Are You Ready to Try a Mushroom Supplement?
A Mushroom Supplement Primer: What to Look For and What to Ignore
In my 40’s my body started changing, and I found myself suffering from inflammation, brain fog and the desire to go to bed at 8 at night. As a mushroom farmer, we were busy growing gourmet mushrooms, but didn’t know about the healing properties of medicinal mushrooms. However looking for a quality medicinal mushroom product took me down a rabbit hole of glossy products that didn’t offer potent healing benefits. This was years ago and was the primary reason we started our own mushroom company— to make a high quality, easy to use product you can trust. Nowadays mushroom supplements are all the rage! And we LOVE that Americans are getting turned on to the fungi world! But how to know what products will be of benefit? We put together a short introduction to the world of mushroom products below. It is a nice primer for buying the right quality ingredients for your health journey. PS Our brand knocks each outta the park:)
1. Powders
Medicinal Mushrooms can come in either plain powder or potent extract form. If a product simply states “mushroom powder” that means that the mushroom was dried and then ground into a fine powder. Manufacturers use powders since they are the cheapest way to produce a supplement. The mushroom does not go through an intensive extraction process which releases its nutrients. And, it provides the consumer with the least health benefits. The essential beta-glucans need to be extracted from the cell walls of a mushroom. These cells are made of an indigestible fiber called chitin. The human body can’t easily absorb chitin, and so the beta-glucans end up passing through as waste—much like your hard-earned money gets wasted when choosing a mushroom supplement made of powders and not extracts. Look for the product to say “Mushroom Extract Powder.”
2. Organic
I’m not sure we need to say much on this one. Except to say that you’ll want your mushrooms and herbs to be top quality— meaning certified organic. And that is rare in the marketplace. Most products, especially on Amazon, are not organic. So although certified organic can cost more, it is well worth it. Fungi can carry heavy metals, and other pesticides and herbicides, especially when grown near rice paddies, and you do not want that in your system. Look for the organic seal of approval— always.
3. Make Sure It Really Is a Mushroom Product
Sadly, so many companies jumped on the recent popularity of fungi that many have ingredients that are not what they claim. A large research study in 2017 of 19 brands saying they contain Reishi found that 74% of the brands did not contain the mushroom Reishi. As if that wasn’t bad enough, many did not even contain mushrooms! I always make sure the companies are transparent where they source their fungi, and that they will share Certificates of Analysis or Third Party Testing when requested.
4. Insufficient Return Policy
A reputable mushroom supplement brand will demonstrate they have faith in their product by offering a 100% money-back guarantee policy. Some try to complicate their refund policies by placing limitations on what kind of returns they will take. Avoid any brand that does not have at minimum a no questions asked 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Relying on Amazon Reviews
Research showed that in March 2019, Amazon had 1.8 million new unverified reviews, with an average of 99.6% of them being 5-star reviews. Most of these reviews are from people paid to write them, not actual customers. These fake reviews inflate the consumer numbers and overall star rating of a product. When deciding on a product that can impact your health, don’t rely exclusively on Amazon reviews as they can be extremely misleading. With that said, we are now on Amazon! And hold precious real reviews by real customers!
Any more questions? Ask us! We are happy to answer! nicole@westwolfmedicinals.com