Reishi, Chaga and Cordyceps Gummies: What the Evidence Says

By the GUUDIES Editorial Team · Updated 26 October 2026 · Claims checked against the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register; sources below.

Disclosure: GUUDIES makes a daily gummy pouch that includes a Mushroom Mix gummy containing reishi, chaga and cordyceps. We have tried to describe the research as it is, including where it is thin.

The short answer: reishi, chaga and cordyceps are three different fungi with different histories of use and different bodies of research, but none of them has an authorised health claim in the UK, so no reishi or cordyceps gummy can legally promise a specific effect. If you choose one, judge it on what the label tells you: the species, the part of the mushroom used, the extract and the dose.

Reishi, Chaga and Cordyceps at a Glance

	Reishi	Chaga	Cordyceps
Latin name	Ganoderma lucidum	Inonotus obliquus	Cordyceps militaris (most supplements); Cordyceps sinensis traditionally
What it is	A woody, shelf-like mushroom	A hard, dark growth (sclerotium) on birch trees	A small orange fungus, now usually cultivated
Traditional use	Long history in East Asian traditional practice	Brewed as a tea in Russia and Northern Europe	Used in traditional Chinese and Tibetan practice
What human research has looked at	Mostly small trials, many in people with existing illness	Very few human trials; most work is in cells and animals	Small trials on exercise measures in healthy adults
Authorised UK health claim	None	None	None

Reishi Gummies: What the Research Says

Reishi is the most studied of the three. Its main compounds of interest are polysaccharides (including beta-glucans) and triterpenes, which give it a bitter taste. A Cochrane review, one of the most rigorous types of evidence summary, looked at randomised trials of reishi used alongside conventional care in people with cancer. The reviewers found the trials were small and of low quality, and said there was not enough evidence to justify reishi as a first-line option (Cochrane).

Claims you may see online about reishi and sleep, calm or immunity come mostly from traditional use, lab studies and small trials. That is not enough to support a health claim, and the UK does not allow one. If you see a reishi gummy promising to help you sleep or "support immunity", the wording is not authorised.

Chaga: Interesting Chemistry, Little Human Evidence

Chaga is often marketed on its antioxidant content. It does contain polyphenols, melanin-type pigments and betulinic acid, and it has been studied in cell and animal research. A review of human clinical trials on popular medicinal mushrooms, including chaga and reishi, found the human results were variable and said that well designed clinical trials are still needed (Frost, 2016).

A high antioxidant score in a test tube does not tell you what happens in the body. So it is fair to say chaga is interesting to researchers, and not fair to say it has proven benefits.

Cordyceps Gummies: What the Research Says

Most cordyceps in supplements today is Cordyceps militaris, grown on a substrate rather than collected from the wild. The research that gets quoted most is on exercise. In one randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 28 young adults took 4g a day of a mushroom blend containing Cordyceps militaris or a placebo. After three weeks, a smaller subgroup on the blend showed changes in some exercise test measures compared with placebo (Hirsch et al., 2017).

That is one small study using a blend, at a dose much higher than most gummies provide, in young adults doing lab tests. It is a reason for more research, not a reason to expect a particular result from a cordyceps gummy, and there is no authorised claim for cordyceps.

Should You Take One Mushroom or a Blend?

There is no good evidence that one mushroom suits a particular goal better than another, or that blends work better than single mushrooms. The honest reasons people choose a blend are practical: one product instead of several, and an interest in all of them. The honest reason to choose a single mushroom is that you want a higher amount of that one species. Either way, read the label rather than the front of the pack.

How to Read a Reishi or Cordyceps Gummy Label

1. Species: the Latin name should be listed, for example Ganoderma lucidum or Cordyceps militaris.
2. Part used: fruiting body, mycelium, or both. Mycelium grown on grain can include some of the grain itself.
3. Extract and ratio: an extract ratio such as 10:1 tells you how much raw material went in, but not what came out. Ratios are not standardised between brands.
4. Measured compounds: some brands state beta-glucan content. That is more useful than a ratio alone.
5. Dose per gummy and per day: compare like with like.
6. Claims: mushroom products cannot use authorised health claims in the UK, so promises about sleep, energy, immunity or focus should make you cautious.

Safety and Who Should Check First

Mushroom supplements are not suitable for everyone. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before taking reishi, chaga or cordyceps if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take any prescription medication (including blood thinners or diabetes medication), have a kidney or liver condition, have an autoimmune condition, or are due to have surgery. Stop and seek advice if you notice anything unusual.

Where GUUDIES Fits

GUUDIES is one daily pouch of six pectin-based gummies for adults. One of them is the Mushroom Mix, which combines lion's mane, shiitake, chaga, reishi and cordyceps (militaris). It is vegan. As with every mushroom product, we make no health claim for it. The other five gummies are Daily Greens+ (14 vitamins and minerals plus a greens blend), Marine Collagen with biotin, ACV, Sea Moss and Metabolic. Five of the six are vegan; Marine Collagen contains fish. Each gummy has about 0.4g of sugar.

Every dose is listed on our ingredients page. GUUDIES is sold on guudies.co and at Holland & Barrett.

See the GUUDIES daily pouch

Common Questions

Do reishi gummies work?
Reishi has been studied, but the human trials are mostly small and of limited quality. There is no authorised health claim for reishi in the UK, so no gummy can promise a specific effect.

What are cordyceps gummies good for?
Cordyceps has mainly been researched for exercise measures, in small studies using higher doses than most gummies contain. There is no authorised health claim for cordyceps in the UK.

What is the difference between reishi, chaga and cordyceps?
They are three different fungi: reishi is a shelf-like mushroom, chaga is a growth on birch trees and cordyceps is a small cultivated fungus. Each has a different traditional use and a different, limited, body of research.

Can I take reishi, chaga and cordyceps together?
Many products combine them. Check the total dose, and speak to your GP or pharmacist first if you take medication or have a medical condition.

Are mushroom gummies vegan?
Mushrooms are vegan, but the gummy base may not be. Look for a pectin base rather than gelatine and check for a vegan label.

Sources

• Cochrane review, Ganoderma lucidum (reishi mushroom) in people with cancer: cochranelibrary.com
• Frost M (2016), Three popular medicinal mushroom supplements: a review of human clinical trials: scholarsarchive.byu.edu
• Hirsch KR et al. (2017), Cordyceps militaris and tolerance to high-intensity exercise, Journal of Dietary Supplements: doi.org
• GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register: gov.uk

Related Reading

Mushroom Gummies UK: Do They Work? · Lion's Mane: What the Research Says · Adaptogen Supplements UK · Mushroom Mix