The Chinese have known about its outstanding benefits for centuries, as have the Koreans and the Japanese. An “old man’s beard”, monkey’s head and hedgehog mushroom, the lion mane’s mushroom has many nicknames. From the outside, it is white, fuzzy and big. You can eat the mushroom raw, cooked or mixed with beverages as a supplement. The benefits of having it are plenty, from better cognitive ability and lower blood pressure to a robust immunity system. Since information on it is widely available as extracts from trustworthy resources like lionsmanemushroom.com.au, it would be helpful to know the various methods used in its preparation and some of the things to consider while buying one. Read on.
How is lion’s mane mushroom cultivated?
Like other mushrooms, lion’s mane is cultivated for extracts and supplements in a couple of different ways. In one of the methods, the entire body of the mushroom is grown and harvested. The other method involves growing mycelium on grain. Both of these methods are effective in their ways and provide the best results in the end.
Growing the entire body of the mushroom
Growing the entire body of the mushroom is the traditional way and one that is familiar to most people. In this method, the whole body of the mushroom is grown and harvested. That is then used to prepare an extract. Many people prefer cultivating this mushroom because all the valuable compounds of the mushroom are transferred to the supplement. However, producing mushroom supplements in this way is a bit expensive. Those that are made with this method contain low levels of starch and high levels of beta-glucans.
Mycelium on grain method
The mycelium on grain method is used to grow lion’s mane mushrooms to make supplements. The difference from the above process is that no mushroom is produced here. In this method, the mycelium acts as the root of the mushroom. It is then reduced to fine particles and sold as a supplement. It is cheaper than growing a whole fruit. Products made from this method also contain beta-glucans along with beneficial compounds.
Comparing 1:1 vs 8:1 extract for lion’s mane
The 1:1 extract method is when the lion’s mane mushroom cells are dissolved using hot water. That leads to greater bioavailability (amount of substance that enters the circulation in the body when taken) since the beta-glucans are trapped in the cell walls. The beta-glucans are then freed by breaking the cell walls, a process known as chitin. The final step involves collecting, drying and transforming the mushroom into power form to be sold as supplements. The 8:1 extraction method is done using a solvent extract. Some compounds of the lion’s mane can only be dissolved in ethanol. Ethanol is used in the entire extraction process because it allows for more valuable compounds to be absorbed. The method is called 8:1 because eight kilograms of the mushroom is needed to produce just a single kilogram of extract.
Things to remember before buying a mushroom extract
It would help if you tried to remember a few points, including those mentioned here, while purchasing a lion’s mane mushroom extract. It is helpful to read the labels and see whether the product is of the highest quality. Go for a product that has satisfactory levels of beta-glucans. Reading the client’s reviews is an excellent way of determining the product’s effectiveness, reliability, and trustworthiness. Try to run your eyes over the ingredients mentioned on the packet or bottle of the supplement before deciding to buy it.
These are some of the methods used in making the extract of lion’s mane mushroom. Various sources also provide comprehensive information on the production process, benefits and how it is to be consumed.
