Introducing The Hi Shroomz Duo
Written by Dr. Anish Hiresha Verma
Scientist-Founder, Hi Shroomz™
Dr. Anish Hiresha Verma is a scientist, entrepreneur and science communicator working at the intersection of cancer nanomedicine, pharmaceutical formulation, nanotechnology, functional ingredients and preventive health. He holds a PhD in Cancer Nanomedicine from Toronto Metropolitan University, has worked as a MITACS Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Toronto, and is an IIT Madras alumnus.
Updated: September 2026
When we started building the Hi Shroomz collection, I wanted to move away from the usual way mushrooms are presented. You usually see one mushroom, followed by a long list of benefits, and then another mushroom with another list that somehow sounds very similar. I don't think that does justice to the biology of these organisms.
At Hi Shroomz, we work with eight mushrooms: Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, Chaga, Shiitake, Pink Oyster, Turkey Tail and Maitake. They are different species with different compositions, different bioactive compounds and different areas of human research. Once you start looking at the category from that perspective, the question changes from “Which mushroom is the best?” to “Which mushrooms make sense together?”
That was the starting point for the Hi Shroomz Duo.
We have created four pairings: Lion’s Mane × Cordyceps, Reishi × Chaga, Shiitake × Pink Oyster, and Turkey Tail × Maitake. Each Duo represents a different health conversation, and each mushroom brings its own chemistry and research into that conversation.
For me, this is ultimately about making a much larger idea easier to understand: Healthspan.
The Performance Duo: Lion’s Mane × Cordyceps
The Performance Duo brings together Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps, two mushrooms that have developed very different but highly interesting human research profiles.
Lion’s Mane, Hericium erinaceus, contains hericenones, polysaccharides, β-glucans, hericerins, sterols and other secondary metabolites. Human research has increasingly focused on cognition. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in healthy young adults found an improvement in Stroop-task reaction time after an acute dose of a standardized Lion’s Mane extract, while earlier clinical research also reported improvements in cognitive scores in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. A 2025 systematic review identified multiple randomized and pilot clinical studies examining cognitive outcomes. 1
Cordyceps, particularly Cordyceps militaris, brings a different set of compounds, including cordycepin, adenosine, polysaccharides, D-mannitol, carotenoids and ergosterol. Human research has focused strongly on exercise physiology and performance. A randomized crossover trial published in 2026 found that a standardized C. militaris extract increased resting oxygen uptake and improved post-exercise reaction time in recreationally active young men. Human research has also examined aerobic capacity, time to exhaustion, power output and recovery. 2
That is why this pairing makes sense to me. Lion’s Mane brings the cognitive side of performance, while Cordyceps brings the physical-performance and energy-metabolism side.
This Duo is naturally relevant to professionals, students, entrepreneurs, athletes and anyone who thinks of performance as more than simply physical output.
The Calm & Resilience Duo: Reishi × Chaga
The Calm & Resilience Duo brings together Reishi and Chaga, two mushrooms with very different chemistry and long-standing interest in traditional and modern health research.
Reishi, Ganoderma lucidum, contains polysaccharides and β-glucans, triterpenoids such as ganoderic and lucidenic acids, sterols, nucleosides and proteins. Human studies have investigated Reishi in immune function, metabolic health and other areas. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that a Reishi β-glucan preparation produced significant changes in several immune-cell populations, including T cells and natural killer cells, as well as immune-related measures. 3
There is also a growing clinical literature around Reishi in metabolic health. A 2025 randomized clinical trial in people with type 2 diabetes reported reductions in fasting blood glucose, postprandial glucose and HbA1c in the Reishi group. Other controlled trials have explored dyslipidemia, immune parameters and cardiometabolic markers. 4
Chaga, Inonotus obliquus, has its own distinctive chemical profile, including polysaccharides, polyphenols, triterpenoids and lignin-related metabolites. Its research profile spans antioxidant, immunomodulatory and metabolic biology. 5
For me, the Calm & Resilience Duo is about a different aspect of healthspan: the ability to maintain wellbeing while dealing with the demands of modern life. It is a pairing for people who think beyond short-term performance and are interested in the broader foundations of everyday health.
The Heart Duo: Shiitake × Pink Oyster
The Heart Duo combines Shiitake and Pink Oyster, bringing food, nutrition and cardiometabolic health into the same conversation.
Shiitake, Lentinula edodes, contains lentinan and other β-glucans, eritadenine, ergosterol, lenthionine, phenolic compounds and other metabolites. Its human clinical research includes work on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. In a randomized double-blind trial involving 68 people with borderline-high cholesterol, participants consuming Shiitake bars showed a 10% reduction in triglycerides after 66 days, alongside improvements in reduced glutathione and lipid-peroxidation measures. 6
Pink Oyster, Pleurotus djamor, belongs to the oyster-mushroom group, which has attracted substantial interest for its polysaccharides, glycoproteins, phenolic compounds, ergosterol and other secondary metabolites. Research across the Pleurotus genus has examined metabolic parameters, lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism and body-weight-related outcomes. 7
That makes the Heart Duo particularly relevant to people who are beginning to think seriously about cardiometabolic health, cholesterol, triglycerides, nutrition and long-term healthspan.
And that is exactly how I see it: not as one ingredient trying to do everything, but as two very different edible mushrooms coming together around an important area of modern health.
The Immunity + Metabolic Duo: Turkey Tail × Maitake
The fourth pairing is the Immunity + Metabolic Duo, combining Turkey Tail and Maitake.
Turkey Tail, Trametes versicolor, contains β-glucans, polysaccharopeptides, PSK, PSP and other polysaccharide-rich compounds. Among the mushrooms in our collection, Turkey Tail has an unusually deep clinical oncology history because of PSK, or Polysaccharide-K, a Turkey Tail-derived preparation used as an adjunct to cancer treatment in Japan. 8
The National Cancer Institute's PDQ summarizes human research involving PSK in gastric, colorectal, breast and lung cancer, including randomized trials and large patient datasets. PSK has been used as an adjunct to standard cancer treatment in Japan since the 1970s. 8
That clinical history matters. It does not mean that every Turkey Tail supplement is PSK, and it does not mean that a dietary supplement should replace cancer treatment. It does mean that Turkey Tail has a substantial human clinical history, particularly in oncology.
Maitake, Grifola frondosa, contains β-glucans, polysaccharides, proteoglycans including D-Fraction and SX-fraction-related compounds, proteins, glycoproteins, sterols and phenolic compounds. Human research has explored immune function, metabolic health and blood glucose. Early clinical research involving the SX-fraction has investigated fasting blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes, while more recent controlled research has examined cognitive and immune outcomes in older adults. 9
So when I think about who this Duo is for, the answer becomes much more concrete.
Turkey Tail speaks strongly to the immune-health and oncology-support conversation. Maitake brings a metabolic-health and blood-glucose conversation into the picture.
That combination is exactly why we call it the Immunity + Metabolic Duo.
Who Is The Hi Shroomz Duo For?
This is the question I think consumers should be able to answer before they buy any mushroom product.
1. Performance: The Performance Duo is built for people who care about cognitive and physical performance and want their daily routine to support both sides of that equation.
2. Calm & Resilience: The Calm & Resilience Duo is for people who are thinking about everyday wellbeing, resilience and the long-term demands placed on the body and mind.
3. Cardiometabolic Health: The Heart Duo is particularly relevant to people who are paying attention to cholesterol, triglycerides, nutrition and long-term cardiometabolic health.
4. Immune & Metabolic Health: The Immunity + Metabolic Duo is relevant to people focused on immune and metabolic health, with Turkey Tail having a distinctive clinical history in oncology and Maitake having a long research history around glucose regulation.
This is where I think the idea of healthspan becomes practical. Healthspan is not one organ. It is not one biomarker. It is the broader quality of the years we live.
That means cognition matters. Energy matters. Cardiometabolic health matters. Immune function matters. Metabolic health matters.
And that is why I don't want Hi Shroomz to be reduced to one “hero mushroom.”
Why The Hi Shroomz Duo Is Different
For me, the most interesting thing about mushrooms is not that they are suddenly trendy. It is that they contain a remarkably diverse range of naturally occurring compounds that researchers continue to study.
Hericenones and erinacines in Lion’s Mane. Cordycepin and adenosine in Cordyceps. Triterpenoids and polysaccharides in Reishi. Polyphenols, triterpenoids and polysaccharides in Chaga. Eritadenine and lentinan in Shiitake. Polysaccharides and phenolic compounds in Pink Oyster. PSK and PSP in Turkey Tail. D-Fraction and other polysaccharides in Maitake.
That is a much more interesting story than simply saying “mushrooms are good for you.”
And it is also why the Hi Shroomz Duo is a concept I believe in. We are not trying to make eight mushrooms sound like one ingredient.
We are doing the opposite.
We are giving each mushroom its own identity, understanding where its bioactive compounds fit, looking at the human evidence available for that mushroom, and then bringing complementary mushrooms together in a way consumers can actually understand.
What Does The Clinical Evidence Actually Say?
This is the part of the mushroom conversation that I think matters most.
There is a growing body of human research across medicinal and functional mushrooms, and the picture is becoming increasingly interesting. Lion’s Mane has been investigated clinically for cognitive outcomes. Cordyceps has been studied in physically active adults and athletes. Reishi has human research around immune and metabolic outcomes. Shiitake has controlled human studies involving lipid-related outcomes. Turkey Tail-derived preparations have a significant clinical history in oncology, particularly PSK, while Maitake research includes human studies involving metabolic and immune outcomes.
What matters is not simply whether a study exists, but what was actually studied: the mushroom species, preparation, dose, duration, population and outcome.
That distinction is important because the clinical evidence belongs to the preparation that researchers tested. It should not automatically be transferred to every product that carries the same mushroom name.
Most importantly, there is currently no clinical trial establishing the four Hi Shroomz Duo combinations themselves as synergistic interventions. The Duos are our formulation and communication framework, while the clinical evidence belongs to the individual mushrooms and specific preparations that have been studied in humans.
Why I Keep Coming Back To Healthspan
There is another reason I wanted to build Hi Shroomz around a collection of mushrooms rather than around one so-called “miracle” ingredient.
It is healthspan.
Lifespan asks how long we live. Healthspan asks how much of that life we spend in good health and functional wellbeing.
That distinction matters to me because preventive health is not about finding one ingredient that does everything. It is about the choices we make repeatedly over years and decades.
I do not see mushrooms as a replacement for sleep, nutrition, physical activity or medical care. I see them as one category of functional ingredients that deserves to be understood properly and developed responsibly.
That is also why I do not want Hi Shroomz to be defined by one mushroom.
Lion’s Mane has its own story. Cordyceps has its own story. Reishi, Chaga, Shiitake, Pink Oyster, Turkey Tail and Maitake each have their own story.
The Hi Shroomz Duo gives those stories a structure.
Eight Mushrooms. Four Duos. One Healthspan Philosophy.
When I look at where preventive health is heading, I don't think the future is going to be about one miracle ingredient. It will be about understanding more: understanding the ingredients we consume, understanding the biology behind them, understanding the evidence, and understanding what fits our own health priorities.
That is what I wanted to build with the Hi Shroomz Duo.
Lion’s Mane × Cordyceps for performance. Reishi × Chaga for calm and resilience. Shiitake × Pink Oyster for cardiometabolic wellness. Turkey Tail × Maitake for immunity and metabolic health.
Eight mushrooms. Four ways of looking at them. And one idea that sits above all of them:
Healthspan.
Because I don't want the conversation to stop at living longer.
I want us to start thinking much more seriously about living better for longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. What is the Hi Shroomz Duo?
The Hi Shroomz Duo is our framework for bringing eight mushrooms into four complementary pairings: Lion’s Mane × Cordyceps, Reishi × Chaga, Shiitake × Pink Oyster, and Turkey Tail × Maitake.
B. Which mushrooms are included in the Hi Shroomz Duo?
The eight mushrooms are Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, Chaga, Shiitake, Pink Oyster, Turkey Tail and Maitake.
C. What bioactive compounds are found in these mushrooms?
Different species contain different bioactive compounds. Across the Hi Shroomz collection, these include hericenones, cordycepin, adenosine, triterpenoids, eritadenine, lentinan, polysaccharides, β-glucans, PSK, PSP and Maitake D-Fraction-related polysaccharides.
D. Which Duo is relevant to blood-glucose health?
Maitake has a research history around glucose metabolism, including human work involving SX-fraction preparations. Reishi has also been studied in human trials involving glycemic control. These findings concern specific preparations and should be considered alongside standard diabetes care. 4 9
E. Which mushroom has a significant clinical history in cancer research?
Turkey Tail-derived PSK has one of the most established clinical histories among medicinal-mushroom preparations. The National Cancer Institute describes human research involving PSK alongside standard treatment in several cancers and notes its long-standing use as an adjunctive treatment in Japan. 8
F. Has Lion’s Mane been studied in humans?
Yes. Human randomized clinical studies have investigated Lion’s Mane and cognitive outcomes, including studies involving older adults with mild cognitive impairment and more recent research in healthy adults. 1
G. Has Cordyceps been studied in athletes?
Yes. Human research has examined Cordyceps militaris in active individuals and sports-nutrition contexts, including controlled research involving oxygen uptake and post-exercise reaction time. 2
H. What is healthspan?
Healthspan is the period of life spent in good health and functional wellbeing. It is the larger philosophy behind the Hi Shroomz approach to preventive health.
References
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Surendran, G., Saye, J., Binti Mohd Jalil, S., Spreadborough, J., Duong, K., Shatwan, I. M., Lilley, D., Heinrich, M., Dodd, G. F. & Surendran, S. Acute effects of a standardised extract of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane mushroom) on cognition and mood in healthy younger adults: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2025.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1405796
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Clinical research examining Cordyceps militaris and exercise performance, including randomized human research published in 2026.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0351725 -
Ahmad, R., et al. Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi): nutritional, mycochemical, pharmacological and clinical properties. Phytotherapy Research, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7215 - Yekefallah, L., Aghakhanbeigi, F., Jalalpour, A., Namdar, P. & Mafi, M. H. Comparing the effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Kombucha mushrooms on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial. Clinical Diabetes, 2025.
- Wang, Y., et al. Natural products and health care functions of Inonotus obliquus. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 2025.
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Spim, S. R. V., et al. Effects of Shiitake culinary-medicinal mushroom bars on lipid and antioxidant profiles in individuals with borderline high cholesterol: a double-blind randomized clinical trial. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2021038773 - Research literature on Pleurotus species and polysaccharides, including nutritional, metabolic and functional-food research.
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National Cancer Institute. Mushrooms (PDQ®) – Patient Version.
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/mushrooms-pdq -
Wu, J.-Y., Siu, K.-C. & Geng, P. Bioactive ingredients and medicinal values of Grifola frondosa (Maitake). Foods, 2021.
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10010095
Educational note: The information in this article is provided for educational purposes. Research findings may relate to specific mushroom species, extracts, doses, food preparations or study populations and should be interpreted in that context. This article does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.