Podcast:

Your Brand Amplified

Lucidum Medicinals and the Future of Functional Fungi with Dr. Anna Sitkoff

With:

Anika Jackson

June 4, 2025

Listen: Spotify

Listen: Apple Podcasts

Intro paragraph

Conversation starters

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

"If my 10 year old self saw me now, she'd be like, yeah, that makes sense."

"We're the only mushroom business that's actually created by a doctor. I created these formulas. I use them in my practice. I trust them. I know that they work."

"If I didn't have this deep obsession with mushrooms, I think that I would have just given up by now."

Key Topics

[01:24] 🌱 My journey from childhood exposure to integrative medicine through my parents' chronic illnesses

[05:45] 🔬 Laboratory research at Bastyr University studying cancer cells and the Rosy Polypore

[07:28] 💼 The transition from clinician to entrepreneur and founding Lucidum Medicinals

[10:37] 🧬 The science behind mushroom cell walls: beta glucans and their immune-modulating properties

[21:36] ⚠️ The mycelium versus fruiting body controversy, and what to look for in quality products

[25:20] 📱 Building a direct-to-consumer brand through education

[32:01] 🤝 The challenges and rewards of building a business with my spouse during COVID!

Spores for Thought

"Mushrooms and a lot of plants have this amphoteric effect where you can take reishi earlier in the day and it can help to increase morning cortisol levels, but if you take it at night, it can help you feel calm and have restful sleep."