Choosing medicinal mushrooms for your clinic:

In clinical trials, medicinal mushroom extracts with specified percentages of active compounds are used, and the dosage is determined accordingly. Many 'medicinal mushrooms' on the market do not specify their active compounds, often because they contain none, resulting in the product not delivering the desired health benefits.

There is a significant discrepancy in quality between medicinal mushrooms used in research and those sold by most companies. As mushrooms gain popularity for their health benefits, many people may turn to mushrooms, only to be disappointed by their ineffectiveness. This often leads to the mistaken belief that all medicinal mushrooms are ineffective, when in reality, the person has simply chosen a product from a company that sells poor-quality mushrooms.

To choose good quality products for your clinic the following needs to be considered:

Extraction method:

Fresh mushrooms (or dried/crushed/powdered mushrooms) will not give all of the health benefits as many of the active constituents are encased inside the cell walls of mushrooms, which are made from Chitin - a hard substance that is indigestible for most humans. This is why many of the medicinal mushrooms prescribed in Traditional Chinese Medicine are decocted.

Adcancements in science, research and biotechnology has enabled this extraction process to refined and there is a sophisticated hot water extraction process to optimally release the water-soluble compounds without damaging them. Mushroom including Reishi, Chaga & Lion's Mane have non-water soluble compounds, so a second extraction process involving ethanol is performed.

The process results in a mushroom-extract powder. Note the powder can look the same as a mushroom that has been dried and powdered (meaning the active compounds are not accessible). The next point provides the insight how to tell these two apart.

Independant lab reports of the active compounds:

To ensure the quality of the mushroom extract, the percentage of active compounds must be specified as this is what gives the extracts their therapeutic effect.

Independent, reputable lab-test reports should be viewed to ensure the validity of these results.

Heavy metals

A heavy metal analysis should be provided to ensure safe levels of heave metals, since mushrooms readily absorb heavy metals from their environment.

Note: an organic certification does not ensure this

REFERENCS:

1. Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7826851/

2. Medicinal Mushrooms: Ancient Remedies Meet Modern Science (2014) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684114/

3. Medicinal Mushrooms: Their Bioactive Components, Nutritional Value and Application in Functional Food Production—A Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10384337/

4. Potential of Mushroom Compounds as Immunomodulators in Cancer Immunotherapy: A Review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5937616/

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