It’s Fall, and here in Oregon (where Northwest Naturals’ facilities are located), our thoughts turn to mushrooms. Often called the Mushroom Capital of the United States, Oregon’s abundant rainy weather, deep forests, and temperate climate provide a perfect environment for many types of mushrooms to thrive, well over 750 identified species and counting.* Having taken a course on mushroom identification at university and gone foraging with a few experts, I know just enough about mushrooms to be dangerous to myself and others. For the safety of myself, friends, and family, I leave mushrooms in the shady woods where I find them, preferring both the fungus and me to live another day.

The mushrooms I hunted were wild mushrooms used in cooking; however, now the mushrooms most of us consume are cultivated mushrooms grown in large airy warehouse-like buildings under ideal fungi growing conditions. Mushrooms can also be grown on grain products, but these mushrooms are mostly mycelium, not a fruiting bodyand far less potent. With mushrooms the fruiting body is the all-important part where the best taste and the most nutritional components reside.

Culinary mushrooms not only taste great but are high in fiber and antioxidants and contain significant amounts of vitamins B and D, as well as potassium and selenium. Culinary mushrooms’ cousins, the medicinal mushrooms, contain these same elements plus other notable nutrients. Used for centuries, medicinal mushrooms are still found in the wild, but the most studied and useful medicinal mushrooms grow in remote, inaccessible regions. The native habitats for these healthy fungi are usually fragile, the mushrooms are not sustainable, and access is difficult or restricted. So, medicinal mushrooms for us and for our pets will commonly be cultivated mushrooms. Properly cultivated mushrooms (not mycelium from grain) are safe, sustainable, and have some interesting health benefits.

Full disclosure, I consume culinary mushrooms and take a well-researched brand of medicinal mushrooms as a dietary supplement.  My dog gets the same brand’s supplement in the company’s pet formula, so I am absolutely a fan of using mushrooms as an adjunct to health care routines. From my studies, it is apparent that mushrooms are a good source of natural fiber, they boost the immune system and provide some antioxidant benefits through the actions of ergothioneine, beta-glucansand triterpenes.

But while I consider mushrooms a healthy addition to a healthy lifestyle, I am not ready to jump on the bandwagon and call them a super food. You may feel differently, but to me, a super food needs to have scientifically repeatable, verified curative powers. At this point in time, I have not seen that level of proof for their effects on our dogs or cats. I tend to be thoughtfully skeptical about correlating human/rat/mice studies’ results and equating those results to our dogs and cats,since causative factors between species are always open to misinterpretation. Hopefully, we will soon be seeing more species-specific medicinal mushroom testing done that is proven to apply to our dogs and cats.

In a previous blog, I wrote about Shiitake, Maitake, and Reishi medicinal mushrooms and their health benefits. Other mushrooms that are reported to be beneficial to cats and dogs are Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, and Chaga. 

Health Benefits of Mushrooms:

Cordyceps mushrooms grow at very high, oxygen-poor altitudes in Asia. They normalize the immune system, helping to reduce allergy symptoms, most notably of the respiratory system. They may be a natural bronchodilator. This mushroom also supports kidney function by combating oxidative stress. Holistic vets often prescribe cordyceps as an adjunct supplement for cats suffering from kidney or respiratory diseases.

Turkey Tail mushrooms grow in forest regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. They are often used against cancer as the mushroom encourages selective apoptosis (killing cancer cells). A study done on dogs showed that this mushroom was effective at lengthening survival times for dogs suffering from hemangiosarcoma, a very fast-moving cancer. It is also reported to help fight yeast overgrowths that cause ear and skin infections. Its anti-inflammatory properties can lessen arthritis and allergy symptoms.

Chaga mushrooms grow on Birch trees found in hardwood forests in the Northern Hemisphere. This medicinal mushroom is a very potent antioxidant, rating high on the ORAC Scale.  The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) measures the ability of a plant or fungus to destroy harmful free radicals, so the higher the score, the more beneficial the mushroom. Blueberries rate an ORAC score of 2,400, while Chaga’s ORAC score is 52,000. This makes Chaga very effective for anti-ageing and skin and coat health. It is also used to help with diabetes as it decreases insulin resistance and may lower blood sugar levels.

Most medicinal mushroom species are also considered adaptogens, meaning mushrooms’ natural substances help the body cope with stress, facilitating a return to homeostasis. This desirable quality is another reason why I continue using medicinal mushrooms and giving them to my dog. And while medicinal mushrooms have been used by humans for centuries, until we have more scientific studies focused specifically on our pets, I cannot call them a super star nutritional supplement for dogs and cats. Helpful for overall health, yes, mushrooms play their own unique part. But in the great symphony of healthy substances and habits, at this point in time, I don’t see Medicinal Mushrooms as the conductor or even first chair players in the harmony of abundant life for our cats and dogs.

*While Oregon’s mushroom count is impressive, worldwide there are over 1.5 million varieties (and counting!).