How to unlock the secret power of mushrooms to heal your gut, cut cholesterol and protect your brain | Prof Robin May

Could mushrooms hold the secret to better gut health, lower cholesterol, and can they protect your brain?

Today, Professor Robin May, a leading microbiologist and the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Officer, explores why our interest in mushrooms has exploded. He explains why they are not just another vegetable but could hold the key to better gut health, brain health, immune health, and lower cholesterol.

By the end of the episode, you’ll know which health claims about mushrooms are real, which are exaggerated and where the science is just too early to trust. You’ll have a solid understanding of what mushrooms are really doing inside our bodies and how to unlock the secret health powers they hold.

Should mushrooms become a regular part of your weekly shop rather than an occasional side dish? And if fungi have evolved alongside humans for millions of years, what else might they reveal about the future of nutrition and health?

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Timecodes

00:00 Intro

03:32 Are mushrooms closer to humans than plants?

06:20 What is a mushroom, really?

10:46 Why we’re eating more mushrooms now

12:14 The hidden nutrients inside mushrooms

13:56 Can mushrooms boost vitamin D?

15:35 The sunlight trick for healthier mushrooms

17:27 How many mushrooms give you enough vitamin D?

18:01 The mushroom with 500x more vitamin D

20:25 The mystery compound found in mushrooms

22:00 Should you take mushroom supplements?

24:30 Do all mushrooms contain this rare compound?

26:22 Can mushrooms help you live longer?

28:35 Can lion’s mane protect your brain?

30:24 Do mushrooms really boost IQ?

34:21 Can mushrooms affect your immune system?

36:40 How mushrooms feed your gut microbes

38:20 Should fungi live in your gut?

39:45 The fungus that lives on your head

41:50 Can mushrooms lower cholesterol?

43:21 Are you cooking mushrooms wrong?

45:25 Should you eat raw mushrooms?

47:21 How to make mushrooms taste better

49:25 The easiest way to eat more mushrooms

52:17 Robin’s top mushroom tip

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Mentioned in today's episode

A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D, Nutrients (2018)

Ergothioneine: an underrecognised dietary micronutrient required for healthy ageing, British Journal of Nutrition (2023)

Ergothioneine: A Stress Vitamin with Antiaging, Vascular, and Neuroprotective Roles?, Antioxidants and Redox Signaling (2022)

Mushrooms & longevity, Nature (2025)

Lion’s mane & nerve growth factor, Journal of Biological Engineering (2023)

The Relationship between Mushroom Intake and Cognitive Performance, Nutrients (2024)

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Episode transcripts are available here.