Plants, traditional uses and functional mushrooms

The phrase 'recreational plants' is too narrow to cover such different ingredients. This lexicon prefers to speak of aromatic plants, wellness plants or traditions of use. Some are consumed as foods or infusions, others appear in supplements, cosmetics or aromatic formulas.

A thorough sheet states the Latin name, the part used, the type of extract, the extraction ratio and, where one exists, the compound used for standardisation. The route of use also matters: data relating to an infusion or a capsule cannot automatically be transposed to an inhaled product.

Blue lotus, Nymphaea caerulea or Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea depending on the classification, is in fact a water lily native to Africa. It holds an important place in the iconography of ancient Egypt and is found today as dried flowers, infusions, extracts or aromatic products.

The plant is studied for aporphine-family alkaloids, notably nuciferine and, depending on the sample, apomorphine. Published analyses, however, show a strong difference between the authenticated plant and some products sold under the name 'blue lotus.' The commercial name alone is therefore not enough to establish the species or the alkaloid content.

Contemporary uses often evoke relaxation or a sensory dimension, but human data remain limited and concentrated extracts do not have a well-established reference dosage. Blue lotus can enrich a botanical lexicon provided it is presented as a plant to be identified and analysed, without promise and without normalising inhaled formats.

Lemon balm. Melissa officinalis is an aromatic plant of the mint family. Its leaves offer a lemony profile and have a long tradition of use as an infusion. In a formula, the leaf, the extract and the lemon balm flavouring should be distinguished from one another.

Valerian. Valeriana officinalis is mainly used for its root. The European Medicines Agency recognises traditional or well-established medicinal uses for certain precisely defined preparations. This assessment does not automatically extend to every supplement or flavouring bearing the same name.

Passionflower. Passiflora incarnata is generally used for its aerial parts. It belongs to the European vocabulary of plant preparations associated with calm and rest. The species and the plant part must be stated, as not all passionflowers are equivalent.

Lavender. Lavandula angustifolia is prized for its scent, rich in linalool and linalyl acetate. The flower, the essential oil and a lavender flavouring are three different ingredients. Their concentration, route of use and rules of use must remain clearly separated.

These four plants form a familiar and easy-to-read group within a botanical range. Their presence can give a recipe aromatic or traditional coherence, but it does not on its own allow the same effect to be announced for every format.

Ashwagandha. Withania somnifera is a plant from Ayurvedic tradition, most often offered as a root powder or extract. The word 'adaptogen' describes a contemporary category of use; it is not a guarantee of effect. Anses (the French food safety agency) recommends particular attention to composition, dose and individual situations, notably in cases of pregnancy, endocrine, liver or heart disorders, or medical treatment.

Ginseng. Panax ginseng refers to Asian ginseng. Its root contains ginsenosides, which can serve as standardisation markers. It should not be confused with eleuthero, sometimes called 'Siberian ginseng,' which belongs to a different species.

Tulsi. Ocimum tenuiflorum, also called holy basil, is an aromatic plant from Ayurvedic tradition. Its leaves and extracts are studied, but preparations and doses vary widely. Its editorial interest lies chiefly in its botanical identity, its history of use and its aromatic profile.

Gotu kola. Centella asiatica is a plant from Asian tradition used as leaves or extracts. Despite its English name, it does not naturally contain caffeine and should not be confused with the kola nut. A formula should state the species, the extract and its content rather than reducing the plant to a promise of concentration.

Ginkgo. Ginkgo biloba is mainly used as standardised leaf extracts. Results obtained with a defined extract do not apply to every leaf powder. Attention to interactions is necessary, notably with treatments that affect blood clotting.

Ginger. Zingiber officinale is a widely used food and aromatic rhizome. Gingerols and shogaols contribute to its pungent profile. Its culinary status does not mean a concentrated extract has the same composition as a food portion.

Rosemary, sage, mint, basil, cinnamon and chamomile. These plants offer well-known aromatic signatures and can round out a recipe through their scent or through a defined extract. Rosmarinus officinalis or Salvia rosmarinus, Salvia officinalis, Mentha spp., Ocimum basilicum, Cinnamomum spp. and Matricaria recutita must be precisely identified. In an aromatic product, their name can sometimes denote a terpene profile rather than the presence of the whole plant.

Green tea comes from Camellia sinensis and guarana from Paullinia cupana. Both can naturally provide caffeine. A clear recipe states the total amount of caffeine per unit, whatever its origin, rather than relying solely on the words 'green tea' or 'guarana.'

Lemon and mint, often paired with these profiles, can correspond to juices, extracts, essential oils, flavourings or terpene blends. The exact role of each ingredient must be stated.

Kava, Piper methysticum, is a Pacific plant whose root contains kavalactones. It has a specific cultural history and appears in some formulas marketed outside France.

In France, a decision published in 2003 bans the marketing, supply and therapeutic use of kava and products containing it, except for certain homeopathic preparations. It must therefore not be included as an ordinary botanical ingredient in a French range without formal legal and regulatory validation.

Functional mushrooms are food species, or species traditionally used, now offered as a powder or extract. The term 'functional' describes a product positioning; it does not create a medical category and does not guarantee a benefit.

These mushrooms contain neither cannabinoids nor psilocybin and are not sought for intoxication. They can provide polysaccharides, including beta-glucans, as well as other families of compounds specific to each species. To compare two products, look at the Latin name, the part used (fruiting body or mycelium), the growing substrate, the extraction method and the analytical levels.

Reishi mainly corresponds to Ganoderma lucidum and closely related species within the same complex. Its fruiting body notably contains polysaccharides and triterpenes. It has a long history of use in Asia and an abundant scientific literature, but human trials remain too heterogeneous to attribute a general therapeutic function to it.

A quality sheet states the species, the part used, the type of extraction and, where announced, the beta-glucan or triterpene content. The mere mention 'reishi' is not enough to compare two extracts.

Hericium erinaceus, known as lion's mane, is an edible mushroom. Hericenones are mainly associated with the fruiting body and erinacines with the mycelium, which makes the part used particularly important.

Human trials explore its interest for certain cognitive functions or perceived stress, with results that remain limited and dependent on the extracts studied. It can be presented as a mushroom of nutritional and scientific interest, without turning it into a 'nootropic' with a guaranteed effect.

The name cordyceps covers several species and cultivated products. Cordyceps militaris is commonly cultivated, while references to Ophiocordyceps sinensis may denote a cultivated mycelium rather than the wild mushroom.

Cordycepin, adenosine and polysaccharides are among the compounds studied. A few human trials exist, but they do not justify a general promise of energy, immunity or performance. The species name and the growing process are the first landmarks to provide.

Chaga, Inonotus obliquus, forms a dark mass called a sclerotium on certain birch trees. Extracts contain polysaccharides and phenolic compounds whose profile varies with origin and extraction method.

Human data are still limited. Provenance, contaminants, oxalate content and dose deserve particular attention for concentrated extracts. Chaga is best presented as a complex natural material rather than as a treatment.

Shiitake, Lentinula edodes, is first and foremost a food mushroom. Its extracts and polysaccharides are also the subject of research. Trametes versicolor, called turkey tail, is mainly offered as extracts and does not have the same culinary use.

These species illustrate the diversity of mushroom-based products. A study carried out with a standardised extract in a specific context does not validate every supplement bearing the same name. Product quality and labelling precision remain the best points of comparison.

Amanitas are not part of the previous group. Amanita muscaria and Amanita pantherina can contain ibotenic acid and muscimol in highly variable proportions. They are neither ordinary functional mushrooms nor psilocybin mushrooms.

This distinct and largely unpredictable composition places them outside the range recommended by Moonlight. They remain mentioned here to avoid confusion between the different mushroom families.