By exploring the diverse types of fungi—from saprotrophs to mycorrhizal networks—we can better utilize their unique biological compounds to support human health. These functional mushrooms can offer extensive benefits, ranging from enhanced mitochondrial energy and cognitive support to systemic immune modulation.
Key Takeaways
- Biological Recyclers: Fungi belong to a unique kingdom of “decomposers” that bridge the worlds of the living and the dead, utilizing mycelial networks to recycle nutrients and maintain global ecosystems.
- Systemic Health Benefits: Functional species like Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps provide a “hidden pharmacy” of compounds—including beta-glucans, triterpenes, and ergothioneine—that support cognitive function, immune resilience, and cellular energy.
- Untapped Potential: While Eastern cultures have revered mushrooms for millennia, Western science is only just beginning to map the full chemical profiles of both functional and psychedelic species, revealing a vast array of secondary metabolites with untapped therapeutic potential.
- Psychedelic Passage: Your Psychedelic Concierge — The easy, legal way to find trustworthy psilocybin guides, facilitators, and psychedelic-assisted therapy near you in the United States.
Did you know that fungi-based caskets exist? You can now be buried in an “intricate, structurally sound vessel” created out of a fully biodegradable material. They are made from mycelium and offer an earth-conscious alternative to the burial designs we see typically in the US.
The benefits of fungi are far-reaching and mysterious. While Eastern cultures have had an intimate relationship with mushrooms for thousands of years, they aren’t even on the US food pyramid, as if they don’t even exist.
But they do exist, and those who do find themselves getting to know functional mushrooms become easily enraptured by their uniqueness and capabilities. That brings us to Louis Giller of North Spore.
North Spore is a company dedicated to all things functional mushrooms. With their help, you can grow your own culinary or functional mushrooms, or you can just buy them in whole, capsule, tincture, or tea form, and even in chocolate and honey.
Their wide range of products is to make medicinal mushrooms accessible to everyone; that’s how much they believe in the functional properties of these fungi. Starting on the production team, working in the lab, selling at farmers markets, attending mycology events, and leading classes has given Louis broad experience and knowledge within the mushroom space.
Louis has been inspired by fungi since taking an Ethnobotany class at the University of Denver back in 2011. By following a trail of spores, Louis worked for several farms before he found his way to North Spore in 2018, where he has since joined the marketing team.
Using these mushrooms every day and reading voraciously helps Louis achieve his main goal: helping people expand their relationship with fungi.
So allow yourself to fall down the rabbit hole with us as Louis leads us on an enlightening adventure into the world of functional mushrooms, including Chaga, Reishi, Cordyceps, and more.
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What are Fungi?
Fungi are decomposers, agents of change, and reminiscent of Charon, the ferryman of the underworld in Greek mythology, who ushered travelers between the worlds of the living and dead. If it weren’t for fungi playing a pivotal role in nutrient cycling, the ecosystems we see today wouldn’t exist.
They’re a unique classification of organisms, completely separate from plants, animals, bacteria, and single-cell organisms. They’re somewhere in between plants and animals, and fungi are actually more closely related to humans than plants.
Every mushroom you see or hear of will be classified as fungi; however, fungi don’t necessarily produce mushrooms. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of certain types of fungi.
Fungi can take on some pretty funky forms. Just take the “zombie fungus,” Ophiocordyceps, for example, which is technically born in a live insect, before hijacking its brain to climb to a high tree limb so it can kill the insect, complete its life cycle, and increase its chances of infecting other hosts as the spores are released.
There are only 6 kingdoms in biology, yet fungi are so unique that they require their own classification, and the fact that we didn’t recognize this until 1969 suggests we probably still know very little about these fascinating organisms.
We do know their basic biology, though. While cellulose makes up plant cell walls, chitin makes up fungal cell walls. Chitin is a polysaccharide also found in crustaceans and insects and is commonly known as the cause of upset stomachs when ingesting “magic mushrooms.”
Some people have found “lemon tekking” as a way to bypass an upset stomach by steeping their mushrooms in tea and then straining the mushroom out, removing the chitin but leaving the psychedelic compounds in the tea or lemon juice. Recommended Reading: Top 5 Ways to Consume Psychedelic Mushrooms
The main component of fungi is the mycelium, which is a network of thread-like cells called hyphae (plural) that grow through their food (usually decaying matter like a dead tree, but can be a live insect), secreting digestive enzymes along the way, giving fungi the ability to absorb digested nutrients (Introduction to Fungal Biology).
How do Mushrooms Grow?
Mushrooms don’t reproduce by seeds, and it’s not exactly the same as pollination either, nor can you propagate mushrooms like you would a houseplant (although you kind of can). Instead, mushrooms use spores.
Spores are packets of genetic information that get ejected from mushrooms. A single spore does not contain all the genetic material necessary to grow a new fungus. Instead, a spore contains half of the genetic information required.
Two spores from the same mushroom may have opposite genetic information, but together would pair perfectly to produce a new mushroom.
After spores are expelled, two spores of opposite genetic material must land on the same piece of decaying matter (or host). Once a spore has the proper growing conditions, it will grow hyphae. Once two genetically opposite but complementary hyphae meet, they begin to build mycelium.
When two spores with complementary genetic material meet, they can form a new strain. For example, one spore might have the material for large fruiting bodies, while the other might have material for fast-growing fruiting bodies.
It’s very similar to cannabis in the way that one mother plant can produce hundreds of seeds, all with varying genetics. In order to replicate the genetics of the mother plant, one would need to propagate a branch from the mother plant.
Fun Experiment: If you leave a mushroom on tin foil, you will see a spore print where the spores have fallen from the gills, like an impression. Then again, not all mushrooms have gills, but even lion’s mane produces spores out of its “teeth.”
Types of Fungi
Fungi are anything but straightforward. There are hundreds of thousands of known species, with some estimating millions yet to be discovered. Just when you think you know how fungi operate, a new one with a novel way of existing is discovered. But today we’ll be looking at two overarching themes.
Saprotrophic Fungi
These fungi obtain their nutrition by decomposing dead things. These “decomposers” or “wood ears” break down woody material, especially the cellulose and lignin that’s especially difficult to break down. Examples of saprotrophic fungi include psilocybe strains, oyster, shiitake, lion’s mane, and turkey tail.
“I always found it to be magic. Straight up magic that you can take a log, a hardwood log, not food at all, and convert it into food very directly.” — Louis Giller
Mycorrhizal Fungi
These fungi require special symbiotic relationships with plants. Plants often need these relationships, though sometimes fungi can form parasitic relationships, as seen with the “zombie fungus.” Some produce mushrooms, while some don’t, but they all facilitate nutrient transfer, which creates a healthy ecosystem.
This is why constant tilling in modern agriculture is so detrimental to the local ecosystem and soil. Farmers have started turning to “no-till farming” to avoid disturbing root systems and mycelial systems that have already built the “highways” that carry nutrients throughout the ecosystem.
This theory holds true when we consider how mother trees can transfer nutrients to saplings that need them, using the massive underground network of mycelial fibers, which act as major nutritional highways (Holewinski, 2019).
“Mycorrhizae are present in 92% of plant families (80% of species). Plants allow, and indeed require, mycorrhizal fungi to colonize their roots. In this symbiotic relationship, fungal hyphae greatly expand the ability of plants to obtain nutrients and water. Fungi break down organic matter and weather mineral surfaces, and in so doing collect essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and nearly a dozen minerals.” (Mycorrhizae Explained)
Cannabis growers have begun to tune into this theory behind “no-till farming” but utilizing media supplementation. You can now purchase growing medium with “mycorrhizae added.”
Fungal species are added to the growing medium to facilitate nutrient transfer and add structural stability to soil, thereby increasing resilience.
As mushroom growers, creating these mycorrhizae actually helps us learn how to mimic the natural environment. After all, it’s nearly been perfected.
Louis describes mushrooms as “complicated organisms,” stating that while on the surface it appears that saprotrophic fungi decompose and mycorrhizae transfer nutrients, but that’s not true. Some species can do both, and it can even depend on the circumstances. Some species even latch onto plants to obtain the plant’s nutrients.
The “zombie fungus” Ophiocordyceps is born in a live insect, before hijacking its brain to climb to a high tree limb so it can infect other hosts as spores are released.
How Can We Utilize These Mushrooms?
The use and understanding of mushrooms in Eastern cultures go back thousands of years. The oldest known form of mushroom cultivation is the use of dead logs, with written evidence dating back 1,000 years.
By foraging instead of growing them, the use of mushrooms for medicinal purposes has been around for much longer than that. They were so revered that oftentimes they were reserved for royalty (McInnis, 2025).
Because fungi is its own unique kingdom, mushrooms create novel compounds unlike those that we see from plants. They’re also starkly unique and underresearched, so while Eastern cultures have used them for centuries, Western society is only beginning to scientifically understand their effects.
This leaves fungi in an interesting position. On one hand, Eastern cultures have learned of their physical and mental health benefits through millennia of use, while Western culture seems to seek cold, hard facts, given they don’t have an intimate past with functional mushroom use.
Active Compounds
There are hundreds of bioactive compounds across various species of functional mushrooms, with many more still being discovered. Not only are mushrooms full of bioactive compounds, they also contain many vitamins and minerals that humans need in their diet.
One species of mushroom can also contain hundreds of bioactive compounds, like Reishi for example, reported to have over 400.
Due to the tough exterior of chitin found in the cell walls, it may be difficult to get the full benefits of the bioactive compounds that are found in functional mushrooms by eating them whole.
The best way to increase the bioavailability of these compounds is to soak them in alcohol or water (depending on the compound), releasing them from the grip of the chitin, where they can then be turned into “tinctures” or concentrated liquid extracts (Spore, 2019).
Cooking mushrooms may also break down some vitamins found in mushrooms, adding to the draw for extracts and tinctures.
So what’s best? Eating mushrooms or using an extract? Well, it depends on the mushroom. For some wood ear mushrooms, a tea or extract is necessary. What’s important is finding a method that works for you, so feel free to experiment.
There’s some debate about whether it’s better to make tinctures out of fruiting bodies or mycelium, but tune into our next podcast episode to see what Louis and Jimmy have to say about it.
Here are the five most popular active compounds in functional mushrooms:
Beta-glucans
These polysaccharides have been shown to function as “biological response modifiers” that literally teach our bodily systems how to be efficient. They’re also thought to contain antiviral and antibiotic properties (Spore, 2019).
One study by Rondanelli et al. (2009) reviewed the current research on Beta-glucans and found that the research shows they enhance the immune system’s ability to fight infections and stabilize metabolic health by lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Additionally, the study highlighted their potential to provide radioprotection during cancer treatments and to accelerate the healing of chronic wounds and allergic conditions.
Triterpenes
This compound has been shown to have liver-protective properties. The triterpenes found in fungi can act as anti-inflammatories, alleviating oxidative stress and inhibiting histamine release (Pozzobon et al, 2026).
Ergosterol
Studies show that this compound possesses anti-tumor properties, is an antioxidant, and is a precursor to vitamin D, a necessary vitamin for immune health and strong bones (Rangsinth et al., 2023).
Lovastatin
A metabolite that’s isolated from fungi and is used to reduce blood lipid concentration, and can lower cholesterol. In vitro studies show a “significant inhibitory effect on cancer cell viability in a variety of cancers (such as breast, liver, cervical, lung, and colon cancer).” It has also been shown to enhance the effectiveness of chemo, similar to beta-glucans (Xie et al., 2021).
Fun Fact: The compounds in mushrooms are more bioavailable to humans than those found in plants because mushrooms are more closely related to us than plants. Tanya Dontelli, North Spore’s Head of Functional Mushroom Products, created some guidelines for how to incorporate functional mushrooms into your daily wellness routine.
Honorable mention: Ergothioneine
This vitamin is not to be confused with Ergosterol. Humans have a highly specific “transporter” protein called OCTN1 that is designed to pull Ergothioneine from food sources and deliver it to tissues under stress, like the brain, eyes, and heart (Harasym et al., 2025).
Interestingly, cooking mushrooms does not destroy this vitamin, making it versatile and easy to consume.
Most Popular Types of Functional Mushrooms
There are many, many species of fungi that fall under the “functional mushroom” category, but there’s certainly some that have stolen the spotlight. For that reason, we’re going to focus on the most common and popular varieties.
Lion’s Mane is easy to grow and tasty, known for its cognitive and gut-health benefits.
Lions Mane
We’ve already done a deep dive into this species and how you can incorporate lion’s mane into your microdosing protocol. There, we go into further detail about all things lion’s mane!
It’s easy to grow and tasty, with its flavor being described as mild and sweet, and a texture like seafood. It’s touted for its cognitive and gut-health benefits.
This is one mushroom with very broad applications. On the one hand, it’s a low-fat yet nutrient-dense alternative to animal protein; on the other hand, it’s been used in Traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years for its gastroprotective properties.
Over the last few decades, research has investigated and highlighted the various ways lion’s mane interacts with our digestive system.
“Studies in animal models (mice and rats) conducted in 2008, 2013, and 2015 showed that Lion’s Mane extract protected the stomach lining from alcohol-induced gastric ulcers. A 2019 study found that the mushroom inhibited the growth of Helicobactor pylori, a pathogenic bacterium that infects the stomach, and a 2023 study concluded that oral consumption of Lion’s Mane promoted beneficial gut bacteria in mice while reducing pathogenic bacteria.” (Broussard, 2025)
As above, so below. The same benefits we see in the gut appear to carry over to the brain as well, with lion’s mane influencing the overall gut-brain axis, which is the system in which our gut and central nervous system interact, affecting mood regulation (Prime, 2025).
Lion’s mane has all of the 5 most popular active compounds mentioned below, as well as the vitamin Ergothioneine.
Reishi is widely used and is often referred to as the “mushroom of immortality.”
Reishi
Similar to lion’s mane, Reishi mushrooms have also been shown to have a positive effect on our gut-brain axis. It’s also widely used and is often referred to as the “mushroom of immortality.”
There are many species of reishi, all from the Ganoderma genus, and they are referred to as adaptogens, meaning they can help the body manage stress and hormone levels while calming the nervous system (Berecka).
Their ability to support the immune system is well-regarded in Traditional Chinese medicine and can be taken alongside cancer treatments to increase their efficacy due to their potential for enhancing tumor response and stimulating immunity (Jin et al., 2012).
Reishi has shown the same effects on our gut-brain axis as lion’s mane, opening up an entirely new area of research in mood disorders, given that we now know how dependent our brain health is on our gut health.
While this research isn’t in clinical, real-world applications, it certainly gives us promising avenues to put these fungi to the test of scientific rigor.
Lastly, reishi contains high levels of beta-glucans, along with hundreds of other bioactive compounds, as is typical of functional mushrooms.
With over 13 vitamins and minerals and many biologically active compounds, Chaga is known as a “super food.”
Chaga
Much like lion’s mane, chaga has traditionally been used to treat gastrointestinal issues. Rich in anti-inflammatory beta-glucans and antioxidants, it makes sense why it may help with stomach ulcers, gastritis, or indigestion.
In a Thai study in 2021, water extracts of chaga were shown to inhibit one of the core enzymes in HIV, reverse transcriptase, showing potential to aid in HIV treatment.
Given its high melanin content, many have used chaga to strengthen their skin, hair, and nails.
These are just a few examples of the many things chaga does in the body. With over 13 vitamins and minerals and many biologically active compounds, it’s known as a “super food.” Recent studies have discovered possible links between chaga and anticancer properties, but for now, we have to wait for more research for any concrete answers.
Cordycepin in Cordyceps mushrooms is structurally similar to adenosine, which is a core component of ATP, the energy “currency” in our cells.
Cordyceps
These funky mushrooms increase our energy, but not like caffeine does. Instead, they create energy via the unique compound called cordycepin.
Cordycepin is structurally similar to adenosine, which is a core component of ATP, the energy “currency” in our cells.
It also activates the enzyme AMPK, which triggers cells in our bodies to repair old mitochondria and create new ones. This allows our cells to burn glucose and fats for fuel, providing long-lasting energy that supports endurance (Chang et al., 2025).
Our founder, Jimmy Nguyen, has a heartwarming anecdote about his beloved cat, who passed away at 18 years old from chronic kidney disease. As he was researching how to ease the pain from this disease in his final days, Jimmy found a pet-friendly cordyceps product.
Call it placebo or anecdotal, but Jimmy felt like the product did give his cat more energy and a “longer runway” in his final time.
Interestingly, cordyceps have been used in Traditional Chinese medicine as a kidney tonic for centuries. Recently, a retrospective cohort study found that those using fermented Cordyceps powder had a significantly better long-term prognosis than those who did not (Lu et al., 2024).
Turkey tail has been used for a long time in different cultures to treat various illnesses such as the flu and common cold.
Honorable Mentions
Many functional or medicinal mushrooms have the same bioactive compounds and similar effects in our body, each with it’s own flair. Here are a few examples of the unique capabilities of a few that didn’t make the list.
The active compound in shiitake mushrooms, lentinan, has actually been approved in Japan to treat gastric cancers (Ina, 2013).
Native Americans (as well as eastern cultures) have used turkey tail to treat various illnesses such as the flu and common cold. It’s also used in Japan in a tonic called “Krestin,” used for supportive therapy in breast, lung, gastric, pancreatic, and liver cancer (Broussard, 2024).
The delicious maitake mushrooms, also called “head of the woods” have immunomodulating abilities that can boost weak immune systems and calm an overactive one (Alonso et al., 2018).
Lastly, oyster mushrooms have been shown to have cholesterol-fighting abilities via the natural statin “lovastatin” that we discussed earlier.
Oyster mushrooms have been shown to have cholesterol-fighting abilities via the natural statin “lovastatin.”
The Intersection of Function and Psychedelic
So many of these mushrooms can perform multiple functions, like serving as overall regulators, giving our bodies the tools it needs. Incorporating them systemically into your diet is the best way to ensure benefits that actually make a difference.
The number of active compounds in functional mushrooms is extensive, with a wide range of polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates), vitamins, minerals, and metabolites, to name a few.
Now let’s remember that a mushroom is a mushroom, and they all break down nutrients, collect them, and create some truly unique biological compounds as they go. It’s also true that some are poisonous or deadly, so it’s not to say that all mushrooms are automatically healthy.
Psilocybin and psilocin are both psychedelic compounds, specifically alkaloids, found in magic mushroom strains like psilocybe cubensis, psilocybe azurescens, psilocybe cyanescens, and psilocybe mexicana.
Recommended Reading: Best Magic Mushrooms for Therapy: Penis Envy and More
When we look at psychedelic mushroom species, one can’t help but wonder if they contain a much broader chemical profile than we realize. Beyond the obvious psychoactive trip, there is probably a hidden pharmacy of secondary metabolites, minerals, and complex carbohydrates in these fungi that modern science has barely begun to map out.
Full-spectrum psilocybe mushrooms have so many other tryptamine alkaloids. We do know that psychedelic mushrooms have minor alkaloids other than psilocybin and psilocin, but they have a limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
These include baeocystin, norpsilocin, aeruginascin, and norbaeocystin. Paul Stamets reported that baeocystin caused anxiety reduction. Norpsilocin, aeruginascin, and aeruginascin have shown antidepressant-like activity in mice and bind to serotonin receptors (Murray et al., 2026, Sherwood et al., 2020).
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Final Thoughts
If you want to dive into the world of functional mushrooms, our friend Louis has some insider knowledge: try one species first.
Some extracts can contain up to 5 species at once, which is fine, but given the individual variability, it would help to get a sense of what each feels like on its own.
Another interesting fact Louis shared with us was that mushrooms are not included in the food pyramid in America. After all we’ve learned here, we’d say that’s a tremendous shame.
The mushroom industry is immense in China and in various eastern cultures, but here in America, not so much. Who decided to exclude mushrooms? Was it a supply issue? Was it to line the pockets of certain companies?
“I’m sad to say it, I think they probably just didn’t think it was a thing. Didn’t think it was important. It was just too small for them to really consider, and that’s been the story with mushrooms. They’re not considered essential, they’re considered a totally optional food and that’s to our detriment. That’s not how we’ve evolved in relationship to them.” — Louis Giller
We may never know the answer, but together we can shed light on the powerful, mysterious world of the benefits of functional mushrooms.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are mushrooms more biologically similar to humans than to plants?
Fungi are a distinct kingdom of life that breathes oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide, just like animals. Unlike plants, which create their own food through photosynthesis, fungi must “eat” by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment—much like an external stomach.
This shared evolutionary lineage is why fungal compounds, like certain vitamins and metabolites, are often more bioavailable and compatible with human biology than many plant-based nutrients.
2. What is the fundamental difference between how a Saprotrophic fungus and a Mycorrhizal fungus “eats”?
A Saprotrophic fungus acts as a primary decomposer by landing on dead matter, such as a hardwood log, and converting it directly into food by breaking down tough lignin and cellulose.
In contrast, a Mycorrhizal fungus requires a living partner; it forms a symbiotic relationship with plant roots to exchange gathered minerals and water for the plant’s liquid sugars.
While the saprotroph thrives on death to create life, the mycorrhizae facilitate a “nutritional highway” that keeps the existing forest ecosystem healthy and interconnected.
3. How do Beta-glucans act as “biological response modifiers” within the human body?
Beta-glucans are complex polysaccharides that essentially “teach” the immune system to be more efficient rather than simply overstimulating it.
By acting as biological response modifiers, they help the body recognize and fight infections more effectively while simultaneously stabilizing metabolic health markers like cholesterol and blood sugar.
They function as a systemic regulator, providing the body with the tools it needs to maintain internal balance and accelerate the healing of chronic wounds.
4. Why is the compound Lovastatin a prime example of a mushroom “collecting” nutrients to benefit human heart health?
Found naturally in Oyster mushrooms, Lovastatin is a metabolite that effectively reduces blood lipid concentrations and lowers cholesterol. It serves as a natural version of the statins used in Western medicine to manage cardiovascular health.
By “collecting” and synthesizing these metabolites as they grow, fungi provide a bioactive tool that can inhibit cancer cell viability and enhance the effectiveness of other treatments, illustrating the mushroom’s role as an overall systemic regulator.
5. How does the structural similarity between Cordycepin and Adenosine change our cellular energy?
Cordycepin is almost identical in structure to adenosine, which is a core component of ATP, the “energy currency” of every cell in our body. Because of this similarity, Cordyceps can trigger the AMPK enzyme, which signals the body to repair old mitochondria and create new ones.
This allows the body to burn fats and glucose more efficiently for fuel, providing a long-lasting endurance boost that supports the kidneys and other high-energy organs without the jitters associated with stimulants.
References
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Berecka, M. (n.d.). Species Spotlight: Reishi. North Spore. https://northspore.com/blogs/the-black-trumpet/species-spotlight-reishi
Broussard, W. (2024, July 11). How to Find, Grow, and Use Turkey Tail Mushrooms. North Spore. https://northspore.com/blogs/the-black-trumpet/turkey-tail-mushrooms
Broussard, W. (2025, January 10). Lion’s Mane Mushrooms: Nutrition and Health Benefits. North Spore. https://northspore.com/blogs/the-black-trumpet/lions-mane-mushrooms-nutrition-health-benefits
Cheng, C., Zhang, S., Chen, C., Gong, Y., Ding, K., Li, G., Jiang, W., Zhang, Z., He, B., Hu, Z., Li, Y., & Yao, L. (2025). Cordycepin combined with antioxidant effects improves fatigue caused by excessive exercise. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 8141. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-92790-3
Choengpanya, K., Ratanabunyong, S., Seetaha, S., Tabtimmai, L., & Choowongkomon, K. (2021). Anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase property of some edible mushrooms in Asia. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 28(5), 2807–2815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.02.012
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Holewinski, B. (2019, May 28). Underground Networking: The Amazing Connections Beneath Your Feet – National Forest Foundation. Nationalforests.org. https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/underground-mycorrhizal-network
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Lu, J., Ge, Z., Hu, Z., Yu, G., Zhang, S., Liu, C., & Wei, X. (2024). The prognosis of stage 4 chronic kidney disease treated with fermented Cordyceps sinensis powder: Based on a retrospective cohort study. Chinese General Practice, 27(12), 1435–1441. https://doi.org/10.12114/j.issn.1007-9572.2024.0106
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