You Need To Know This Before Buying Medicinal Mushrooms Supplements

Medicinal mushrooms are without doubt one of the hottest wellness trends of the last few years.

But while the idea of medicinal mushrooms might be news to some, they have actually been consumed as both food and medicine by ancient cultures across the world for thousands of years.

As with all natural health products, there is a range of medicinal mushroom options to choose from. All are differentiated by quality, formulation, sourcing, packaging, pricing, certifications, and method of consumption (e.g. capsule, tea, powder, tincture).

The goal is to understand what to look out for when searching for the best medicinal mushroom supplements. This can all get a bit confusing, so we've put together this handy criteria list to help you understand what to look out for:

 

1. The Best Medicinal Mushrooms for You

First, it is important to consider which medicinal mushroom is the best option for you to supplement with. There is no correct answer for this, it really depends on what health benefits you are looking to get out of mushrooms.

There are a number of different types of medincal mushrooms, each boast their own health benefits. The primary and most studied medicinal mushrooms are Reishi, Cordyceps, Lion's Mane, Turkey Tail, and Chaga.

It's always important to do your research to determine which mushroom best suits your needs. A customised stack of different mushrooms will likely be the best option for you. For some help, you can read our post on The 6 Pillars Of Health And Wellness With Medicinal Mushrooms, which will help you choose a specific medicinal mushroom for a specific benefit. 

 

2. The Best Form of Consumption  

There are many different forms of taking mushrooms; you can eat them whole, in a powder, extracted, encapsulated, gummies, tinctures and even in drinks. A modern day mega trend are mushroom coffees, which offer a surprisingly tasty alternative to regular coffee whilst also making it easy to stay consistent with your supplementation.

The Shroomex Magic Brew blend is a great option if you're curious about trying a mushroom coffee. It tastes delicious and packs a huge dose of Lions's Mane, Cordyceps and Chaga in a single cup of brew.

In general, we advise against using mushroom tinctures. Whilst popular, they contain very little extracted mushroom compounds. Tinctures are created by immersing the mushroom's fruiting body in alcohol, resulting in a final product that contains more alcohol than mushroom compounds. Typically, tinctures are about 30 times less potent than high-quality powder extracts.

So the best options we recommend are capsules, powder, or mushroom coffee. Whichever form tickles your fancy!

 

3. Fruiting Body vs Mycelium on Grain

When purchasing mushroom supplements, it's essential to understand that many products resort to using low-quality fillers, like mycelium on grain, even though they label themselves as a ‘mushroom supplement’. The real potency and benefits of mushrooms primarily come from the fruiting body, which contains the highest concentration of beneficial compounds.

Fruiting body powder and extracts are also the most extensively researched and studied in relation to specific health benefits. So if you want to follow science, choose fruiting body over mycelium based products.

Sadly, numerous leading brands in the industry compromise on quality by using subpar mycelium on grain and even chemical fillers. Stay informed and ensure you're investing in supplements that prioritise the fruiting body for genuine benefits!

 

4. Organic Certified Ingredients

Organic certifications are a must when it comes to mushroom supplements. For mushroom extracts to be organic certified, they need to pass organic standards, which set a high bar for quality and purity. Look for a product with an organic certification from a reputable regulatory body, such as the Soil Association or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

An organic certification is a good indication, but it's not the be-all and end-all regarding mushroom supplement quality. In fact, there are a lot of companies that sell mycelium on grain powder, but proudly display an organic certification. Organic certifications do not make the key distinction between fruiting body and mycelium based products, so aren't a guarantee the product will be high quality.

The gold standard should be a certified organic fruiting body extract, not mycelium based!

 

5. Importance of Sustainability

While sustainability can take many forms, in this case, it refers to the mushroom growing procedure and approach, as well as product packaging. From a harvesting standpoint, poor growing techniques and standards can result in damage to the mushroom's ecosystem and the surrounding environment, which is costly and unnecessary.

Look for a company using sustainable growing and harvesting practices, which generally means they are extracting products from cultivated mushrooms rather than decimating wild populations.

6. Manufacturing Standards

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are an excellent guideline for the supplement industry that provides a system of processes, procedures, and clarity to consumers. 

When it comes to manufacturing standards, it's important to do your research and choose a reputable brand. Look for brands that use high-quality, organic mushrooms and companies that follow Good Manufacturing Practices, otherwise known as GMPs. It's also a good idea to check for third-party certifications, such as the USDA Organic seal or NSF International, which certify that the product meets specific standards for purity and quality.

While unregulated products are still held to standards driven by government food standards agencies, supplements do not require safety and efficacy testing to be approved. This means as consumers, we must do our research first before buying any product. 

Many invest more time researching a new vacuum cleaner than they do investigating the quality of supplements they'll consume on a daily basis. With potentially long lasting effects on their mind and body to boot! 

Don’t be one of these people, and always do your due diligence on consumable products

 

7. 3rd-Party Lab Testing

One of the most important factors when buying mushroom supplements is 3rd party lab testing. It is the best indication of quality, safety, efficacy & potency. The numbers don’t lie when it comes to verified 3rd party testing.

If a company is unable to provide certified 3rd party lab test results, it may be because the

Look out for COAs that are not by an accredited lab like Eurofins. A lot of brands use these COAs to show lab testing results. But these are known to be extremely unreliable. Without a well known lab signing off on the testing, the results cannot be verified. Certain labs are also considered dry labs. A dry lab produces fake testing services to companies.

This is a crucial step that provides an objective evaluation of the mushroom growing and manufacturing process. Proper testing results verify that a product has the identity, strength, composition, quality, and purity that appear on its label.

 

8. Integrating into Your Life

When integrating medicinal mushrooms into your life, keep in mind that mushroom supplements are not a substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle. While they may provide tonnes of health benefits, they should not be relied upon as the sole source of nutrition. 

Make sure you are eating a nutrient-rich diet, using mushroom supplements as an addition to take your health to the next level. 

We have discussed the best forms of mushrooms to take, make sure you test things out to see what integrates best with your life. If you're busy, and looking for speed and convenience, then nothing beats capsules or Magic Brew. Since Magic Brew replaced your morning cup of coffee, it's quick, easy and potent!

 

9. Dosages and Frequencies

It's important to pay attention to dosage and serving size. The correct dosages all rely on how potent of an extract you are dealing with. Most mushroom supplements come in capsule form, and the recommended dosage will depend on the specific product and the type of mushroom it contains. Non-extracted mushrooms will require 20-30x higher dosages. For an extra potent extract like Shroomex capsules, the minimum efficacious dose is 1000mg, which is 2 capsules. So when buying a mushroom supplement, always look at the label to see check the serving size, as it will vary a lot depending on how concentrated the dose is.

Remember that dosage relies on a few factors, body weight and tolerance being the main ones. Serving sizes on all supplements out there are always on the safe side. Since they have to cater to everyone, the dose on the label will always be the lowest and safest dose possible.

So if you are a larger individual with higher than average bodyweight, or have taken mushrooms frequently before, you can try pushing the boat out a little and take 2-4x the recommended dose on the label. But please do this with caution. And if you are unsure, speak with your local healthcare specialist or do your own research. 

 

10. Where to Buy the Best Mushroom Supplements

When it comes to finding the best brand to buy the highest quality mushroom, make sure you are getting an organic certified, and 3rd party lab-tested extract, with accessible lab results for your viewing. Unfortunately, the sad reality is only a few companies will have these. This is the reason we take quality so seriously, so if you want to find the best mushroom supplement, there’s been no higher verified potency and purity than Shroomex

It's a good idea to compare prices and read reviews from other customers. This can help you understand the effectiveness and value of different products and brands.

 

Conclusion

Mushroom supplements can be a convenient and potentially beneficial addition to your diet. There are loads of mushroom supplement brands out there, with a lot of low quality and cheap products being sold and marketed. You must be careful what you buy! What buying mushroom supplements boils down to is finding verified potent and pure extracts, always do your research and choose a high quality 3rd party lab-tested brand before starting any new supplement regimen.

To ensure a promising future for healthcare, we must prioritise prevention by emphasising education on proper dietary requirements. By addressing the root causes of health issues, we can ultimately enhance the overall quality of life. This responsibility lies with companies in the wellness industry that are built upon principles and protocols of trust and safety. In order to achieve this, the industry must elevate its standards of care and quality, benefiting both consumers and the planet.