Is Mushroom Extract Good for You?

Consumers who want to get the most out of their natural supplements—functional mushroom products in particular—are concerned with their bioavailability. It’s important to know that when you take a mushroom supplement, you’re getting the right active ingredients in the most efficient amounts. Mushroom supplements can be taken in many forms, including extracts. However, is mushroom extract good for you? 

This article will explore mushroom extracts and help you learn about the mushroom extraction process. Understanding more about this topic can help you choose the best supplements to ensure you reap the health benefits you anticipate.

What Is the Mushroom Extraction Process?

Mushroom supplements are a popular remedy to treat various health concerns, including cognitive and mental health, beauty, physical and mental stress management, gut health, and more. Mushroom extracts are an ingredient in many supplements on the market today, whether in tincture, powder, or pill form.

Extracts are processed differently than other supplement formats and can contain varying levels of active ingredients. During extraction, mushrooms undergo prolonged exposure to high-temperature hot water and/or alcohol solvents to concentrate isolated active ingredients and, secondarily, to render specific bioactive compounds bioavailable. Unfortunately, many health-promoting functional compounds are lost or are denatured in the extraction and solvent recovery processes.  

If an individual wants a pharmaceutical-like product with concentrated amounts of targeted, isolated active ingredients captured during this extraction process, using a mushroom extract may be an acceptable way to access them. However, it is important to understand that many of the reported health benefits of mushrooms are not the result of the activity of one or a few isolated and concentrated active ingredients, but are rather the result of the entourage effect of several fungal compounds working together to achieve the beneficial health outcomes. 

Additionally, many extracted mushroom products only focus on the fruiting body (the part of a mushroom that grows above ground) and do not contain the potent extra-cellular compounds produced by the mycelium which in many cases are different and incremental to the compounds produced by fruiting bodies. 

So, Is Mushroom Extract Good For You?

Mushroom extracts vary in strength, quality, and the number of bioactive ingredients. As a result, it is essential to examine a supplement's manufacturing and cultivation processes closely. The ability of a mushroom extract to provide positive health benefits depends on the specific manufacturing processes used by the manufacturer. 

It’s important to note that the majority of mushroom products available in the marketplace originate from China, a country that has faced challenges with environmental pollution. Although Chinese farmers have a high level of expertise in mushroom cultivation, there are ongoing concerns about contamination of the air, water, and soil with harmful toxins. Mushrooms can bioaccumulate heavy metals and other toxins, so sourcing mushroom products from contaminated regions can be risky. 

Mushroom supplements can be nutrient-rich and contain a wide variety of antioxidants and immunomodulating beta glucan compounds. Om Mushroom believes it’s essential to choose a supplement that provides the benefits from the entire life cycle of the mushroom to reap the full rewards of this natural remedy.

As a result, we do not use an extraction process. Om mushrooms are grown indoors in controlled environments using filtered air, filtered water and  an organic growing media. All Om Mushroom supplements are made from whole-food mushrooms that contain a full spectrum of naturally occurring nutrients. After harvesting, the mushrooms are processed in a manner that renders the nutritional and functional compounds bioavailable when the powders are consumed. With less processing and a carefully controlled indoor growing environment, mushroom supplements can provide the health-supporting benefits you desire.^‡ 

Om Mushroom’s entire line of mushroom powder supplements is designed to promote immunity, vitality, cognitive health, and energy,^‡ and every Om Mushroom supplement contains 1,000 mg or more of functional mushrooms, including the mycelial biomass and fruit body in each serving. If you want to incorporate functional mushrooms into your daily routine, consider Om Mushroom for your wellness goals.

^‡These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Functional mushroom products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.