Pure Reishi Extract Benefits: What to Know Before You Buy

Get Back To Your Roots With The Help Of Organic Reishi Extract*

Do you want to use the power of mushrooms to supplement your life, but you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the options on the market today? With the multitude of different functional mushrooms and their benefits, it can be hard to know where to start, organic Reishi extract may be a great starting place. In this blog we will explore why Reishi is beneficial for our well being and also what to look for when shopping for Reishi extract. 

As a society, it's no question how we have vastly deviated from our ancient roots. Reishi is a mushroom that is known to have been used for over 2000 years. In the early stages of human development, we seemed to be far more in tune with nature and its ability to support us and keep us healthy.*  Now with technology, concrete jungles, and busy work schedules, we tend to spend more time staring at our phones and computer screens than we spend doing things to truly care for ourselves. Keep reading to learn how organic reishi extract can help bring you back into balance!*

Reishi By Any Other Name

Known as the Queen of Mushrooms, Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) has a longstanding history with human health and longevity. It has made many numerous appearances in Chinese history, as seen on tapestries, sculptures, paintings, and even upon the silk robes of Chinese emperors. This triumphant mushroom has many offerings, and it is no secret that it is deeply effective at supporting the immune system.*  In China it is known as the “mushroom of immortality”. If this isn’t reason enough to add pure Reishi mushroom extract into your regimen, consider its additional lesser known, but still powerful benefits.*

Other names for Reishi throughout the world include “spirit mushroom,” “mushroom of spiritual potency,” and “10,000 year mushroom.” Once considered a proverbial fountain of youth, Reishi was used intuitively by the wealthy.

Reishi is a polypore, also known as a conk mushroom, and is extremely tough and woody. When cultivated outside of nature, reishi can be manipulated to grow in a variety of forms. Like a bonsai, cultivators can modify factors like light, oxygen and CO2 to encourage different embodiments, such as tall stalks, conks, discs, bulbs, or a combination.

Organic Reishi Extract Benefits

Let’s do a quick dive into Reishi mushrooms.

• Reishi boasts a variety of benefits, including adaptogenic properties and support for overall wellness, healthy transition to sleep for occasional restlessness, occasional stress and support for immune health.*
• Reishi has been used in herbalism for over 4,000 years in China and Japan.
• Reishi mushroom can be found in several colors, ranging from reddish-orange to black.
• Reishi needs to be extracted before you consume it.
• Reishi is considered to be an adaptogen, helping the body’s natural response to occasional stress.*
• Reishi also promotes a sense of calm and supports the body for a good night's rest.* 
• It may also help promote stamina and support healthy energy levels!*

What to Know Before You Buy Reishi Mushroom Extract

Here are four important questions to ask before you buy Reishi mushroom extract:

1. What part of the mushroom is used?

Only certain parts of mushrooms are traditionally used in herbalism. Fruiting bodies are the above-ground parts of a mushroom. (These are the parts you most commonly forage, cook and extract.) 

Mycelium is a part of the fungi that humans rarely see, because it’s usually underground. You can think of the mycelium as the ‘roots’ of a mushroom. While important to the growth of the mushroom, mycelium is not traditionally used to support your health.*

It is important to note that it’s cheaper and faster to grow mycelium on grain, so unfortunately many trendy products use it instead of the beneficial fruiting bodies. This mycelium on grain doesn't have any of the ganoderic acids that reishi is most famous for, whereas the fruiting bodies have high levels. 

At Mushroom Revival we only use 100% Organic Reishi fruiting bodies, never mycelium, so you never pay for grain or filler and can always rest assured that you’re getting the ‘good stuff’.

2. What type of process is used to make the Reishi mushroom extract?

As we mentioned above, the active parts of Reishi mushrooms are inside the cell walls, which our bodies can’t break down. They need to be extracted — and the best extracts are formulated through a two-part method. While there are many forms of Reishi available, alcohol extracted tinctures are the most potent variety for this particular functional mushroom.

Our Organic Reishi mushroom extract undergoes a dual extraction of water, known as decoction, and alcohol, known as tincture. The active compounds in mushrooms are both alcohol-soluble (triterpenes) and water-soluble (beta-glucans). The triterpenes (the main active constituents of the mushroom), notably Ganoderic and lucidenic acids, are only extractable with alcohol. When the US Pharmacopeia did a study measuring the differences between Reishi products and the actual mushroom, less than half of what’s on the market tested positive for the presence of these compounds (2): “…triterpenes closely related to G. lucidum (GL20) were only detected in 8 out of 19 (42.1%) tested products based on HPTLC analysis.” (3)

A good trick that you can perform yourself to determine if triterpenes are present is a taste test! Triterpenes are responsible for Reishi’s bitter taste. Thus, a non-bitter taste is a good indicator that the product has less than satisfactory potency.

To get full-spectrum support from mushrooms, we extract our mushrooms with 190-proof alcohol and hot water, then carefully combine the two. We always follow the science to extract Reishi at the optimal alcohol percentages, temperatures and durations for maximum potency.*

3. Are your extracts tested for purity and potency?

When you’re buying a Reishi mushroom extract, it’s important to look for proof that they are pure and potent.

Every batch of mushrooms we use goes through extensive lab testing. We test for heavy metals and biological contamination, to ensure the purity of our products. We also check the concentration of active compounds such as 1,3/1,6 beta-glucans and triterpenes. We want to see the science when it comes to the potency of our supplements, so we make sure to get exact numbers.

You can access these lab results directly from our website, and also by scanning the custom QR on our products' bottles and boxes.

4. Is your Reishi extract made with organic mushrooms?

Mushrooms can be Certified Organic, but not all of them are. Our Reishi mushroom extract is 100% USDA Certified Organic. Everything we use is organic, from our substrates to our cleaning supplies. Every product we sell and every ingredient we use is tracked by a batch number and can be traced back to its origin.

At Mushroom Revival our products are also non-GMO, vegan, kosher, gluten free, NSF and cGMP certified!

Get the most out of pure and organic Reishi mushroom Extract

Like most herbal supplements, the way to receive the most benefit from organic reishi extract is by taking it over prolonged periods of time. At Mushroom Revival, we’ve set up a system for you that ensures consistency by having your supplements delivered to your door each month so that you don’t even have to think about it! Simply shop and check out on our website to subscribe to this service. Let us do the work for you while you utilize your free time to take care of your body and mind.

The best part of our subscriptions is that you can set the frequency, pause, and swap items at any time!

Mushroom Revival Produces Pure Reishi Mushroom Extract, Purely for you!

We encourage you to be selective in your search for pure Reishi mushroom extract, as with all functional mushroom supplements! We make all of our organic mushroom tinctures and other products with USDA certified organic and lab tested mushrooms. Each batch is lab-tested for beta glucans, alpha glucans, biological contaminants, heavy metals and more so you can rest assured you're supporting your health with the best supplements on the market.

Ready to try Reishi mushroom extract for yourself? Check out our potent, Certified Organic and dual-extracted tincture!

Select sources
(1) doi:10.1089/jmf.2005.8.53