The Mushroom Show

🍄What makes a mushroom “medicinal”?

All medicinal mushrooms have polysaccharides, and they are all different shapes. These compounds interact with our bodies in different ways, which is why you can think of each mushroom as having its own "super power."

Other than polysaccharides, mushrooms also contain phenols, sterols, triterpenes and more- which can all benefit our health in different ways.

🍄CORDYCEPS (CORDYCES MILITARIS)

Cordyceps is known as the "energy mushroom" and is typically used for supporting energy and endurance.

The traditional Cordyceps species is called Cordyceps sinensis, and actually grows on bugs way high in the tibetan plateau. It is INSANELY expensive and rare, and can net up to $20,000 per kg.

Luckily there is another species (Cordyceps militaris) that can acutally be cultivated, and is what is used in mushroom supplements today. It has a very similar profile to the traditional species, with one important difference- it is way higher in a compound called "Cordycepin".

This compound is really interesting because it is structurally similar to adenosine, which makes ATP (adenosine triphosphate) the molecule responsible for cellular energy production. 

🍄CHAGA (INONOTUS OBLIQUUS)

The most fascinating thing about Chaga is that it isn't technically a mushroom.

It is a "sterile conk" that is made up of birch wood and the mycelium of Chaga. This is important, because some of the active compounds responsible for the benefits of Chaga are a direct result of the fact that it grows on birch trees. 

Chaga needs to be wildcrafted, and can't be cultivated to any reasonable degree. 

Extracts of Chaga have traditionally been used for digestive health, but this "mushroom" is also used for skin health.

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Interested in functional mushrooms?

Get yours: https://freshcapmushrooms.com

Use code "TRYMUSH15" to get 15% off your first order.

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Links:
FOLDIT Creations: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/folditcreations
Anthony Kunkel: instagram.com/anthonykunkel

So what are some easy ways to make sure you are getting the quality mushroom supplements you deserve?

1. MYCELIUM ON GRAIN VERSUS FRUITING BODY

Some mushroom supplements are made from "mycelium on grain" instead of "fruiting body".

Mycelium itself can actually have some incredible benefits. But most of these "mycelium" supplements actually contain very little mycelium. Crazy right?

This is because they are made by growing the mycelium on grain (brown rice or oats) and there is no way to separate the mycelium from the grain itself.

The result is an end product that is mostly grain starch.

2. CRAZY HIGH EXTRACTION RATIOS

Sometimes you'll see supplements that are labled as having extraction ratios of 100:1 or even 1000:1, which sounds like it is way more concentrated and obviously more powerful.

But this is deceiving.

All the extraction ratio means is the volume of mushrooms that were used to make the extract. For example, a 4:1 extract would mean it took 4 lbs of mushrooms to make 1 lb of extract.

But that number depends more on density and other physical characteristics of the mushroom than the thoroughness of the extraction. 

So a 100:1 extract would really just mean there was a lot of mushrooms wasted. More realistically, it means nothing other than it looks great on the package. 

3. FULL SPECTRUM

This is another term that sounds great, but doesn't mean much.

If you leave myceliated grain long enough, it will start to form tiny primordial "fruit bodies" on the grain. If you took this and ground it into the powder, it would technically contain mycelium AND fruiting body- otherwise known as "full spectrum".

The reality is, the final product will still be mostly grain starch.

4. DOES IT EVEN CONTAIN MUSHROOMS?

There was a study done in 2017 where 19 Reishi mushroom products were tested to see if they actually contained the compounds you'd expect to find in a Reishi supplement.

The study found that 74% of the products tested were “not authentic” meaning they did not contain the compounds you would expect from true Reishi, or what it said on the label. 

This means you should always make sure you get mushrooms from a trusted source.

LINKS:

74% of Reishi are not authentic
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-06336-3

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Interested in functional mushrooms?

Get 'em here: https://freshcapmushrooms.com

Use code "TRYMUSH15" to get 15% off your first purchase.

In this episode we talk about the incredible Reishi Mushroom.

• how it grows
• what the benefits are
• why this is the mushroom where the spores have medicinal value