What Do Mushrooms Have to Do With Menopause?
5 reasons women in midlife are exploring functional mushrooms—and why I created a supplement specifically for this chapter of life.
By Nicole Wolf, Founder of West Wolf Medicinals
I was 45 when perimenopause caught me completely off guard.
The brain fog. The exhaustion. The night sweats. The feeling that somehow, almost overnight, I wasn't quite myself anymore.
I was already an organic farmer and a believer in natural medicine. But nothing had prepared me for how dramatically this transition could affect my everyday life.
I began researching natural ways to support myself—and that's when I discovered two functional mushrooms that changed the direction of my life: Lion's Mane and Cordyceps.
See the blend I created for midlife
Here's what I learned.
1. Menopause isn't just about hot flashes. It's about your brain, too.
For many women, the mental changes of midlife can be just as frustrating as the physical ones.
For me forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, losing my train of thought halfway through a conversation were so dibilitating.
These experiences are common during the menopause transition, although their causes can vary.
That's what initially drew me to Lion's Mane.
Lion's Mane contains naturally occurring compounds that researchers are studying for their potential roles in neurological health and cognitive function.
For me, it became one of the mushrooms I wanted to understand better.
2. Energy can feel different in midlife.
I remember feeling like I had to work harder just to get through an ordinary day. The fatigue was crushing and especially noticeable trying to manage two younger children.
That's what led me to Cordyceps, a functional mushroom with a long history of traditional use for vitality and stamina.
Modern research has explored Cordyceps for its potential effects on exercise performance and energy metabolism, with interesting early findings.
But its connection to general energy and vitality made it especially interesting to me.
3. The quality of your mushroom supplement matters more than you might think.
This was one of my biggest discoveries.
As I researched mushroom supplements, I found that products could differ dramatically in their ingredients, processing methods, and quality testing.
Some use mushroom fruiting bodies. But often don’t extract them.
Others contain only mycelium grown on grain or a combination of fruiting bodies and mycelium, without sharing the percentages.
Some disclose their beta-glucan content, while others don't. Or can’t.
And very few products are certified organic.
That's when I realized that choosing a mushroom supplement isn't just about which mushroom is on the label. It's about what's actually inside.
I began looking for four things:
- Pure fruiting bodies, without fillers or grain-based mycelium.
- Proper extraction, to make beneficial mushroom compounds more accessible.
- Verified potency, including measurable beta-glucan content.
- Organic certification for purity. Especially since mushrooms absorb what's in their enviromnent while growing.
Those standards eventually became the foundation of West Wolf Medicinals.
4. Extraction is an important part of the story.
Mushrooms have tough cell walls made of chitin, the same compound that makes up the shell of crustaceans. Extraction breaks this cellular wall down and makes the benefits of the mushroom easily bioavailable.
Extraction processes can help make certain beneficial compounds, like beta-glucans, more accessible by transferring them from mushroom material into an extract.
Different extraction methods target different types of compounds.
That's why at West Wolf, we use carefully prepared, dual-extracted mushroom ingredients rather than relying on unextracted mushroom powder.
Our extracts contain over 30% beta-glucans, and we use independent third-party testing to verify quality.
I wanted to know what I was putting into my body—and I wanted our customers to know, too.
5. I wanted a mushroom supplement created with women in midlife in mind.
As I continued researching, I kept coming back to two mushrooms:
- Lion's Mane for its potential cognitive-health benefits.
- Cordyceps for its traditional association with energy and vitality.
During my own perimenopause journey, I found this combination personally helpful.
And I wondered why it was so difficult to find a high-quality supplement bringing these two mushrooms together.
So I created one.
West Wolf Medicinals' Lion's Mane + Cordyceps blend was born from my own experience and my commitment to making exceptionally high-quality mushroom extracts.
We're a small, family-owned, women-led business based on our farm in Boulder, Colorado.
Every batch reflects the standards I wanted when I first started searching for natural support.
Certified organic. Pure fruiting bodies. Dual extracted. Third-party tested. No fillers or mycelium.
A Different Way to Support Yourself Through Midlife
Menopause is a major transition. For me, it was also scary. Functional mushrooms helped me enormously, and they can be part of a broader conversation about natural support for cognitive health, vitality, and everyday wellness.
I believe women deserve thoughtful options, honest information, and products made with integrity.
That's why I started West Wolf Medicinals.
Curious about the mushrooms that inspired it all?
Meet Lion's Mane + Cordyceps
Explore our certified organic, high-potency mushroom blend, thoughtfully created for women navigating midlife.
Use code SHIPFORFREE for free shipping.
With gratitude,
Nicole Wolf
Founder, West Wolf Medicinals
Functional mushroom supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Research on their specific effects during menopause remains limited. Individual experiences vary.