How to Carefully Choose Among Medicinal Mushroom Supplements

The benefits of medicinal mushrooms have been enjoyed by individuals throughout the centuries. Various mushroom species have been known to possess properties that boost immunity, fight illness, inflammation, and infection, and help manage the uncomfortable effects of medications such as chemotherapy. Current studies are further exploring the capabilities of how mushrooms can reduce tumor growth. Some popular medicinal mushroom species include reishi, chaga, Cordyceps, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms. Today, the therapeutic properties of mushrooms are being harnessed in the form of medicinal supplements, tinctures, and teas. You can find a large number of online sellers offering medicinal mushroom extracts in the form of capsules and tablets. If you are planning on taking medicinal mushroom supplements, first consult your doctor to know the right type of supplement and dosage for your body. It is also very important to exercise caution in choosing from which seller to buy medicinal mushroom supplements. It should be known that humans cannot digest mushrooms in its entirety. A mushroom's therapeutic properties are encased in mushroom cells made of chitin, a compound that cannot be broken down by digestive enzymes. A mushroom's therapeutic properties can be fully obtained through hot water extraction. The extraction process breaks down chitin and releases a mushroom's active ingredients and maintains their structural ability and potency. Examples of unextracted supplements include ground dry mushrooms and those cultivated on grain. Polysaccharides are the primary potent ingredient of all mushrooms. If the medicinal mushroom supplements you are purchasing have undergone hot water extraction, the levels of polysaccharides present per dosage would be listed in the label. Levels of fourteen to sixty percent are often achieved. If the supplements are unextracted, polysaccharide content cannot be measured, as they remain trapped inside the cells. Thus, levels of active ingredients would not be found on the label. The product labels of medicinal mushroom supplements can tell you everything you need to know about their potency and effectiveness. Unextracted mushroom supplements often have the labels "Mushroom Mycelium, Mycelium Powder, or Mushroom Powder". These supplements are taken from mushrooms that are grown on grain, dried, turned into powder, and encapsulated. Their active ingredients are often not listed on the label. Extracted medicinal mushrooms supplements are labeled as "Hydro-Alcohol Extract or Tinctures" and "Hot-Water Extracts". Hydro-Alcohol Extracts involve mushrooms or mycelium that are preserved in alcohol, but do not release the active ingredients in them. Hot-Water extracts are made from dehydrated mycelium or mushrooms. This process ensures concentrated levels of the mushroom extract that are within therapeutic levels.