Mushrooms for mental health: a gut-friendly way to lift your mood

Did you know that your gut and brain are constantly “talking” to each other? This powerful communication system is called the gut-brain axis, and it plays a key role in your mood, energy, immune health, and overall sense of wellbeing. The vagus nerve is the “highway of nerves” between the brain and the gut. This nerve transmits millions of signals per day between the two.¹ Alongside your bloodstream, the vagus nerve forms one of the most critical communication pathways between these key organs.

When your gut is out of balance – think bloating, inflammation, or dysbiosis – it doesn’t just affect digestion. It can also contribute to anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, and low mood. That’s because around 90% of your body’s serotonin (your “feel-good” neurotransmitter) is produced in the gut, and your microbiome sends direct signals to the brain through nerves like the vagus nerve.²³ It’s important to note that serotonin itself can’t cross the blood brain barrier. However, its precursor, tryptophan (an essential amino acid), can.⁴ Certain mushrooms are a natural source of tryptophan, which can travel through the bloodstream and cross into the brain, where it’s then converted into serotonin.⁵ This process supports your body’s ability to regulate mood through both the gut and the brain.

The vagus nerve: the highway of communication

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body, extending from the brainstem to the gastrointestinal tract. It connects not only your brain and gut, but also interfaces with other key systems such as the immune, lymphatic, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems.⁶ This extensive network allows for bidirectional communication, meaning signals can travel from the gut to the brain and vice versa. For instance, an imbalance in gut health can send distress signals to the brain, potentially leading to symptoms like anxiety or depression. Conversely, mental stress and chronic high levels of stress hormones like cortisol can impact gut function and integrity, leading to inflammation, digestive issues or flare-ups.⁷ Maintaining a healthy gut supports balanced vagal signalling, which is vital for whole-body wellness.

Medicinal mushrooms: nature’s allies

Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries (over 5,000 years) in traditional medicine, with some of the earliest recorded uses found in ancient China and Egypt.⁸⁹ Today, modern research now backs what ancient healers have long known: these functional fungi are nutritional powerhouses, especially when it comes to supporting the gut-brain connection.¹⁰ There are an estimated 2 to 3 million species of fungi worldwide with many native to regions in Asia, Europe, and America.¹¹¹² Around 2000 of these are classified as medicinal mushrooms – over 600 of which have had their therapeutic properties confirmed.¹³ These mushrooms are renowned for their bioactive compounds that reduce inflammation and support gut, mood and immune function.¹⁴ Here are a few popular examples:

Lion’s mane: Known for its neuroprotective properties and ability to support memory, focus and concentration. Also helps stimulate the production of NGF (nerve growth factor), which supports brain cell regeneration.¹⁵
Reishi: An adaptogen that helps your body cope with stress. Reishi supports gut lining integrity and modulates the immune system response. It contains triterpenoids and polysaccharides, which have been shown to reduce inflammation, support a healthy microbiome and calm the nervous system.¹⁶
Chaga: A powerful antioxidant-rich mushroom, Chaga is packed with betulinic acid, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and polyphenols, all of which help fight oxidative stress throughout the body.¹⁷

Chuckling Goat Mushroom Powder: a daily boost

At Chuckling Goat, we’ve carefully crafted our Complete Mushroom Powder Blend, combining some of the most researched and respected mushrooms for gut and mood, including Lion’s mane, Reishi and Shiitake. Each mushroom works synergistically to reduce inflammation, nourish your gut bacteria, and calm your nervous system. It contains a mix of polysaccharides, indoles, polyphenols, carotenoids, amino acids, provitamins, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. This all-in-one blend provides a full spectrum of benefits, eliminating the need to juggle multiple supplements.

These medicinal mushrooms are particularly rich in beta-glucans – a type of complex fibre that acts as a prebiotic, feeding the good microbes in your gut. These microbes, in turn, produce more anti-inflammatory postbiotics, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), like butyrate, acetate and proprionate. These SCFAs are essential not only for gut health, but for whole-body systemic health, from immunity and metabolism to mood regulation.¹⁸¹⁹

This means a happy gut microbiome can lead to clearer thinking, better sleep, more stable mood, and stronger immunity!

A recent study found that long-term supplementation with beta-glucans improved cognitive function and gut barrier integrity, demonstrating the profound impact of these compounds on the gut-brain axis.²⁰ Mushrooms don’t only provide beta-glucans – they also offer a range of other beneficial substances like ergothioneine, terpenoids, and polyphenols that nourish both your body and brain.²¹ What more could you ask?

How to take it?

Our Mushroom Powder is easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Just add a teaspoon (4 grams) to your morning kefir, smoothie, or your favourite drink. I personally love adding it to my coffee or, occasionally to a comforting hot cacao. It blends smoothly, has a mild earthy flavour, and works beautifully alongside our Gut Health Protocol.

Our Mushroom powder is not the only Chuckling Goat product that can support your gut-brain connection. Give these others a try:

Kefir – rich in probiotics.
Complete Prebiotic – fibres to feed your good bugs.
Ashwagandha – for stress and adrenal support.
Microbiome Test – for gut health insights and personalised mental and systemic wellness reports.

Looking after your mental and emotional wellbeing starts with your gut. By nourishing your body with powerful, natural ingredients like medicinal mushrooms, you can support both ends of the gut-brain axis. It’s a small daily habit with the potential for a lifelong, transformative impact.

Keeping your gut microbiome healthy is essential to feeling your best – physically and mentally.

Check out our Gut-brain smoothie. Looking for more gut-friendly recipes? Click here.

Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.