Mushrooms General
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We take great pride in providing mushroom extract powders of the highest quality. One of the ways we do this is by using the mushroom (fruiting body) in all our products rather than using the mycelium (mushroom root system) which is commonly grown with grain. All our mushroom extracts are from t...
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I'm not feeling anything, are they working?
The important thing to remember with medicinal mushrooms is that they are adaptogens, and so they only show results after long periods. The benefits of medicinal mushrooms are obtained through prolonged use. Medicinal mushrooms are not necessarily something you are likely to “feel” lik... -
Are the mushrooms organic and are they made in the USA?
Our extract powders are produced in China at a state of the art cGMP, ISO22000, certified organic mushroom extraction facility. The finished extract powders are tested for pesticides, heavy metals and microbial contamination before they leave China and tested again when they arrive in the US. Onc... -
Are your Mushroom extracts made from mycelium or fruiting body?
Here at Real Mushrooms, we use 100% pure mushroom (fruiting bodies) in all of our extracts. There are no added binders, fillers, starch, grain, and/or mycelium. Feel free to read to check out these articles for more info: Medicinal Mushroom Benefits: Mycelium vs Fruiting Body The Art of Mushroo... -
Mycelium is the vegetative state (think root system) of the fungal life cycle. The fungal lifecycle consists of spore, mycelium, and mushroom. Mycelium is the stage that produces a mushroom, but it is not a mushroom. Just look at some images in Google. Myceliated grain or grain spawn or mycelium...
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What are your mushrooms grown on?
The majority of medicinal mushrooms are grown on sawdust. This sawdust is a byproduct from local sawmills. Mushrooms are great at recycling waste materials and this is a perfect example. Sawdust that might normally be thrown away or burned, can be used to grow mushrooms on. One exception to this... -
Do you provide certificates of analysis?
Yes. Please contact us directly if you wish to see a certificate of analysis. -
Of course. All products are screened for heavy metals twice. We follow the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) guidelines for heavy metals. American Health Products Association Suggested Heavy Metals Limits in Herbal Dietary Supplements All of our product specifications follow the follo...
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How are the mushroom extracts made?
First, you take dried mushrooms and grind them into a fine powder. Then you will cook them multiple times with water or alcohol depending on the mushroom. Water to release water-soluble compounds. Alcohol to release non-water soluble compounds. The cooking action breaks down the mushroom's cell... -
How do you measure beta d-glucans?
We use the Megazyme method to measure beta-glucans and starch on all our products to show the potency and to confirm that they contain no fillers or grains. -
We have tested for mycotoxins in the past but they are rarely found with edible mushroom products. This is a bigger concern for food and animal feed where aflatoxin-producing fungi like Aspergillus grow. These fungi are often found in grains so this might be a greater concern for products that a...
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What does the "Lot#" printed on the back of the package mean?
This indicates when the product was created. It is not an expiry date. The product is good for 2 years from the lot#. -
What is the concentration ratios of your extracts?
Our extracts range from 1:1 to 16:1, but we do not list them specifically because extract ratios have only limited value when not accompanied by active compound testing. For example, without analytical testing, there’s no way to know whether a 10:1 extract is more concentrated than a 4:1 extract... -
When alcohol is used for extraction, is there any alcohol left over in the final product?
No. When alcohol is used for extraction, it is precipitated out so it does not end up in the final product. -
Why are only some of mushrooms dual extracted?
We use dual extraction on our reishi and chaga ingredients in 5 Defenders and Reishi. It is most important for reishi and chaga, but not all of the beneficial triterpenes are non-water-soluble. With other mushrooms, it’s not as important as the main active component is the water-soluble beta-glu... -
Why do you list starch on your packaging yet claim no added starch?
We list starch as a way to prove that our product is 100% mushroom. Mushrooms generally do not contain starch. They do, however, contain small amounts of glycogen. Typically less than 5%. Starch and glycogen are both alpha-glucans. As per the Nammex report, mushrooms have very low levels of a... -
Why do you only list beta-glucans and not polysaccharides?
Beta-glucans, which are a polysaccharide, are the most well researched medically active compound in mushrooms. For this reason, we specifically measure beta-glucan levels on our products. We do not believe in using polysaccharides as a measure of quality as it can be easily doctored using starch.... -
Will using the extract powders with hot liquid kill the active compounds?
No. All of our products have already been extracted with hot water and/or alcohol. Any further “extraction”, like adding them to hot water, will not affect the powder or the medicinal compounds. -
Why is Real Mushrooms not in the USDA Organic Integrity Database?
Consumer brands typically don’t end up in the USDA Organic Integrity database because the brands themselves don’t apply to the certifying bodies for organic certification. It’s the facilities where the end products are produced that need to apply to be organically certified. The facility produci... -
How long does it last? What's the shelf life?
The shelf life of our extracts is 2 years from the manufacturing date. You can gladly keep it on the countertop, cupboard, or the fridge. Make sure to store away from intense heat and light. -
What is the extraction method for the mushroom supplements?
The majority of our mushroom extracts are hot water extracted. The only mushrooms that we dual extract (hot water + alcohol) is Reishi, and the Chaga found in 5 Defenders. You might find value in this read below: The Art of Mushroom Extraction -
Why do you have a Prop 65 warning on your products?
The California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also called Prop 65, is an initiative that addresses citizen concerns about toxic chemical exposure. What you are seeing is a common California Proposition 65 warning to inform residents of California about exposures to specif... -
Our concentrated extracts have a shelf life of 3 years, while our 1:1s can be safely stored for up to 4 years. Additionally, our products generally have a "best by" shelf life of 3 years, but rest assured that they remain safe and stable for even longer.
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Why don't you sell liquid extracts/tinctures?
When it comes to liquid tinctures, it's crucial to recognize that they are primarily alcohol-based and may contain minimal active compounds compared to powdered extracts. Liquid extracts are often less concentrated than their original form. For instance, if you aim for a 3 g dose of a mushroom e...