THE INTERVIEW
Meet Roxanne Pryor, co-founder and CEO of Superoom, combining ancient knowledge with modern technology for preventative health
Functional mushrooms are valued for their ability to regulate the immune system, support the body’s response to stress, and provide antioxidants that help protect cells from damage. Superoom is leading the charge in preventative health by blending ancient wisdom with modern innovation to create clinical-grade formulations targeted at sleep, energy, radiance, and cognitive function.
Quality is key when it comes to Superoom’s foundation; their mushrooms are sourced from Finland, where arctic growing conditions and intense seasonal pressure result in higher concentrations. In a busy adaptogenic mushroom market of powders and teas, Superoom arrives with a difference: their product comes in liquid form, created by an ultrasonic triple extraction process to ensure superior absorption by the body.
Roxanne Pryor, co-founder and CEO of Superoom shares more about the personal health issues that lead her to discover the power of adaptogenic mushrooms- especially for longevity- and the link between mushrooms and brain health.
When did you first discover the benefits of adaptogenics and medicinal mushrooms, and what made you want to bring them to the consumer market?
My entry point was research into psilocybin and MDMA for PTSD treatment – a field that opened a much broader world. I began to realise there are thousands of mushroom species, each with extraordinary biological effects, and so much of it still underexplored. That intellectual curiosity became deeply personal when I experienced a cascade of unexplained symptoms from a copper IUD. Navigating that health crisis – largely without meaningful support from the medical system – forced me to rely on functional mushrooms to support my own recovery. Superoom was born from a belief that people deserve better, more transparent tools for their health.
Your White Paper Medicinal Mushrooms: Lifelong Vitality, outlines the many benefits of mushrooms in health and illness prevention, and cognitive function is one of the leading topics in relation to longevity. Can you explain more about how the gut and brain are directly connected, and how mushrooms come into play to support that?
Around 90% of serotonin – the neurotransmitter governing mood, calm, and sleep – is produced in the gut, not the brain. The two communicate constantly via the vagus nerve, so gut health directly shapes how you think, feel, and rest. Chaga is particularly relevant here: its betulinic acid has demonstrated anti-inflammatory action in the gut lining itself, creating a more stable environment for that communication to function properly. Lion’s Mane then works the other side with compounds studied for supporting nerve growth factor and neuroplasticity. Together, they’re working the full axis. Gut to brain, inflammation to cognition.
How did you discover that harsher environments make mushrooms more potent?
It comes down to survival biology, and it mirrors something we understand instinctively about humans. Adversity builds resilience. Our mushrooms are grown in Finland, in arctic conditions – extreme cold, limited light, intense seasonal pressure. Under that stress, they produce significantly higher concentrations of bioactive compounds as a protective response. The same way a person forged through difficulty develops a depth that comfort alone never could. We source from these conditions deliberately. That hard-won potency is what we’re extracting – and protecting – in every bottle.
Do medicinal mushrooms have the same effect on every user?
Not identically; and that’s actually what makes them so intelligent. Functional mushrooms are adaptogens, meaning they work with your body’s specific state rather than overriding it. Reishi is a good example – rather than sedating, it regulates. Its triterpenes support GABA pathways, calming nervous system overactivation, while simultaneously helping modulate serotonin, so the body finds its own equilibrium rather than being pushed into one. The variables across users are individual biology, stress load, gut health, and consistency of use. Most people notice a meaningful shift within two to four weeks. These aren’t quick fixes – they’re regulators.
“For chronic overachievers, the inability to downregulate is physiological, not just psychological. Reishi works at that root level – creating the biological conditions for rest that burnout has depleted.”- Roxanne Pryor
It is more common to see mushrooms in powder form in the supplement space. Can you talk a bit more about the liquid form and bioavailability?
Bioavailability is the real conversation – not just what you consume, but what your body can actually absorb and use. Mushroom cell walls are made of chitin, which humans lack the enzymes to break down efficiently, meaning most powders pass through without fully releasing their bioactive compounds. Our ultrasonic triple extraction breaks those cell walls mechanically before the product reaches you. The actives are already liberated in liquid form, meaning they cross the intestinal lining far more readily than particles still requiring digestion. The difference in absorption is significant – and that’s what actually determines whether a supplement works..
The Superoom products can be taken alone, or in combination with each other. What are the different combinations and what do they support?
We always say: recover first, then perform. Overstimulation is already epidemic and the last thing most people need is more activation. So we lead with Reishi and Chaga – Reishi restores the nervous system while Chaga supports mitochondrial function, supporting your cellular energy systems to work more efficiently rather than overriding them. From that foundation: Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps for cognitive clarity and sustained energy without the crash. The protocol always starts with restoration. Everything else builds from there. The only thing we always say is avoid taking Reishi and Cordyceps together, at the same time, as it’s like hitting the brake and the accelerator simultaneously.
“Medicinal mushrooms are moving from niche to necessary and we’ve barely scratched the surface.”- Roxanne Pryor
You’ve mentioned burnout being a huge cause for concern as it takes such a toll on longevity. What Superoom product would you recommend for someone who finds it hard to take a rest or a pause?
Reishi – without hesitation. Its ganoderic and lucideric acids are the key compounds here: they modulate GABA receptors, calming the nervous system’s overactivation without forcing sedation, and have been studied for their role in extending deep REM sleep – the stage where genuine cellular repair happens. For chronic overachievers, the inability to downregulate is physiological, not just psychological. Reishi works at that root level – creating the biological conditions for rest that burnout has depleted. It doesn’t override your system. It restores it.
Where do you see the future of medicinal mushrooms going, and how do you want Superoom to grow?
Medicinal mushrooms are moving from niche to necessary and we’ve barely scratched the surface. There are thousands of species, most still underexplored, and I want Superoom to be at the forefront of that research frontier, not just following it. We’re planning a study assessing Lion’s Mane’s effects on non-neurotypical individuals. ADHD is a cause close to my heart, and one I understand from the inside – and the emerging research in that space is extraordinary. Beyond growth into hospitality and corporate wellness, this is where I see our real contribution: pioneering the science, and translating it for consumers so they can make informed choices.
© Higher Self Experience
