.

Then Chilton took the disagreement to a caller level. His escalation had been brewing aft helium petitioned the Food and Drug Administration successful 2023 to guarantee “mushroom” and “mycelium” are differentiated connected supplement labels and to “disclose the beingness of immoderate substrate [like oats oregon rice] connected which the fungal constituent is grown.” In December, helium gave a presumption to the agency’s Office of Dietary Supplement Program, claiming that determination is “deceptive selling of dietary supplements and functional foods containing mycelium fermented atom and labeled arsenic ‘mushroom.’” He adjacent called connected the FDA to instrumentality “appropriate enforcement action” to guarantee the information of mycelium products. It has not.

Parts of turkey process mushrooms are utilized successful some Fungi Perfecti and Real Mushroom products. Both advertise “immune support” connected their vessel labels.

(Altrendo / Getty Images)

Chilton alleges that determination are 2 smoking guns that enactment his case. Firstly, that mushrooms bash not incorporate starch, but supplements consisting of mycelium grown connected atom does. Secondly, that mycelium lacks beneficial compounds similar beta-glucans, which are known for definite imaginable immune-boosting properties and are much plentiful successful fruiting bodies.

“Mycelium products made successful the U.S. are typically not axenic mycelium, they often mostly dwell of atom starch,” Chilton tells the L.A. Times successful a FaceTime call. “The contented is fermented atom masquerading arsenic mycelium oregon mislabeled arsenic mushroom. People are being sold atom powder.”

But according to Stamets, “to accidental that atom substrate, being cultured by mycelium arsenic it grows done it, is conscionable rice, inert oregon a filler are lies.” He acknowledges that beta-glucans are important, but says that differences successful levels betwixt mushroom taxon are “huge” and that existent investigating methods conflict to nutrient accordant results, portion citing grounds of his products’ immunological benefit.

His institution touts itself arsenic having “complete control” implicit its proviso concatenation and helium has raised questions implicit the prime of Real Mushrooms’ products, which are typically processed to make extracts and isolate circumstantial beneficial compounds. “Many companies, particularly companies importing Chinese mushroom extracts similar Nammex, beforehand their products arsenic being effect assemblage extracts when, successful fact, the liquid extract is sprayed backmost connected the extracted mushroom pulp and past sold arsenic 100% axenic extracts,” helium says.

Chilton says successful response: “Unfortunately, Paul is uninformed astir our extraction process. Our blistery h2o extract is ne'er separated from the crushed mushroom, ensuring that the important mushroom compounds are successful a much bioavailable pulverization authorities and thing is near behind.”

Stamets and Chilton person ne'er debated publicly, but they some assertion to person the facts to enactment their positions. Stamets says contempt the comparative lack of beta-glucans, the accrued levels of different obscure medicinal nutrients recovered successful mycelium eclipse those of fruiting assemblage mushrooms, portion Chilton points to hundreds of years of quality depletion of mushroom fruiting bodies successful Asian accepted medicine systems.

If 1 antheral is proven to beryllium right, and different wrong, it could beryllium disastrous for 1 of their businesses, and the different companies that usage akin formulations for their ain mushroom supplements. As it stands, the subject is somewhat unclear — contempt the champion efforts of some protagonists — leaving Stamets and Chilton to squabble implicit whose products are superior. (Chilton’s idiosyncratic mantra is: “No mycelium, nary grain, nary starch.” Meanwhile Stamets says: “It is silly to disconnect mycelium from mushrooms.”)

The nonaccomplishment of either enactment to nutrient information that a statement of experts hold connected underlines cardinal differences betwixt wellness and pharmaceutical companies. The second person larger budgets to money probe and stronger motivation: pharmaceuticals request national approvals and supplements bash not. And with nary extremity successful sight, Stamets and Chilton’s disagreement is causing ructions successful the mushroom assemblage of concern people, mycologists and fungi enthusiasts.

“It’s astir similar watching your parents fight,” says Dennis Walker, big of mushroom concern podcast “Mycopreneur.” “The 2 godfathers of the manufacture person divergent opinions connected specified a cardinal question.” Walker says the assemblage is divided astir 50:50 betwixt companies that, similar Stamets’, usage mycelium-based products, and similar Chilton’s, fruiting bodies.

Few mushroom aficionados sermon the enactment publically for fearfulness of stoking its flames oregon discouraging consumers from taking either adaptogenic oregon psychedelic mushrooms, but “all the mycologists and mushroom radical speech astir it privately,” Walker adds, disclosing that his podcast has received sponsorship fees from Chilton’s institution Nammex. One mushroom adept refused to remark connected the contented implicit concerns of becoming a “pariah.” Another did not privation to marque an “enemy” of Stamets.

Fungi Perfecti and Real Mushrooms merchantability lion’s mane supplements. Real Mushroom’s vessel statement says it contains nary added mycelium portion Fungi Perfecti notes it includes mycelium and fermented brownish atom biomass.

(Arterra / Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

So, who mightiness beryllium right? It’s complicated, but Dr. Gordon Saxe, enforcement manager of the Krupp Center for Integrative Research astatine UC San Diego, which conducts probe connected nutrition and earthy medicine, says mycelium products grown connected atom substrates “may beryllium adjacent much effective” astatine aiding wellness than fruiting bodies. He is besides collaborating with Stamets connected forthcoming research.

“Mycelium has the vantage that it tin beryllium mass-produced nether controlled, aseptic conditions, assuring specified levels of cardinal compounds and preventing contamination by undesirable microorganisms and insects,” adds Saxe. “This permits perchance medical-grade, scalable production, thing not achievable with fruiting bodies.”

Andrew Weil, an writer and laminitis of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine astatine the University of Arizona, which offers courses fusing alternate therapies including homeopathy and accepted Chinese medicine with accepted medicine, says that helium sparked Stamets’ involvement successful medicinal mushrooms backmost successful the 1970s. Weil appeared connected Fungi Perfecti promotional materials for mycelium products holding ample mushrooms connected a 2016 poster.

But helium tells the L.A. Times that helium present disagrees with his longtime person Stamets’ appraisal of the imaginable benefits, and contiguous recommends radical usage fruiting assemblage products.

“Both astir apt person medicinal benefits,” helium says. “But it is cheaper to nutrient mycelial extracts of medicinal mushrooms, and due to the fact that they see immoderate substrate worldly connected which the mycelia grow, makers of these products are unfastened to the complaint that they are selling costly atom and sawdust.”

Fungi Perfecti and Real Mushrooms some marketplace their reishi mushroom supplements for longevity.

(Yang Meiqing / VCG via Getty Images/VCG / VCG via Getty Images)

“Paul Stamets calling for mycelium to beryllium defined arsenic mushrooms is akin to Michael Jordan calling to determination the three-point line,” wrote Robert Johnson, a laminitis of mushroom merchandise enactment Mycroboost, successful a 2023 Rolling Stone piece.

Jason Slot, a prof successful fungal improvement genomics astatine Ohio State University, says that the information from published studies does not conclusively amusement that 1 is much beneficial than the other, but helium summed up what is apt the mindset of galore consumers who ticker mushroom documentaries and past spell retired seeking to bargain fruiting assemblage supplements.

“If you’re not comparing apples and oranges, [and] you privation apples, but the oranges are perfect; who cares if the oranges are perfect? You privation apples,” helium says. “Mycelium is fundamentally antithetic from the mushroom,” Slot adds. “From the ecological position of the fungus, it’s doing antithetic things.”

Back successful 2015, Fungi Perfecti’s products said prominently connected the jar, “made with U.S. grown integrated mushrooms.” But successful 2017, the American Herbal Products Assn., a commercialized group, issued guidance calling for much precise labeling successful the manufacture truthful that the beingness signifier of the fungi from which the merchandise is manufactured is intelligibly stated. “‘Mushroom’ erstwhile utilized arsenic a noun whitethorn beryllium utilized arsenic a synonym for ‘fruitbody’,” it said. “‘Mycelium’ means the vegetative information of a fungus.” However, it besides supported utilizing the operation “mushroom mycelium.”

Fungi Perfecti present specifies erstwhile its products are made of mushroom mycelium, though the designs are inactive adorned with mushroom fruiting bodies. It’s unclear whether consumers ever cognize which 1 they are buying. Or if they cognize what mycelium means.

Real Mushrooms sells chaga mushrooms successful a pulverization for “digestive health” and Fungi Perfecti includes it arsenic an constituent successful its Stamets 7 Capsules, named aft laminitis Paul Stamets.

(Kendra Stanley-Mills for The Washington Post via Getty Images/The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“To promulgate a viewpoint that mycelium is inferior oregon inactive,” Stamets says, “despite the immense assemblage of lit demonstrating the nonstop other is disingenuous selling astatine best, a denial of reality, and, astatine worst, purposeful deception.” On the packaging, helium adds: “Our statement plan includes images of the recognizable effect assemblage that the mycelium forms. This is normative crossed dietary supplements. Most echinacea basal products person an representation of an echinacea angiosperm oregon works connected the bundle though the circumstantial extract is made from the root.”

As the mushroom supplement manufacture surges into the mainstream, the deepening rift betwixt Stamets and Chilton has go a symbolic responsibility enactment — not conscionable implicit fungi, but implicit however science, storytelling and commerce entwine successful wellness culture. Their decades-long friendship, present strained, reflects a wider individuality situation for the manufacture they helped build: What is simply a mushroom, really, and who gets to decide? And whose campy volition specify the adjacent section of this booming industry?