Willis Mitchell’s passion for mushrooms does not go unnoticed. His eyes light up as he enthusiastically explains why he has devoted his life’s work to this remarkable kingdom. During our podcast conversation, he mentioned that fungi are more closely related to humans than to plants — a statement that immediately piqued my curiosity.
Rather than belonging to the plant kingdom, fungi occupy their own unique biological kingdom and share a distant common ancestor with animals — including humans — dating back approximately 1.1 to 1.5 billion years. This shared evolutionary history means fungi and humans share important similarities in cellular biology and many fundamental biochemical pathways, making fungi a rich source of medically relevant compounds that interact with human physiology.
The more I learned, the more I realized that fungi aren’t just fascinating organisms — they’ve quietly transformed modern medicine. Some of our most important drugs, from antibiotics to immune-modulating medicines, trace their origins back to the fungal kingdom. Scientists estimate there are as many as 3.8 million fungal species on Earth, several hundred of which have been identified as containing compounds with medicinal potential. Although research is ongoing, the strength of evidence varies considerably among different mushroom species and health conditions.
A few remarkable medicinal mushrooms:
Reishi (The Mushroom of Immortality): Revered in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, Reishi contains beta-glucans and triterpenoids. Beta-glucans help modulate immune function, while triterpenoids have demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in laboratory studies.
Cordyceps (The Energy Parasite): Cordyceps has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been studied for its potential to support energy production, aerobic performance, and oxygen utilization.
Turkey Tail (The Cancer Adjuvant): Turkey Tail is one of the most extensively researched medicinal mushrooms in the world. In Japan, a purified extract known as PSK has been approved for decades as an adjunct to conventional cancer treatment, particularly alongside chemotherapy for certain cancers.
Excerpts from the podcast with Willis Mitchell (quotes have been abridged for print version)
Willis Mitchell: When I first got up here (Bend) and it was like, well, what is my life? I kind of took this expanded view of what happiness means to me? And it wasn’t money, it wasn’t people, wasn’t things. It wasn’t homes. Like, I’ve had all of that and it’s all, you know, transient. It seemed to me if I could figure out what I was passionate about and do that, that would bring me great happiness and joy. Then the other part of this is, well, if I could do something I’m passionate about and it benefits others. I’m of service. It’s like this never-ending cycle of feelings of joy and excitement. And I no longer seek happiness. It’s more just peace. Yes, but at the time, that was my question. And all I knew is that what I was passionate about was mushrooms.
Adriana Marino: I’m very curious. What is the magic of mushrooms? Why are mushrooms so interesting?
WM: Yeah, it’s a fascinating species. They’re not plants. They’re not humans. They’re not animals. They’re their own thing. And we’re actually more closely related to them than we are to plants. We have receptors inside of us that are designed just for them. Some folk talk about the spores being able to travel through space. So, are these intergalactic beings that come here with, like, a consciousness, mission and energy? On a very physical level, what affects them, affects us, molds and things like that. So, we can use that intelligence to help our bodies with defense. And a lot of these are considered adaptogens, which help us regulate and adapt to our environment, which is changing continuously.
It’s a huge subject to dive into. They’re the reason that trees decompose and we have minerals and nutrients and stuff so that we can grow things. Healthy soil has fungus in it. It’s a wide-open subject. What I found most fascinated about them — beyond the tasty foodstuffs, porcinis and morels — was just the medicinal qualities of these and how long we’ve actually known about them as humans.
AM: How has all this study and work and just this constant learning with mushrooms enhanced your own health and wellness?
WM: For who I am today and who I was 10-15 years ago, health-wise I feel fantastic. I’m 43, going to be 44, I don’t look it. Now, I feel stronger than I ever have; understanding the necessity to move my body to lift heavy weights and to break those cell membranes and to grow them, understanding the importance of detoxing. I feel really, really vibrant- right nutrition, right mindset, right spiritual connection. And then accessing these beautiful medicines that are here for us. And this also connects us to our ancestry. There’s something deep inside of us when we start working with these things that get activated. It’s fascinating.
Listen to the complete podcast with Willis Mitchell here:
Adriana Mariño is the producer and host of Bend into Balance. She is a board-certified functional medicine health & wellness coach, and a graduate of the 200-hour yoga teacher training at Namaspa and loves to swim, ski, hike, bike, and travel. Adriana can be reached at adrimarino@hotmail.com.
This article appears in the Source July 9, 2026.
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