The Best Medicinal Mushrooms for Fertility and Libido

Medicinal Mushrooms for Libido & Fertility

August 17, 2024

Amidst the demands of modern living, maintaining vitality and supporting reproductive health, for both men and women can feel like a balancing act. We often get asked if medicinal mushrooms can help support fertility and enhance libido with many couples seeking ways to enhance the process naturally.

Medicinal mushrooms certainly aren’t a cure-all when it comes to supporting conception, but with their individual benefits, certain functional mushrooms can play a role in supporting fertility as part of a holistic health plan. The key medicinal mushrooms we look to for their capacity to support fertility and successful conception are Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, Reishi and Chaga.

Cordyceps ~ Nature's Aphrodisiac & Fertility Booster

Cordyceps has been revered across the ages in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic to restore vigour, enhance sexual function and boost fertility. Modern studies have begun to shed light on the practices that traditional wisdom has laid forth, revealing Cordyceps' potential to naturally stimulate libido and support reproductive health.

Several studies uncovered that Cordyceps Militaris (the type of Cordyceps we work with at Inner Atlas) has the capacity to increase sexual appetite and sexual performance in both women and men [1]. Additionally, research has confirmed that Cordyceps mushroom can also increase testosterone levels in men and improve sperm quality [2], both key factors in successful conception and a healthy pregnancy!

Further studies have indicated that Cordyceps may have the potential to support fertility in women by helping to regulate the endocrine system, boosting the most bioactive form of estrogen E2. E2 helps to maintain egg health and prepare the uterus to successfully support fertilised eggs[3].

It goes without saying that Cordyceps is our favourite mushroom extract to enhance our vital energy and get the juices flowing! If you were looking to read more about 'Cordyceps and Sexual Energy' specifically we’ve written a dedicated post on the topic.

Turkey Tail ~ Immune Support for Fertility

Turkey Tail may not be the first mushroom that comes to mind when thinking of fertility, but its robust immunomodulating potential is at the head of a new frontier in reproductive health and addressing infertility. It is now understood that the underlying cause of some cases of miscarriage and numerous failed IVF attempts is immunological[4]. These immunological issues can range from the development of antibodies to sperm, to the elevation of NK killer cells, to low leukocyte antibodies (the white blood cells necessary to protect us from bacteria or virus-affected and malignant cells.

Fertility clinics such as The Women’s Natural Health Clinic have been using Turkey Tail mushroom extract in the treatment of anti-sperm antibodies and elevated NK killer (along with Reishi and Cordyceps) cells since 2006. During this time, they’ve demonstrated the ability of this deeply healing mushroom in helping to correct immune imbalances that can adversely affect a successful pregnancy.

Additionally, Turkey Tail’s ability to support gut health [5], an often-overlooked aspect of fertility, is significant. A balanced gut microbiome is crucial for hormone regulation, nutrient absorption, and overall reproductive health. If you’re interested in reading more about 'Turkey Tail and its Benefits for Gut Health' we have a whole blog post you can dive into on our Journal.

Reishi ~ The Stress-Relief Shroom for Hormonal Balance

One of the key reasons we have such deep respect for Reishi mushroom is due to its ability to support the body’s innate capacity to handle stress, gently calming body and mind while strengthening immunity. Stress is a significant barrier to maintaining a healthy libido, humming hormones and robust reproductive function. Reishi is one of those mushrooms that’s a staple amongst our team, including one of our Founders Tara, who at the time of writing this is just about to give birth after naturally falling pregnant at age 40.

Beyond stress, Reishi mushroom extract has demonstrated its capacity to support female and male fertility in a 2022 study by lowering levels of oxidative stress [6]. Oxidative stress has been linked to difficulty conceiving as well as damaging sperm quality.

Overall Reishi is known to have a regulating effect on hormones helping to support fertility as well as a positive uterine environment for successful conception and a healthy pregnancy. Reishi has been found to support estrogen activity[7] and healthy levels of progesterone are both key to the smooth running of a woman's monthly cycle, reproductive process in general and staying fertile.

Chaga ~ The Antioxidant Powerhouse for Reproductive Health

Chaga, known for its out-of-this-world antioxidant content, plays a crucial role in protecting the body from oxidative stress, a key factor in reproductive health. Oxidative stress can drastically impair sperm and egg quality, reducing fertility. By neutralizing free radicals, Chaga medicinal mushroom extract helps safeguard reproductive cells, potentially increasing the chances of conception. To dive deeper into just how extraordinary Chaga is as an adaptogen that promotes whole-body vitality and resilience feel free to head over to our Journal entry ‘Chaga, One of the Richest Sources of Antioxidants in the World’.

It also appears that Chaga, like Cordyceps, may also have benefits for male sexual performance and erectile dysfunction as the result of a 2020 study [8].

Medicinal Mushrooms as Part of a Holistic Approach to Fertility

Weaving certain medicinal mushrooms into our daily rituals on a consistent basis can help form a holistic approach to supporting our libido and fertility. Between Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, Reishi, and Chaga each of these mushrooms brings its unique benefits to the table when it comes to reproductive wellness and preparing ourselves physically for the journey toward conceiving and parenthood.

Medicinal Mushroom Extract Quality

All of the studies we’ve referenced in this post have been carried out using a medicinal mushroom extract, rather than whole medicinal mushrooms. At Inner Atlas we exclusively work with medicinal mushroom extracts as non-extracted medicinal mushrooms are non-bioavailable. When it comes to our mushroom quality, we’ve worked really hard to deliver what we believe are the most potent and pure mushies available so that they deliver their desired benefits!

Our Inner Atlas Medicinal Mushrooms are:

Bursting with Active Compounds, containing greater than 30% beta-D-glucans. We're one of the few companies that test each and every batch of our mushroom extracts independently here in Australia using the megazyme testing method. It’s an expensive exercise for us to undertake but we believe it’s worth it to guarantee to you, our community, that our extracts are active and potent.
Sustainably Wild-harvested or Grown in Natural Environmental Conditions, exposed to the sun, wind and rain as nature intended.
Grown on Wood, as opposed to rice or grain. This is really important to mushroom quality as medicinal mushrooms naturally grow on wood, it's their food source and how they go on to create their unique active compounds.
Sourced Di Tao, each from their authentic homeland, or place they’ve traditionally been grown.
Highly Potentand dual extracted.
Certified USDA & EU Organic.
Fruiting Body Only, 100% real mushrooms with no added fillers or mycelium.