Sold in capsules or powder, food supplements containing mushrooms are becoming popular. They would help with stress, concentration problems or even cancer. But are their virtues proven? The show On En Parle asked the question to Doctor Mapi Fleury, senior pharmacist in the oncology department of CHUV.
Mycotherapy is the use of mushrooms for therapeutic purposes. Each mushroom would contain molecules that help with specific problems: for example, reishi would respond to sleep or stress problems; the Lion’s Mane helps with concentration and memory problems; cordyceps would be a great mushroom for energy or physical performance; while chaga is said to be an antioxidant superfood.
This is the pitch of companies specializing in the production of food supplements based on so-called functional or adaptogenic mushrooms – The terminology “medicinal mushrooms” is not accepted in Switzerland. These supplements exist in the form of powder, capsules, drops or even a drink, such as cocoa or coffee. These businesses are growing like mushrooms, also in Switzerland, highlighting their use in Chinese medicine for 2000 years.
Claims difficult to prove
Doctor Mapi Fleury is a senior pharmacist in the oncology department of CHUV. It integrates certain complementary approaches into cancer treatments. For her, the use of these mushrooms is not far-fetched, as long as you are careful.
“Scientifically speaking, these mushrooms contain interesting substances. But I deplore certain abuses, as with many other so-called ‘complementary’ substances. Take for example the famous reishi. We have been studying it since around the 1980s, but we have not has still not found any evidence proving its effectiveness in humans. We especially know what it does not work on, for example in cases of excessively high cholesterol,” explains Mapi Fleury in the show On en parole.
Note that reishi does not disqualify all mushrooms. “In oncology, we are incredibly interested in what patients want to use, but I ask to see the studies. Often, either not enough patients were included in the study or there were no studies. There is no comparison with another substance which would be a reference. Or it is a direct extrapolation of something which was observed on cells in a test tube or in laboratory mice. was observed in mice and bring it directly to humans.”
Beware of side effects
Some mushrooms, like reishi, can cause side effects. “Even though it is relatively well tolerated, you may experience itchy skin, nausea, heartburn. Some people will no longer be able to sleep at night. In addition, if you take medications to thin your blood, This mushroom is not for you.” The pharmacist adds that it is better to inform your doctor about taking this type of food supplement to avoid interference with other treatments.
-According to Mapi Fleury, you should also be wary of online stores and direct sales. The products are processed and made from industrially cultivated mushrooms, particularly when they come from abroad.
In the event of a problem, you will be the only person responsible for the products you ingest.
“In the best of all worlds, you should be able to find the content of heavy metals, arsenic, cadmium and mercury on the packaging. It should also indicate whether the mushroom was raised with pesticides, and prove that what is inside the capsule is indeed the molecule that interests you,” she explains.
The HUG pharmacist recommends purchasing these supplements in stores with after-sales service, for example in supermarkets. “If you buy mail order or direct sales and are one of the unlucky people who suffer liver damage when they ingest certain types of mushrooms, you will be the only person responsible for the products you ingest.”
Radio subject: Catherine Rüttimann
Web adaptation: Myriam Semaani
