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Mushroom Supplements in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

What is and is not known about mushroom supplements and mushroom coffee in pregnancy and breastfeeding, including where proper evidence was not found.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.

If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding, the short answer is that the sources we read do not establish that medicinal mushroom supplements are safe in these situations. That is different from saying they are harmful. It means the question has not been answered, so a clinician who knows your pregnancy should decide.

What the sources say

NCCIH states that many dietary supplements have not been tested in pregnant women or nursing mothers, and asks anyone pregnant, nursing or trying to conceive to keep that in mind. [1] We read the Memorial Sloan Kettering pages for reishi, lion's mane, chaga, cordyceps and shiitake, and none of them describes pregnancy or breastfeeding use. [2][3][4][5][6]

Mushroom coffee and other caffeine-containing products

Some mushroom drinks contain caffeine, and labels differ. The FDA has said that people who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding should talk with their health care provider about caffeine. [7] The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that moderate caffeine consumption, defined as less than 200 mg per day, does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth. [8] That committee opinion is from August 2010. [8] Sensitivity to caffeine varies widely between people. [7] Check the label for caffeine and ask your clinician how it fits with your total intake. See Mushroom Coffee Side Effects and Who Should Be Careful.

Wild mushrooms and poisoning

This is not a supplement question, but it matters in every life stage: do not eat wild mushrooms you cannot confirm as a food mushroom. If anyone, pregnant or not, may have eaten one, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away, or 911 for collapse, seizure or trouble breathing. [9] See Plant and Mushroom Poisoning.

What you can safely do

Frequently asked questions

Is reishi safe during pregnancy?

We did not find human safety data we could read and confirm, so safety is unknown. Ask your clinician.

Is lion's mane safe while breastfeeding?

Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. [3]

Can I drink mushroom coffee while pregnant?

The caffeine is the part with a source: the FDA advises talking with your provider, and ACOG's 2010 opinion discussed intake under 200 mg a day. [7][8] What else is in the product has not been studied in pregnancy as far as we found.

Are cooked store-bought mushrooms a problem in pregnancy?

The sources we read for this page address supplements, not supermarket mushrooms, so we make no claim. A clinician can advise on diet.

Is a prenatal vitamin with mushroom extract okay?

Ask the prescriber or pharmacist; many supplements have not been tested in pregnancy. [1]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

Proper evidence not found
For reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) and other medicinal mushrooms, we looked for human safety data in pregnancy and during breastfeeding and found none that we could read and confirm. What we searched: PubMed searches for reishi, lingzhi and Ganoderma with pregnancy, lactation and breastfeeding, and for Hericium erinaceus with pregnancy and lactation; the Memorial Sloan Kettering pages above; and the National Cancer Institute's medicinal mushroom summary. The NIH LactMed drug database could not be opened by our tools, so we did not use it. Absence of data is not evidence of safety, and it is not evidence of harm. Do not assume a result in animals or cells says anything about pregnancy.
References
  1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Read 2026-10-23.
  2. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Reishi Mushroom (About Herbs; last updated May 5, 2026). Read 2026-10-23.
  3. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Lion's Mane Mushroom (About Herbs; last updated June 5, 2024). Read 2026-10-23.
  4. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Chaga Mushroom (About Herbs; last updated February 20, 2023). Read 2026-10-23.
  5. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Cordyceps (About Herbs; last updated February 10, 2022). Read 2026-10-23.
  6. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Shiitake Mushroom (About Herbs; last updated February 14, 2023). Read 2026-10-23.
  7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?. Read 2026-10-23.
  8. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy (Committee Opinion, August 2010, reaffirmed 2026). Read 2026-10-23.
  9. Poison Control (America's Poison Centers). Poison Control: your trusted resource. Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.