Podcast:

Feeding the Family

Medicinal Mushrooms and Motherhood

With:

Jill Troderman

July 16, 2025

Listen: Spotify

In this fruitful conversation (pun intended), we explored the fascinating intersection of mushrooms and fertility - covering everything from how ergothioneine supports ovarian and testicular health, to the gut-gonad axis, and even the concept of 'Reishi babies' - it's a deep dive into the mycological side of reproductive wellness.

Conversation starters

[For awkward dinner parties, silent elevator rides, grocery store lines, and your favorite barista]

"We have specific transporters for ergothioneine on our blood-brain barrier, especially in cells and tissues that are prone to oxidative stress. So think like the testes, ovaries, placenta."

"The more mushrooms you eat, the more of those ergothioneine transporters you have. And there is a direct relationship between ergothioneine transporters and neurocognitive decline."

"When you add mushrooms to coffee, it actually decreases the caffeine content of the coffee."

Key Topics

[00:06:00] 🧬 The triple Venn diagram of mushrooms: edible, medicinal, and toxic—and the fascinating overlaps between them

[00:07:00] 🩸 Maitake mushroom's remarkable impact on PCOS, insulin resistance, and restoring normal ovulatory cycles in women

[00:11:00] 🧠 Oyster mushrooms contain the highest levels of ergothioneine—an amino acid with almost 100% bioavailability that acts as a backup to glutathione

[00:18:30] ☕ The science behind mushroom coffee: therapeutic dosing concerns and how blending creates tannin-polysaccharide complexes

[00:26:30] 🦠 The gut-ovary and gut-testes axis: how mushroom prebiotics support reproductive health through microbiome modulation

[00:32:00] 👶 Reishi babies: why drinking reishi tea during pregnancy may lead to calmer, less reactive infants

[00:44:00] 💊 Estrogen dominance and hormonal imbalances: using reishi to inhibit 5-alpha reductase and balance the estrogen-progesterone ratio

[00:48:00] 🌱 Mushrooms as transformative medicine for teenage girls: supporting them through puberty with grounding, adaptogenic support

Spores for Thought

"It is absolutely impossible to avoid endocrine disruptors completely. Because it's like you can have your reverse osmosis water filter, and maybe you're not getting microplastics in your water, but just like breathing the air outside."

"Progesterone is like a neurohormone that is also GABAergic. So it's very calming. Kind of like a warm hug hormone."