1970s: Eastern Wellness Meets the West

In the 1970s, the wellness wave began to rise. Interest in Eastern philosophies, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ayurveda, and macrobiotic diets, spread across the Western world. Within these traditions, mushrooms like Reishi, Maitake, and Cordyceps had been used for thousands of years as adaptogens and immune-boosters. As yoga, meditation, and vegetarianism took root in Western culture, so too did the exploration of natural health solutions. Although functional mushrooms were still relatively niche, they were slowly being recognized for their immune-supporting and balancing properties. The wellness revolution of the 1970s helped forge a path for natural supplements, setting the groundwork for mushrooms to enter the mainstream in future decades.