Functional Mushrooms for Women's Health: Insights into Endometriosis, PMS, PMDD and Hormonal Balance | Mabel
- Marc Violo
- Jun 3
- 5 min read
Article written in partnership with Mabel a Paris-based company producing functional mushroom and microdosing supplements. Read more on the effects of microdosing psilocybin for women’s health here.
As the founder of MycoStories, a platform that supports pioneers in fungal biotechnologies, I’ve long championed fungi’s potential in health systems and beyond. On my socials, I can't scroll through my feed without coming across beautifully branded mushroom products promising everything from sharper focus to increased energy. These generally spark within me a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
But something about the rise of popularity of functional mushrooms caught my attention. It wasn’t just the sleek packaging or health claims. It was something more intimate—how these products were showing up in the daily routines of many people I knew, including my wife. She works for an NGO in a high-pressure role marked by constant demands and emotional labor. Like many women, she was looking for ways to feel more steady, supported, and restored.
After weeks on her supplement routine, she described an unexpected sense of rhythm to her days. She felt sharper in the morning and less tense by evening. The changes weren’t dramatic but were undeniably real: more energy, less anxiety, deeper rest, less grogginess, and a surprising sense of hormonal balance as compared to her pre-functional-mushroom-supplement-routine.
Her experience echoed what I was starting to hear from other female relatives like my sister. While anecdotes aren’t evidence, they’re often where the best questions begin. Could functional mushrooms genuinely support hormonal health and emotional resilience? The next paragraphs explore that question through the lens of emerging research, and personal insights.
Endometriosis: Targeting Inflammation and Hormonal Disruption
Reading about endometriosis as I was investigating this topic, I read testimonies of women who were constantly managing pain, fatigue, and the emotional weight of a condition that still lacks effective long-term solutions.
Reishi and Cordyceps, which are now being looked at for their hormone-modulating and anti-inflammatory effects, felt like great candidates to reduce these symptoms. Reishi, in particular, has compounds that seem to relax smooth muscles and reduce inflammation. As a dear friend, Roshni Nirody Ostergaard, founder of The Expeditionary Mindset puts it, “Ganoderic acid, one of many helpful compounds in Reishi, has muscle relaxant and analgesic effects that potentially reduce pain and ease uterine contractions.”
Cordyceps may go further—animal studies suggest it reduces uterine lining overgrowth. Combined with Chaga’s antioxidant profile, these mushrooms may offer supportive tools to help women manage symptoms and feel a little more at home in their bodies.
PMS and PMDD: Supporting Mood, Focus, and Nervous System Regulation
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and its more severe counterpart, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), are deeply tied to hormonal cycling, inflammation, and neurotransmitter shifts. Functional mushrooms, with their adaptogenic and neuroactive compounds, could offer supportive benefits for emotional and cognitive symptoms.
Lion’s Mane has become a bit of a household name for its role in supporting brain health. It’s been linked to improved nerve growth and mood regulation, and some studies even suggest antidepressant-like effects. When my wife began including it in her routine, she described it as “a lifting of the fog.”
Reishi and Cordyceps could play a different role here. Their adaptogenic nature helps buffer stress and stabilize energy. Jennifer Chesak, the author of The Psilocybin Handbook for Women, pointed out: “In the brain, our stress response overlaps with the mechanisms that control the menstrual cycle,” she said. “Anyone who’s ever had a period has seen this relationship, where the menstrual cycle can exacerbate stress and our stress response can interfere with the menstrual cycle.”
The adaptogenic effects of mushrooms like Reishi and Cordyceps may help modulate this relationship. “We have a three-stage response called general adaptation syndrome, or GAS, when we experience a stressor: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion,” Chesak said. “Adaptogens may help us stay in the resistance phase longer and stave off fatigue. Since we’re generally more fatigued in the luteal phase of our cycle, and this is when PMS and PMDD symptoms tend to occur, adaptogenic mushrooms may be particularly helpful during this time.” For my wife, these natural compounds feel like scaffolding—soft but steady—through the most volatile parts of their cycles.
Hormonal Balance: A Systems-Level Support Approach
Reading about women’s hormonal balance I discovered that said balance isn’t about a single hormone—it’s a tightly choreographed dance across the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, adrenal system, liver metabolism, and immune response. Functional mushrooms can bring systems-level support that may gently influence these interconnected pathways.
For example, Reishi has been recognized to support liver detoxification and help modulate estrogen metabolism. Lion’s Mane may influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and serotonergic tone, potentially offering support for mood and energy regulation. Cordyceps supports adrenal function and resilience, while Chaga provides immune and antioxidant buffering.
Jennifer Chesak offers a broader reflection here: “ Our cycles can throw a lot at us with dramatically shifting hormones, which can then impact our energy levels, stress levels, mood, and more. I like to think of adaptogens as offering support for how we react to and recover from stress in a world where we’re often exposed to chronic stress, which can disrupt hormonal balance. Hormonal balance is complex, but adaptogens may be one more tool in our arsenal to support our bodies.”
A New Format: Liquid Supplements
Last December, when I discovered Mabel, a Paris-based women’s health startup working at the intersection of fungi and mental wellbeing, I was curious. Their approach felt thoughtful and unusually refined. A company by women, for women. So I suggested my wife give it a try.
What surprised us both was the format. Instead of the usual powders or capsules, Mabel’s blends came as honey-like liquid tinctures, designed to be taken directly into the mouth. The flavour was unexpectedly pleasant, and the texture smooth. So I looked into the benefits of this format over what most mushroom supplements come as (powders or capsules) which rely on digestion to release active compounds.
This format, which I learned was coined sublingual (under the tongue), allows active compounds to pass through mucous membranes and into the bloodstream more directly. According to a recent review in Nutrients, “sublingual and buccal delivery methods can improve the bioavailability of certain compounds by bypassing first-pass liver metabolism” (Steinbauer et al., 2025). This means more of the beneficial compounds may reach systemic circulation faster than traditional supplements. While direct clinical trials on liquid mushroom formats are nonexistent, sublingual delivery is becoming increasingly common in wellness protocols for vitamins B12, D, and melatonin—ingredients often used for energy, hormonal health, and sleep.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
When I spoke to Pernille Brostrup, one of the Mabel founders, something clicked. Their mission isn’t just about selling mushroom supplements—it’s about rethinking how we support women’s hormonal and emotional health, which remains wildly under-researched and underserved.
What makes their approach feel different is the attention to emotional regulation, burnout, and the daily lived experience of women trying to do too much with too little support. Pernille shared “We believe women are ready to find relief and reclaim their fundamental energy and resilience.” Her sister and co-founder, Caroline Brostrup, previously stated: “With Mabel, we hope to democratize the knowledge of mushrooms and their promising potential for women’s (and men’s) well-being.”
It’s too soon to call functional mushrooms a solution—there’s still a long way to go in terms of clinical research and regulation. But what keeps me invested is the very real support they’ve already provided to people close to me. Friends, relatives, and especially my wife have all experienced subtle but meaningful shifts in their wellbeing.
What excites me even more is the public conversation unfolding around these products. More people are asking better questions—about quality, dosage, sourcing, and science. That kind of awareness doesn’t just empower consumers; it drives the whole ecosystem forward. In a space that’s often flooded with hype, that kind of clarity is powerful.
