How Mushroom Extracts Are Made

The word extract is in many ways similar to an elixir. If you have ever had the pleasure of playing one of many fantasy games set in the dark ages, you will have encountered the term elixir all too many times. There are elixirs that will provide you with all the powers of a mage or ones that will make you completely invisible. The point is the fact that elixirs are able to open a door into a whole new realm of possibility where the normal rules of life do not apply anymore. The effects of mushroom extracts are quite similar in that manner.

Extracts like lion’s mane mushroom extract are able to take all the benefits that mushrooms are able to provide and then pack them in small and easy-to-use packaging. You can mix it into your morning smoothie if you like. In fact, mushroom coffee that has been infused with lion’s mane mushroom extract is also sold. There are even mushroom grow kits like the blue oyster mushroom growing kit. People who cannot start the day without coffee will be absolutely thrilled. Not only will it provide you with the kick that normal coffee is also able to provide but also give you more long-term benefits as well.

There are essentially two types of extracts, powdered extracts, and dual extractions. One thing that you have to keep in mind when considering extracts is the level of bioavailability. Bioavailability stems from the fact that when something like mushroom extracts is used orally, not all of it is going to go to the blood plasma. For example, if you consume 100 mg of mushroom extracts and if 60 mg appears in your plasma, that means that bioavailability is only 60%. So, whenever buying extracts of any sort, you need to make sure that the bioavailability is satisfactory. Anything that is not absorbed by your blood plasma will simply not have any positive effect on you.

How Are Extracts Made?

First of all, the fruit of the mushroom needs to be removed from the stem. Once that is done, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned. If the mushroom is a wild mushroom, then you definitely need to be cleaning it pretty well. Try using a wet cloth instead of just putting it under running water. Now, you need a solvent in order to dissolve the fruit. The solvent can only be dissolved using water or alcohol. Mushrooms are typically mixed in both water and alcohol. The other advantage of this method is that allows for the breakdown of the chitin walls, making way for greater bioavailability of the beta-glucans. If you anything about biology, you know that beta-glucans can help with insulin resistance, hypertension, and obesity.

Once that is done, the solvent itself will be filtered out and you will have a powdered extract left. In fact, the plant stuff can be removed as well, which will leave a suspension-like substance.

Powdered Extracts

One thing that needs to be made clear is the fact that a lot of mushroom-related products which are advertised as extracts are sometimes just dried mushrooms that have been powdered in order for them to look like extracts. Since there is no extraction involved, the bioavailability of the product is completely compromised, and beta-glucans are left behind. We discussed the analogy of an elixir in the context of an extract. It does not work if you simply dry mushrooms and package them. A lot of mushrooms actually will have most of their beneficial compounds in the mycelium while some will have it in the fruiting body.

Tinctured Extracts

These types of extracts are in liquid form. This makes them a little easier when it comes to consuming them and mixing them into your daily-use liquids such as milkshakes. The process is a little bit different as illustrated before but the advantages are more or less the same.

Double Extraction

The fact of the matter is that beta-glucans are water soluble whole triterpenes are alcohol soluble. In order to obtain both of them from the mushroom, you need to have a double extraction system set up. In double extraction, a solvent mix of both alcohol and water is used. Reishi mushroom extracts are generally used in the process of double extraction. This is due to the fact that Reishi mushrooms are known for both the beta-glucans and the triterpenes.

Health Benefits

There are numerous health benefits of mushroom extracts. Let’s get into a few of them.

Great Focus

A very remarkable advantage of mushroom extracts is that they are known to increase your focus quite a bit. Whether you are preparing for a test or working on a work assignment, focus is a quality that one always seems to lack. What adds to this whole issue is the fact that our phones have made us more and more fond of things that last a few seconds at best. If you don’t believe me, think about how you start scrolling on Facebook for a few seconds and then end up closing it, or the fact that TikTok is now one of the most used social media platforms in the world. The whole premise of TikTok is stories that can be created in 7 seconds. While we have all seen our fair share of cringe on TikTok, it can often also contain things that have really bent the 7 seconds limit.

Obesity

While we should all learn to love our bodies and become a bit more tolerant of all shapes and sizes around us, proper obesity is something that will always be a big health hazard. It puts pressure on our heart and even on the whole skeletal structure of the body as well. If you have been trying to lose weight, the beta-glucans in mushroom extracts can be the savior that you need. They are known for being able to help the body in losing weight. Although if you want to lose weight quickly, it is absolutely imperative that you invest in a mushroom grow kit. They take much of the stress out of growing mushrooms so you can focus most on doing what you love, which is losing weight. The trick is to use mushrooms as an alternative to more fatty foods. Instead of eating that KFC burger, you can just fry some mushrooms and have the same savory taste that you enjoy with eating meat packaged in a much healthier way.

Mushroom extracts can revolutionize the way you perceive a healthier diet. They are easy to consume and since they are completely organic, the whole experience is soothing compared to the supplements.