The missing links of mushrooms to plant medicine's effectiveness

In an almost undetectable way, Medicine Box gained valuable inspiration from mushrooms. Hunting for mushrooms with his maternal grandfather in the woods of New Hampshire instilled an early fascination with mushrooms in our founder Brian Chaplin at a young age. How their spores spread and how they symbiotically relied upon other living creatures in nature, himself included, for their survival. 

Later on as a farmer teaching himself about organic cultivation, he also learned about the importance of mushrooms in keeping plants healthy. Mushrooms are a crucial part of the rhizosphere, which is the living ecosystem within our soil that surrounds plant roots. This layer is responsible for providing nutrients and regulating moisture levels, and mushrooms play a vital role in keeping plants healthy. 

In addition to their role in plant health, mushrooms also possess bonus superpowers that make them valuable for human wellness. Research has been conducted into their ability to improve gut health, boost immunity, and enhance mental performance. For example, mushrooms are known to be great for gut health. They have been used as nootropics, or cognitive enhancers, and fungal compounds have been studied for immunological effects. Additionally, mushrooms have also factored heavily into the microdosing revolution embraced by Silicon Valley and mental health-conscious professionals everywhere. All of these factors make mushrooms an essential ingredient in Medicine Box's products. Whether it’s our 1CaB gelcaps for sleep, gut health or energy, or our Mind’s Eye Harmonize nootropic capsules, our products are able to offer users an extra level of support that other products lack, thanks to mushrooms.

Mushrooms and the Medicine Box way

Medicine Box joined the medicinal/functional mushroom revolution with the reformulation of Happy Belly, our gut health formulation. Reishi, it turned out, was an excellent sources of antioxidants, and its polysaccharides provided energy resources as well. However, the mushroom’s connection to the rhizosphere and its role in maintaining homeostasis intrigued us most of all. As we learn more about it, the gut microbiome creates a similar ecosystem underpinning our physical and mental health we are just beginning to learn about.

As strong adherents to the entourage effect, we recognized that if nature couldn’t function effectively without mushrooms, then neither could our products. 

As strong adherents to the entourage effect, we recognized that if nature couldn’t function effectively without mushrooms, then neither could our products. So we thrust them into our reformulated Vital Recovery: chaga and red reishi were teamed with maitake and shiitake for added vitality. And for Mind's Eye Harmonize, chaga and reishi were teamed with lion's mane, agarikon, cordyceps and turkey tail for a combination that promotes peak performance in one's daily life, from taking a test to dealing with your husband.

See what mushrooms can teach you

It’s an embodied relationship our world has with its plants, and it’s ongoing. Fungi are even more mysterious, and we’re just beginning to ask the questions about them that, once answered, will carry important implications for our mental, physical and spiritual health. What we do know for certain is that mushrooms and their mycellial structures support the plants that support us. 

Now that mushrooms can work in entourage with hemp-derived cannabinoids and/or other herbs, they bring new vitality to the wellness work we’re already doing. Whether it's ...

• CBD, CBG and CBC crossed with Reishi for Happy Belly
• Chaga, Maitake, Red Reishi and Shiitake with CBD, CBG and CBN for Vital Recovery
• Chaga, Reishi, Agarikon, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail and Lion's Mane with Holy Basil, Seamoss, Brahmi and five other nourishing herbs for Mind’s Eye Harmonize

These herbs, mushrooms and compounds create a nexus of rejuvenation that, alongside diet and lifestyle, can truly make the difference.