Mushroom Supplements

Our day-to-day life schedules are increasingly growing, with various activities taking over part of the human day. This means you need to boost your supplement intake for your body to sustain every other activity expected of you. Among the many supplements you need in your daily routine are Mushroom Supplements.

These supplements are safe and effective for enhanced cognitive body functions. However, the issue may come with where you source your mushroom supplements. Despite their being various laws governing and regulating the manufacture of these supplements, some manufacturers do not base them on the safety and quality of their products. So you need to purchase your mushroom supplements from approved manufacturers to ensure quality and efficacy.

Read on to learn about the different types of mushroom supplements, their benefits, how to use them, and much more.

Types of mushroom supplements

There are different types of mushroom supplements that you can find in various options. Some are available in capsule form, liquid extracts, powder form, mouth sprays, gummies, and many others.

Here are some common types of mushroom supplements, but there are many others you can choose from. So, choosing the best supplement according to your immediate needs is best.

Chaga Mushroom Supplements

Chaga is a type of mushroom that grows on birch tree trunks and is often found in colder climates. This mushroom supplement, when raw, is not your typical beautiful mushroom; instead, it produces conk, a woody growth. This looks like some burnt charcoal on the outside but with a soft orange-coloured core on the inside.

Many western countries have used Chaga as a traditional medicine for years, although its overall benefits are yet to be confirmed. However, it’s known to be high in fibre and quite low in calories. But just as with any other nutritional or medicinal substance, you need to use it with caution, to avoid reaction with underlying health conditions.

Reishi Mushroom Supplements

Reishi is a naturally occurring compound that’s said to be a traditional medicine for several countries in the Asian continent, including Japan, Korea and China. It’s possible to eat the whole mushroom, but its powdered extracts is considered a typical dosage for various active ingredients. 

However, there is contradicting information about this compound’s benefits, but it is clear that overusing it comes with a pack of side effects. In addition, it is said Reishi can interfere with different lab tests for various medications in humans, so it is best that you only consume considerable doses as guided.

You may also want to avoid taking this supplement on an empty stomach and instead take it with food. Whether you are taking the powdered, tincture, or capsule form, taking it with food increases its chances of a faster metabolism.

Cordyceps Mushroom Supplements

Cordyceps is a type of mushroom supplement that grows on caterpillar larvae in high-altitude regions. However, there are other cordyceps artificial mushroom supplements that are lab generated. But there are no proven scientific benefits for either type, although it’s a daily supplement in different countries.

Cordyceps mushroom supplement is said to consist of a mixture of natural ingredients, vitamin C and other cordyceps extracts. To obtain the commonly used powdered form of this extract, cordyceps mushrooms are dried and then ground to powder. The powder is then soaked in hot water and alcohol, where beneficial compounds are then extracted before infusing it with other pharmaceutical contents.

However, the natural version of this supplement is said to be quite hard and expensive to get. And even then, children, breastfeeding women and pregnant ladies should avoid taking it. If abused, Cordyceps may have various effects, including nausea, upset stomach, dry mouth, etc.

How Mushroom Supplements Work

These products are supplements because they offer a low-calorie nutrient similar to what’s found in original mushroom species. However, many other active compounds are present in mushroom supplements, including triterpenoids, beta-glucans, and polysaccharides. These compounds have varying uses in the body, although more research is needed to confirm their benefits.

Generally, mushroom supplements are quite beneficial if you lack the skills and time to prepare mushrooms. So the supplements are a convenient dosage, although they are guaranteed to work when taken consistently in a steady supply.

It is also important to note that mushroom supplements are designed to work differently. This means not all supplements will take a similar functional period. In addition, others work best when taken daily, while the best quality ones will work even from taking small dosages. Remember, all dosages are guided by a manufacturer or healthcare professional.

Additionally, with the various supplement options, there should be something that can work for anyone. In case one form is not working for you, with a doctor's lead, you can switch to another mushroom supplement form, and it shouldn’t take much time before you find one that works effectively for you.

Turkey Tail Mushroom Supplements

Turkey tail is a dietary supplement and traditional medicine often growing on dead wood. However, its years of usage do not guarantee the supplement’s safety, so you may want to ensure you take it when you are sure of its source.

Advisably, you don’t want to take this supplement when pregnant or breastfeeding and its general dosage depends on your reason for taking the supplement. In addition, despite its well-tolerated usage, Turkey tail’s uses may experience different side effects if abused.  But generally, the supplement is considered safe for most people except anyone allergic to mushrooms and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

So you can take the supplement daily, with your meals, if you wish, except that you should not overdose; otherwise, you may experience heartburn, bloating, dark stools, and many other side effects.

Liones Mane Mushroom Supplements

Liones Mane is a mushroom supplement found on old, dead broadleaf tree trunks. This supplement is also available on trunks of dead hardwood trees such as Maple and Oak. The supplement is said to be quite nutritious and an essential source of minerals guaranteed to help overcome various conditions.

However, there is little data about the usage of Liones Mane supplements. This means you may need to consider different safety issues when using the supplement. Although the supplement is quite available at low costs because of its high availability, you need to be keen about your source of the supplement, just for the sake of having perfect health.

How to use Mushroom Supplements?

These mushroom supplements are available in different forms, including tinctures, bubblegums, powder, capsules and other extract forms. This means each of these forms may have varying metabolic rates based on different factors.

However, here are some general guidelines to guide you when using mushroom supplements:

Check the label for instructions

People decide to use mushroom supplements for different reasons, but before you take them, you need to read the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. Different manufacturers have varying guidelines based on the preparation and manufacturing procedures. So there may be different dosage guidelines based on age or occupation to ensure the supplement works effectively and at a faster rate in your body.

Determine the appropriate dosage

Most supplements are infused with pharmaceutical and other nutrient products in them. However, the dosage for these supplements varies depending on various factors, including age, weight, occupation, and health status. This means you need to consult with a physician or herbalist who can guide you on the correct dosage to ensure the utmost efficiency of the supplement. This will also help you to avert any possible side effects of the supplement.

Take the supplement with food

Mushroom supplements have no side effects when taken with food. In fact, this helps with faster absorption of the supplement into your body. However, you may need to confirm the manufacturer's guidelines or ask a healthcare professional how best to take the supplements since some may be more effective when taken on empty stomachs.

Be consistent

You need to be consistent with your supplement intake for effective results from the mushroom supplements. However, it may take a while before you see the results from some supplements. This means you need to take the supplements consistently as directed to ensure you meet your goal.

It is also important to note; mushroom supplements do not have an equal reaction period. Some may take 3 to 4 months, while others may react almost immediately, depending on your consistency.

Store the supplements properly

Mushroom supplements have valuable powders and extracts that get easily impaired by sunlight. This means some may often need to be refrigerated. First, however, you need to check for instructions about the same from the manufacturer's guide on the labels.

For instance, capsule mushroom supplements will last for months on the shelf and about a year if placed in the fridge. Generally, your storage option determines how long the supplements will last. However, if you have no access to a fridge, you shouldn’t be worried about storing them; room temperature also acts fine to extend and maintain their vital components.

Be aware of their side effects

Despite their usefulness, mushroom supplements may have different side effects. So you may want to consult a healthcare professional to guide you about the dosage instructions to help avoid any possible side effects. Similarly, if you start seeing any reactions after you’ve started taking the supplements, it is best to visit a doctor for an immediate checkup.

How to Choose High-Quality Mushroom Supplements?

With the benefits of mushroom supplements continuously spreading all over the globe, the supplement manufacturing industry is reportedly growing. However, the industry is largely unregulated, so for your safety’s sake, you must consider some key factors before choosing a supplement.

In addition, some mushroom types used for supplements are endangered species whose over-harvesting can wipe off their existence in the wild. This means choosing quality mushroom supplements will also help support the conservation of endangered species. Generally, this will help create awareness of sourcing mushroom supplements from sustainably sourced mushrooms, supporting any endangered species.

So, while looking for contaminant-free mushroom supplements, here are some things to consider:

Get a reputable brand

You can tell a reputable brand from what its customers say about it. So you need to check out for certified customer reviews to help you know more about the brand. However, this is not enough; you will still need to look for brands that have independent testing of their products. This you can not by checking for third-party certifications in the ingredients line of the respective supplement.

Confirm the mushroom type on the label

Beware of mushroom supplements that use fillers and additives; these you should avoid at all costs. Instead, ensure that the label lists the exact mushroom used in the making of the supplement. You should also check for the number of active components in the mushroom and ascertain that they match your expected ratio. For instance, some of the common active compounds in mushroom supplements are beta-glucans and triterpenoids.

Consider the extraction method

Different manufacturers use varying means to extract important components from the mushroom. This explains why some supplements are quite hard to digest, and so have delayed digestion. Therefore, you need to go for mushroom supplements whose extraction methods involve hot water and alcohol.

Consult a healthcare provider

As much as most mushroom supplements are non-prescription, you need to consult a medical professional who will assess your health for any pre-existing medical conditions that may react with the mushroom supplements. In such a case, the healthcare provider can guide you on what supplements are safe. You will also get guidance on how to take the supplements.

Check the source of the supplement

You need to be sure of the mushroom source because it can be easily contaminated as they absorb toxins and other heavy metals from the environment. It is probably best to go for organic mushrooms because they grow without synthetic pesticides and ingesting fertilisers.

In addition, if you can get high-quality supplements from high-quality mushrooms, you can be sure of their effectiveness. This is because such mushrooms also have guaranteed high levels of active compounds that benefit the body.