Shiitake mushroom is a star ingredient in our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder, renowned not only for its rich, umami flavor, but also for its profound health benefits. For centuries, shiitake has been revered in traditional Asian medicines for its potent healing properties. Modern science has backed many of these claims and has begun to uncover the mysteries behind shiitake’s health benefits.
A recent study has unveiled the anti-aging effects of shiitake mushrooms, shedding light on how incorporating shiitake into our daily routine can significantly contribute to healthy aging and overall wellness.
The researchers of the study looked into 14 different types of mushrooms to determine their levels of ergothioneine, a naturally occurring amino acid and potent antioxidant primarily found in mushrooms. Antioxidants play a major role in healthy aging since they can help protect our bodies from oxidative stress.
This stress, caused by an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, accelerates the effects of aging and causes cellular damage (1). The study’s findings revealed that among the tested mushrooms, shiitake had the significantly highest levels of ergothioneine, highlighting its potential to combat oxidative stress and promote healthy aging.
The researchers also treated brain cells with a shiitake extract to examine how the mushroom influences aging on a cellular level. They found that the treated cells demonstrated a stark improvement in viability, reduced oxidative stress, and decreased signs of aging (2).
Overall, the shiitake extract seemed to prevent the usual effects of cellular aging, like loss of function and deterioration. These findings further demonstrate how regular shiitake intake can counteract the typical effects of aging, offering a natural solution for preventative health and longevity.
The substantial ergothioneine content in shiitake mushrooms is just one of the many compounds that contribute to healthy aging. Shiitake is also notable for its high concentrations of beta-glucans, a type of soluble fiber. These polysaccharides are known for their ability to reduce inflammation and promote immune system health, which are significant factors for keeping people healthy as they age (3).
Many age-related health conditions like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and cardiovascular disease have been linked to persistent inflammation, and a weakened immune system can also influence susceptibility to such diseases (4). Cellular damage is yet another contributing factor to diseases and signs of aging; however, beta-glucans can further enhance antioxidant capacity and protect our cells and genes from damage as they get older.
Consistent supplementation with shiitake can help provide the body with the extra boost it needs to mitigate the effects of aging and maintain overall health. Integrating shiitake into a daily routine goes beyond its immediate health benefits, as it serves as a proactive approach to long-term physical wellness.
As delicious and versatile as shiitake mushrooms are, it’s not always practical to consume them on a regular basis. For those looking to reap the anti-aging effects of shiitake without the need to prepare them regularly, supplements can be a more convenient approach.
Sacred 7 contains all of the benefits of shiitake along with the 100% fruiting bodies of six other beneficial mushrooms: chaga, cordyceps, lion's mane, maitake, reishi, and turkey tail.
Each of these mushrooms has been selected for their individual health benefits and their ability to work together to sustain the body’s natural defenses. The combination of immune-supporting, adaptogenic compounds in Sacred 7 is a comprehensive approach to wellness and healthy aging.
Whether it is taken in capsule or powdered form, Sacred 7 can be easily integrated into any lifestyle so that you can harness the power of some of nature’s most potent superfoods while ensuring your body gets the support it needs to thrive at any age.
The quick oats recipe below is made of simple ingredients that are endlessly customizable and can adapt with your tastes and the seasons. Use fresh berries in the summertime, apples in the fall, and pears in the winter. The key to overnight oats coming together is time in the refrigerator so the flavors meld together.
You can make your overnight oats in whatever container you like. Mason jars are usually used because you can measure as you go and cap it for the morning. You can use any vessel that travels well if you’re on the go and is big enough to handle your toppings in the morning.
This recipe is for one serving, or one bowl. The prep time is about five minutes, but it should sit overnight or for at least six hours.
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup almond milk (or any plant-based milk of your choice)
1 teaspoon Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
A pinch of salt
Mix-ins: Fresh fruits (raspberries, banana slices), dried fruit (apricots, raisins, prunes), nuts (pecans, almonds), seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds), coconut flakes, nut butter
Step 1: Combine the rolled oats, chia seeds, and the Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder. Give these dry ingredients a quick mix to ensure the mushroom powder is evenly distributed.
Step 2: Pour in the almond milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup (or your sweetener of choice). Add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors. Stir well until all the ingredients are fully combined.
Step 3: Once everything is mixed together, cover the jar or bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Step 4 (Next morning): Before enjoying, give the oats a good stir. If the mixture seems too thick, you can add a little more milk to reach your desired consistency. Top with your choice of mix-ins if you have time.
You can also make steel cut oats on the stovetop if you prefer a more rich flavor as opposed to quick cooking. If making your oats on the stove, be sure to slightly undercook them so they don’t become too mushy when they meld with the other flavors in the refrigerator.
If adding protein powder or another type, you may need more liquid. You can always add more in the morning if it’s a little too dry. This recipe is dairy-free, but you can also use dairy milk as easily as you can use non-dairy milk like coconut milk or oat milk.
The more you make this healthy breakfast, the less you’ll need to measure everything out. Instead of recipes with Greek yogurt, this make-ahead breakfast is a healthy vegan start to your day with a creamy texture made possible by your milk of choice.
Sweet
The Elvis: Add a dollop of peanut butter before soaking overnight. Add sliced banana and granola on top in the morning.
Blueberry Almond: Add ½ teaspoon of brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of almond extract, a handful of fresh blueberries, and a dollop of almond butter before soaking overnight.
Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate: Add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder and swirl in chocolate chips before soaking overnight for chocolate overnight oats.
Who said overnight oatmeal recipes had to be sweet only? Simply remove the vanilla extract and make the additions below if you’re craving a savory breakfast recipe.
Miso Egg: Add 1 teaspoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon soy sauce before soaking overnight. Add a dash of miso paste and soy sauce in the morning. Add hardboiled or fried eggs on top if you have time!
Cheddar Herb: Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar, 1 handful of cheddar cheese, 2 dashes of fresh herbs, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
Cucumber Dill: Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar, 1 cup of chopped cucumber, and a handful of chopped dill before soaking overnight. Drizzle with olive oil and add pepper in the morning.
Medicinal mushrooms, also known as adaptogens or functional mushrooms, aren’t hallucinogenic or psychoactive. They are rich in beta-glucans and polysaccharides, thanks to their extraction process, that our bodies don’t make on our own.
Each mushroom offers different benefits, but overall, mushrooms are filled with nutrition information. They’re low in calories, fat, sodium, and are even cholesterol-free and gluten-free. They also pack a huge antioxidant punch, supplying vitamins and minerals, like potassium and calcium, our body needs to function well.
These easy overnight oats are just waiting for your favorite toppings. Let us know how you like to use your overnight oats!
]]>From boosting your immune system to feeling the flow with enhanced cognitive function, mushrooms are actually pretty easy to add to your daily routine. Mushroom powders, once limited in variety, are now common to add to your favorite things, from mushroom coffee or even simple teas with hot water.
At a basic level, mushroom powder is made of dried mushroom extracts that are ground into a fine powder. There are two types of mushroom powders you’ll encounter. The first is medicinal mushroom powder, usually found in your supplement or health aisles at the grocery store. The second is culinary mushroom powder, found in the soup, spices, or seasonings aisle.
You can cook with medicinal mushroom powder, too. The big difference is that you add culinary mushroom powder to dishes for flavor and depth, while most medicinal mushroom powders lack the umami flavor intensity most chefs are after.
This is perhaps medicinal mushrooms’ biggest advantage, however. You receive the health benefits, of which there are so many, from medicinal mushrooms without overpowering the flavor of your favorite things, whether it’s coffee or your banana bread recipe. Medicinal mushroom powders are usually made of 100% fruiting bodies, where the most bioavailable, beneficial compounds are.
Please be aware of medicinal mushroom companies that offer mycelium-based products, where the product may contain over 90% grain starch from the growing medium instead of mushroom caps, or fruiting bodies.
Culinary mushroom powder utilizes the flavors of easier-to-find mushrooms like morels and shiitake mushrooms to amp up the tangy, earthy flavor of dishes like soups and pastas. To make mushroom powder, most home chefs will forage or buy fresh mushrooms and dry those out.
You can also buy dried mushrooms and make your own mushroom powder by grinding dehydrated mushrooms in a food processor and adding your own spices to the blend. Nutritional yeast plays well with powdered mushrooms in most recipes.
Medicinal mushrooms, also known as adaptogens or functional mushrooms, aren’t hallucinogenic or psychoactive. They are rich in beta-glucans and polysaccharides, thanks to their extraction process, that our bodies don’t make on our own.
Polysaccharides alone have been found to act as a prebiotic, which promotes gut health, and the production fatty acids like acetate, which serve as an energy source for colon cells. Each mushroom offers different benefits, but overall, mushrooms are low in calories, fat, sodium, and are even cholesterol-free and gluten-free. They also pack a huge antioxidant punch, supplying vitamins and minerals our body needs to function well.
Reishi mushrooms have been known to help with mental resilience, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s therapy. Lion’s mane has been shown to improve nerve growth, boost memory, and treat tinnitus. Chaga has been shown to aid in diabetic kidney disease and offer incredible immune support.
No matter what, to make sure you’re getting quality, your mushroom powder should be always be USDA organic, non-GMO, third-party tested and verified, and made with 100% fruiting bodies. While some studies show the benefits of mycelium, the ratio of mycelium to fruiting bodies is tricky to monitor today. There’s even an ongoing FDA petition to stop companies from using the word “mushroom” if it’s not made up of a percentage of fruiting bodies.
Choosing mushroom powder depends on your use. For culinary mushroom powders, I recommend shiitake, morel, porcini, and black trumpet. These varieties rehydrate easily and add a flavor profile that’s unmatched, especially when compared to the button mushroom family.
For medicinal mushroom powders, it depends on the benefits you seek. Most people prefer a blend of mushrooms to get as much good stuff as possible. The most common medicinal mushroom species are chaga, cordyceps, lion’s mane, maitake, reishi, shiitake and turkey tail. When it comes to medicinal mushrooms, the general consensus is 1-3 grams per serving.
From coffee to tea to smoothies, mushroom powder turns any thing into a mushroom thing. Skip the premade mushroom coffee blends out there, most of which are full of grain starch, and simply add mushroom powder to your favorite coffee beans.
Why sacrifice the taste of freshly ground coffee beans just because you want a little health boost? The same goes for your precious herbal tea. With an earthy, mild flavor profile, medicinal mushroom powders should blend seamlessly into your favorite recipes, not make you pick a whole new one.
Recipe: Sacred 7 Mushroom Coffee
Recipe: Sacred 7 Mushroom Latte
Any dish that’s simmering can benefit from a dash of mushroom powder. The trick is to add it to your broths, stews, or dishes after boiling on the stove to ensure you’re getting all of the good stuff. For slow cooker meals, sprinkle it on in the last few minutes of the cooking session for the same effect.
Recipe: Sacred 7 Golden Mushroom Soup
Why buy vinaigrettes when they’re so easy to make at home? The basic recipe is one-third fat, one-third acid, and one-third flavor, which you can build through your choices of seasonings. Mushroom powder pairs so well with the fresh crunch of cucumbers and tomatoes.
Recipe: Sacred 7 Mushroom Vinaigrette
Baking with mushroom powder is an easy way to add that complexity or health boost to your recipe. Banana bread, olive oil cakes, and homemade chocolate chip cookies are always better with the addition of medicinal mushroom powder. Pancakes are an especially great blank canvas for your functional mushroom powder.
Embracing the ancient wisdom and versatility of mushrooms is so, so worth it. Whether added to your routine for a wellness boost or you’re on the quest for the perfect flavors, mushroom powders are really the best of nutrition and taste. Nature’s bounty is available for all.
]]>Lion’s mane mushrooms have been gaining all of the hype lately due to their positive effects on the mind and body. If you’re wondering whether or not these mushrooms have psychoactive properties, you’re not alone.
Lion’s mane is not a psychedelic mushroom. They will not make you hallucinate or drastically alter your perception or feelings. However, these culinary and medicinal mushrooms have many potential health benefits, especially for mood and cognitive health. Lion’s mane mushrooms are considered adaptogens, which help you manage stress and maintain balance without any hallucinogenic effects.
As previously mentioned, adaptogens are any natural plant substances, like plants and fungi, which have been shown to reduce the negative effects of stress within the body. According to many clinical trials, adaptogens have been shown to have antidepressant effects and help reduce mental exhaustion while increasing mental capacity against stress and fatigue.
“Magic mushrooms,” on the other hand, contain psychedelic compounds called psilocybin and psilocin. These compounds can be found in a variety of mushrooms all over the world and have been used by indigenous cultures for spiritual and medicinal effects.
Psychedelic mushrooms can alter consciousness, and recent research has found that they can help treat individuals with mental health conditions through psychedelic-assisted therapy. Though these types of mushrooms carry their own therapeutic benefits, they are a special medicine that should be approached with caution and under the guidance of trained professionals.
Although lion’s mane mushrooms lack psychedelic properties, they can be combined with psychedelic mushrooms in what’s known as a Stamet’s stack. This innovative approach of microdosing psilocybin mushrooms was created by renowned mycologist Paul Stamets and recently patented as a subject of a drug development push. The Stamet’s Stack combines psilocybin with lion’s mane mushrooms with niacin (Vitamin B3), which allegedly increases the effects of both mushrooms.
The lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) has many active compounds that contribute to its medicinal nature. These compounds work together to provide a wide array of therapeutic effects. Some of the top beneficial compounds found in lion’s mane are:
The two main compounds unique to lion’s mane are erinacines and hericenones. There are fifteen types of erinacine compounds found in lion’s mane and eight in hericenones. Erinacines are located in the mushroom’s mycelium, while hericenones are found in the fruiting body.
Both bioactive compounds have shown promise in stimulating the production of nerve growth factors (NGFs), which helps is an essential factor in regulating the growth, maintenance, and development of neurons in the brain.
Lion’s mane contains various polysaccharides, which are long-chain carbohydrates that play a significant role in energy storage, cell communication, and structural support. Natural polysaccharides also have antioxidant effects which help protect cells against damage from free radicals.
The most notable polysaccharide in many functional mushrooms is beta-glucans. These soluble fibers can have many positive effects on health, such as immune system modulation, blood sugar regulation, and cholesterol management.
Like polysaccharides, polyphenols also have antioxidant properties, which can help prevent the formation of some diseases like cancer, inflammation, and heart disease. Polyphenols have also been found to help improve blood pressure, insulin resistance, and inflammation in the body (1).
Lion’s mane mushrooms are generally regarded as safe for consumption. However, if you have a history of being allergic to other mushrooms, we don’t recommend trying lion’s mane without consulting a medical professional first, as you may have an allergic reaction to it.
Some individuals who are sensitive to high amounts of fiber may have minor gastrointestinal discomforts such as bloating, gas, or nausea after eating lion’s mane. One way to reduce digestive issues is to begin by consuming only small amounts of the mushroom first or using lion’s mane supplements that contain concentrated forms of it instead of eating large quantities.
It’s important to note that while whole lion’s mane mushrooms are usually well tolerated, mushroom supplements have higher amounts of active compounds that can potentially interfere with certain medications, such as ones that treat blood clotting and diabetes. Nonetheless, outside of these circumstances, lion’s mane and its extracts are typically safe for most individuals for daily use. Of course, with any change in your health routines, always consult your physician if you have any concerns.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has boasted about the potential benefits of lion’s mane mushrooms for hundreds of years. As modern science catches up to these claims, studies have found evidence that these mushrooms do, in fact, have many exciting effects on overall health and well-being.
One of the most notable health benefits of lion’s mane is its ability to support brain health. Lion’s mane is considered a natural nootropic or “smart drug.” Nootropics may improve cognitive functions like memory, attention, focus, and mental clarity.
According to one recent study, the combination of compounds in lion’s mane helps stimulate neurogenesis and promote neuron connectivity, ultimately leading to better communication between brain cells (2). In addition, lion’s mane has been shown to potentially prevent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease with promising results from several preclinical studies.
Lion’s mane can help strengthen the body’s defense against pathogens and illnesses by stimulating the production of important immune cells (3). The anti-inflammatory properties of lion’s mane compounds further support a healthy immune system and prevent illnesses from forming and spreading throughout the body.
Lion’s mane also promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, notably species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These bacteria help with digestion and a balanced gut environment, ultimately boosting the body’s immune response.
Lion’s mane is believed to have antidepressant and mood-regulating properties and could be a potential alternative for treating some mental health conditions. In one animal study, lion’s mane was found to restore levels of important mood-stabilizing neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine (4). Another clinical study examined 77 volunteers who took lion’s mane supplements daily for eight weeks. According to the end results, the participants displayed a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, binge eating, and sleep disorders (5).
If you’d like to reap all the benefits of lion’s mane but don’t know where to start, you should consider gradually adding it as a part of your routine. Dietary supplementation of lion’s mane mushrooms is something you can do safely on a daily basis. Unlike a lot of functional mushrooms, lion’s mane has a delicious taste and texture that many people compare to seafood. Though lion’s mane should never be eaten raw, cooking the mushroom can degrade some of the natural compounds that give it such unique health benefits.
Fresh lion’s mane is also challenging to come by since it seldom appears on the shelves of your standard grocery store. Fortunately, you can consume concentrated amounts of the mushroom’s bioactive compounds through an easy-to-take lion’s mane extract.
High-quality mushroom extracts carry all of the health-promoting benefits without the hassle. You should always opt for a tincture that uses the dual-extraction method (alcohol and hot water extraction) since separate compounds are pulled out from different processes.
Also, ensure your lion’s mane extract is derived from 100% fruiting bodies of the mushroom, as supplements from mycelium often contain excessive grain substrate, leading to a higher concentration of fillers and fewer beneficial compounds.
To integrate lion’s mane into your routine and ensure you receive your daily dose of lion’s mane goodness, simply add a dropper full of the extract to a glass of water or your morning cup of joe.
By following these guidelines and seeking out reliable sources for high-quality lion’s mane extracts, you can fully enjoy the numerous health benefits this fantastic fungus has to offer.
Rana, Ananya, Mrinal Samtiya, Tejpal Dhewa, Vijendra Mishra, and Rotimi E. Aluko. 2022. “Health Benefits of Polyphenols: A Concise Review.” Journal of Food Biochemistry 46 (10). https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.14264.
Martínez‐Mármol, Ramón, YeJin Chai, Jacinta N. Conroy, Zahra Khan, Seong‐Min Hong, Seon Beom Kim, Rachel S. Gormal, et al. 2023. “Hericerin Derivatives Activates a Pan‐Neurotrophic Pathway in Central Hippocampal Neurons Converging to ERK1 /2 Signaling Enhancing Spatial Memory.” Journal of Neurochemistry 165 (6). https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.15767.
Sheng, Xiaotong, Jingmin Yan, Yue Meng, Yuying Kang, Zhen Han, Guihua Tai, Yifa Zhou, and Hairong Cheng. 2017. “Immunomodulatory Effects of Hericium Erinaceus Derived Polysaccharides Are Mediated by Intestinal Immunology.” Food & Function 8 (3): 1020–27. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7fo00071e.
Chiu, Chun-Hung, Charng-Cherng Chyau, Chin-Chu Chen, Li-Ya Lee, Wan-Ping Chen, Jia-Ling Liu, Wen-Hsin Lin, and Mei-Chin Mong. 2018. “Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium Erinaceus Mycelium Produces Antidepressant-like Effects through Modulating BDNF/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling in Mice.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 19 (2): 341. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19020341.
Vigna, Luisella, Federica Morelli, Gianna M. Agnelli, Filomena Napolitano, Daniela Ratto, Alessandra Occhinegro, Carmine Di Iorio, et al. 2019. “Hericium Erinaceus Improves Mood and Sleep Disorders in Patients Affected by Overweight or Obesity: Could Circulating Pro-BDNF and BDNF Be Potential Biomarkers?” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2019 (April): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7861297.
Are you curious about the incredible world of functional mushroom supplements and how they can support your well-being? You’ve come to the right place! Let’s explore the differences between functional mushroom powders and mushroom capsules, unlocking the natural wonders these fungi offer to promote a healthier lifestyle. Your immune system will thank you!
Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is an equal blend of 100% fruiting bodies of cordyceps, shiitake, lion’s mane, chaga, turkey tail, maitake, and reishi mushrooms. Users take our medicinal mushroom powder for the health benefits it packs, leading to a noticeable boost in immune function. We also make Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Capsules! Here are the pros and cons of each to help you decide which version of Sacred 7 is right for you.
Imagine harnessing the power of various types of mushrooms in a convenient powdered form that can be effortlessly integrated into your daily routine. That’s precisely what functional mushroom powders offer!
Ease of Use: Functional mushroom powders are incredibly convenient and user-friendly. You can effortlessly integrate them into your preferred foods and beverages, including smoothies and mushroom coffee, allowing you to experience the benefits of functional mushrooms without any hassle. It’s like adding a touch of natural goodness to your favorite recipes.
Customizable Wellness Support: The beauty of functional mushroom powders lies in their versatility. You can adjust the dosage to suit your health goals, harnessing mushrooms’ immune-boosting, adaptogenic, and other bioactive properties. These powders are rich in beneficial compounds such as beta-glucans, polysaccharides, antioxidants, and proteins, which promote overall well-being and target specific areas of the body.
Culinary Exploration: Functional mushroom powders offer an exciting culinary adventure if you enjoy experimenting with flavors and adding nutritional elements to your meals. Each mushroom variety brings its own distinct flavor profile, ranging from earthy and savory to mildly nutty. You can unleash your creativity and explore delightful taste combinations while nourishing your body with organic mushroom goodness.
Texture Sensitivity: Some individuals may be sensitive to the texture of mushroom powders, but Sacred 7 Mushroom Powder is a light and powdery substance, making it easy to blend and water-soluble.
Cooking Considerations: While functional mushroom powders excel in most recipes, it’s important to note that they may not be suitable for dishes that require high heat or prolonged cooking times. Heat can potentially reduce the potency of certain beneficial compounds.
For those seeking a straightforward and convenient way to enjoy the benefits of mushrooms, mushroom capsules are a fantastic choice. These capsules contain mushroom extracts or finely ground mushrooms, such as reishi, lion’s mane, chaga, turkey tail, maitake, and shiitake, encapsulating the natural goodness in a convenient pill form.
Precise Dosage: Mushroom capsules provide precise dosing, making incorporating mushrooms into your daily routine easier. Each capsule contains a specific amount of mushroom extract or powder, ensuring consistent and accurate intake of the beneficial compounds found in mushrooms.
Taste and Texture Neutrality: If you’re not particularly fond of the taste or texture of mushrooms, capsules offer a palatable solution. They bypass any flavor or texture concerns, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of mushrooms without compromising your taste preferences.
Ease of Consumption: Mushroom capsules are an excellent choice for keeping your routine on the go. Instead of mixing up a beverage, capsules are a perfect option for travelers or those who want the benefits without taking the extra time.
Absorption Time: It’s important to note that mushroom capsules may take a bit longer to be absorbed by the body compared to functional mushroom powders. Capsules need to be broken down by the digestive system before their beneficial compounds can be fully utilized. This means that the effects may take a little more time to manifest.
Limited Culinary Exploration: Unlike functional mushroom powders, mushroom capsules do not offer the same culinary versatility. If you enjoy experimenting with flavors and exploring new recipes, capsules may not provide the same excitement and creativity.
As we’ve explored the world of functional mushroom powders and mushroom capsules, it’s evident that both options offer unique advantages for your health and well-being. Functional mushroom powders provide a versatile and flavorful way to incorporate different types of mushrooms, such as cordyceps, reishi, lion’s mane, chaga, turkey tail, maitake, and shiitake, into your culinary creations. On the other hand, mushroom capsules offer convenience, precise dosing, and stability during cooking processes.
The choice between functional mushroom powders and mushroom capsules ultimately depends on your preferences, lifestyle, and health goals. If you enjoy exploring new flavors and adding a touch of adventure to your meals, functional mushroom powders can be your culinary ally. On the other hand, if you prefer a straightforward approach and precise dosing, mushroom capsules offer a convenient solution.
Remember to choose high-quality mushroom products from reputable brands to ensure purity, high bioavailability, and the best possible benefits from these incredible superfoods. Look for organic mushroom options, as they are free from fillers and are produced using high-quality extraction methods like hot water extraction and dual extraction to obtain bioactive compounds from the whole mushroom, including the fruiting body and mycelium.
It’s important to note that while functional mushrooms have been used for centuries as part of traditional healthcare practices, the statements made in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. If you have any concerns or specific health conditions, it’s always best to consult with a qualified healthcare professional.
Embrace the wonders of mushrooms and embark on a journey of improved well-being. Whether you choose functional mushroom powders or mushroom capsules, these organic mushroom allies can enhance your health and vitality, supporting your overall well-being.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing your diet or wellness routine.
]]>Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is a pure blend of seven powerful mushrooms: chaga, cordyceps, lion's mane, maitake, reishi, shiitake, and turkey tail. With its light earthy flavor, seamless mixability, and no fillers, our mushroom powder is designed to tackle every concern you've ever had with mushroom powders. Here are the seven most common reasons people love Sacred 7!
Worried about preservatives and additives in your supplements? Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder contains nothing but 100% organic mushroom fruiting bodies. No fillers, no additives, just pure, potent mushrooms. Sacred 7 is an equal blend of chaga mushrooms, cordyceps mushrooms, lion's mane mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, reishi mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and turkey tail mushrooms.
Had enough of clumpy, hard-to-mix mushroom powders? Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is so light and airy, it blends effortlessly into both warm and cold liquids with minimal stirring. No more lumps, only smooth, perfect mixability.
Tired of strong, bitter mushroom powders? You'll love the natural earthy scent of our Naturealm Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder. It smells like cacao, reminiscent of the aromas released by the seven fruiting bodies of the mushrooms used. This flavor not only complements but enhances drinks, salad dressings, smoothies, soups, and seasoning blends, all without the use of cacao or any product other than our pure 100% fruiting bodies mushroom powder.
Concerned about the quality and source of your mushroom powder? Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder uses only mushrooms grown organically on a farm in Southeast China. These USDA organic mushrooms meet the highest quality standards. Plus, with the longest history of mushroom cultivation, China is the only place you can purchase organic, log-grown real mushroom fruiting bodies.
Expecting instant results from your mushroom powder? Like most natural supplements, our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder offers benefits that accumulate over time. Users typically report feeling a subtle calming effect, improved focus, a stronger immune system, and more. Remember, good things take time!
Tired of exorbitantly priced mushroom powders? Our 8-ounce Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder offers incredible value. With a recommended serving size of just 1⁄2 teaspoon, this sustainable container lasts, making it a great deal in the long run.
Worried about contributing to the environmental crisis with your online order? Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder tubs are made from post-consumer plastic. This means that each is created from recycled materials, like cardboard, plastic bottles, and more. The best part? They're recyclable! They also make great food storage containers if you practice zero-waste living.
It's time to wave goodbye to the common frustrations of mushroom powders. No more bitter taste, stubborn clumps, or doubts about authenticity. Naturealm's Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is the solution you've been waiting for. It's flavorful, easily blendable, effective, affordable, and purely organic. Why settle for less when you can enjoy the best?
Start your journey towards better health and wellness today. Embrace the power of seven potent mushrooms in one exceptional supplement. Don't wait, order your Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder now and experience the difference quality and dedication to purity can make.
]]>Soups are one of the most nourishing ways to add nutrients to your routine. While most mushroom soup recipes are delicious, something about the addition of comfort food flavors makes this one so appealing any time of year. When you add Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder to any soup, you’re increasing the nutritional value of your diet with little effort.
Our mushroom powder blends seven nutrient-rich mushrooms: reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, turkey tail, maitake, and shiitake. From improving overall health to supporting the immune system, these mushrooms pack a powerful punch of health-boosting benefits. We use only 100% USDA organic fruiting bodies in our pure powder.
Step 1: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sliced carrots, and minced garlic, sautéing until they turn translucent and fragrant. Now, it’s time to add our star ingredient—mushrooms! Toss in the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release moisture and turn golden brown.
Step 2: Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the mushrooms and stir well to ensure it’s evenly distributed. This will help thicken the soup. Gradually pour in the low-sodium beef stock, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add the condensed golden mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Stir the ingredients together, combining them into a savory base.
Step 3: Now it’s time to incorporate the Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder. Add a tablespoon of Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder to the simmering soup, stirring well to ensure it’s evenly distributed.
You can always adjust your Sacred 7 addition to taste. Some users add up to 3 tablespoons!
Step 4: Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and let the soup cook for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. This will also allow the mushrooms to impart their rich flavor to the soup.
Step 5: If you prefer a smooth and creamy soup, use an immersion or regular blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, if you enjoy a chunkier texture, you can serve it as is. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Step 6: Serve the mushroom soup hot and savor the delightful flavors and healthful properties of mushrooms. You can pair it with some warm crusty bread or a side salad for a complete meal. Feel free to garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or chives for an added touch of freshness.
The beauty of this soup is that you can customize it to your liking. If you like the essence of white wine, deglaze the pan with it after your onions are finished cooking. If you want paprika, by all means, add some. If you’re looking for a heartier meal, add rice, noodles, or beans to stretch each bite. For toppings, sour cream or a dairy-free alternative that adds a creamy tang is a great pairing.
You can also use Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup in place of Amy's Vegan Mushroom Bisque, which is the classic blend of beef stock, tender mushrooms, and tomato puree.
You can even make this in the slow cooker by following Steps 1-3 on the stovetop and finishing it on the countertop on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. You can make the whole soup inside if you have an Instant Pot!
The best part about this homemade mushroom soup infused is it’s infused with the incredible health benefits of Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder. Enjoy this comforting and nourishing bowl of goodness, knowing you’ve made a choice supporting your well-being.
]]>Prepare yourself for an extraordinary journey into the realm of homemade vinaigrettes, where simplicity meets flavor in perfect harmony. Store-bought salad dressings just don’t taste as good as homemade, and when you make your own, it’s an easy way to add more nutritional value.
Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is a blend of seven powerful mushrooms: chaga, cordyceps, maitake, lion’s mane, reishi, shiitake, and turkey tail. It makes the perfect addition to savory and sweet dressings, even an apple cider vinaigrette. We only use 100% fruiting bodies with no fillers or grains, and our mushrooms are USDA organic, non-GMO, vegan, keto-friendly, and gluten-free.
Whether you love a balsamic vinaigrette or a white wine vinaigrette, it always pays to have a basic vinaigrette recipe in your back pocket.
Feel free to add and modify this simple vinaigrette to match your tastes and your salads! Create a parmesan lemon vinaigrette by adding parmesan and fresh lemon zest before whisking together. Add apple cider vinegar to It’s best to work with room temperature ingredients to encourage emulsification. If you can dream it, you can make it when it comes to salad dressing recipes like this.
The nutritional value of this homemade delight is incredible, especially with the addition of Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder. This vinaigrette recipe is gluten-free and packed with beneficial nutrients, such as healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, and essential vitamins.
And there you have it, an exquisite and straightforward vinaigrette recipe that highlights the beauty of simple ingredients. So, next time you toss a refreshing green salad, drizzle it with this homemade vinaigrette, and revel in the delectable flavors it imparts.
]]>Step into the magical realm of mushrooms with our mesmerizing mushroom coffee recipe. By combining the earthy goodness of mushroom powder with your favorite coffee, you'll be brewing a divine elixir that'll elevate your mornings and bring you closer to nature. This recipe can be enjoyed hot or cold, making it perfect for any season.
Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is a blend of seven powerful mushrooms: chaga, cordyceps, maitake, lion’s mane, reishi, shiitake, and turkey tail. We only use 100% fruiting bodies with no fillers or grains, and our mushrooms are USDA organic, non-GMO, vegan, keto-friendly, and gluten-free. We do not use mycelium-on-grain.
Starting the morning with our Sacred 7 Mushroom Coffee practice infuses gratitude into the fiber of your day.
Medicinal mushroom blends are a great way to capture the nutrient-packed health benefits of these adaptogenic superfoods. There are a lot of mushroom supplements on the market today, and we’re proud to be one of the very few that use 100% fruiting bodies. This is where most of the benefits of most types of mushrooms are found.
Our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder captures the beneficial compounds that make all the difference in your day, from beta-glucans to polysaccharides that strengthen the immune system and so much more. It’s the perfect addition to hot water, chai tea, soups, and salad dressings.
If you want to fortify your body further, our high-quality dual-extract tinctures are an even easier way to add these compounds to your routine. Try our Chaga Mushroom Tincture for overall immune support. Our Lion’s Mane Mushroom Tincture supports brain health and cognition. Our Reishi Mushroom Tincture regulates our endocrine system, keeping jitters and stress headaches at bay.
Plant-based medicine is more than trendy wellness. There’s a reason these practices are deeply rooted in ancestral and indigenous traditions worldwide. When partaking in natural medicine and receiving its numerous benefits, remember that we are of the earth, too.
]]>Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to support the body’s organ systems and increase vitality. Today, modern medicine has compiled evidence to support the claims of the mushroom’s beneficial nature. Studies have found that Lion’s Mane can help immune, cognitive, and gut health.
The unique-looking mushroom has a pompom appearance with shaggy spines. You can find them in hardwood forests in parts of Asia, Europe, and North America. If you’ve purchased or foraged fresh Lion’s mane mushrooms, you can dry them out in the oven at a low temperature between 110-130°F. Once you have dried mushrooms, you can make your own lion’s mane mushroom extract.
Tinctures are one of the most effective ways of extracting all the beneficial qualities Lion’s Mane has to offer. Unfortunately, not all of the compounds in Lion’s Mane can be extracted with boiling water. You will need to use the dual extraction method to absorb the compounds that aren’t water-soluble. This method requires soaking the dried mushrooms in alcohol, then simmering them in hot water to extract all the compounds.
Grind up your dried lion’s mane mushroom in a blender or mortar. You will want to use as much surface area of the mushroom as possible to make the extraction process more effective. The more you break up the mushroom, the more surface area is available for the extraction soak.
Add the powdered mushroom to a jar and just enough alcohol to cover it. You will need high-proof alcohol at around 25% to 35% for the best extraction and to keep the tincture shelf stable (vodka and grain alcohol work great for this). Cover the jar and keep it in a cool, dry place for a month, making sure to shake it daily.
Once at least a month has passed, strain the alcohol into a separate container and put it to the side. Add the strained mushroom powder to a pot with twice the amount of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2-3 hours, but make sure that the temperature stays low because if the temperature gets too high, it can damage the mushroom’s bioactive compounds. Keep an eye on the simmering water, and add more if the water evaporates too much.
Allow the mushroom water to cool, then strain. Combine the alcohol and water solutions together, and you have your own homemade Lion’s Mane tincture.
Another way you can process Lion’s Mane mushrooms for the best results is in powdered form. Of course, you can steep the dried mushrooms in boiling water to make a Lion’s Mane tea, but you will miss out on many of the important benefits Lion’s Mane provides. Turning the whole mushroom into a powder will make it easier to consume and integrate into your daily routine. To make Lion’s Mane extract powder, blend the dried mushrooms into a fine powder. Then you can mix it into your foods or beverages, but be warned – the powder will need to be mixed thoroughly to avoid powdery clumps and an undesirable texture.
Adding your Lion’s Mane supplements into something as simple as tea is an easy way to start incorporating the medicinal mushroom into your daily routine.
Here are three of the best teas that you can add your mushroom extract to. We recommend adding two droppers full of Naturealm Lion’s Mane Tincture into any of these teas for the easiest way to consume this beneficial shroom.
Rooibos tea and Lion’s Mane both have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making them the perfect match for your mushroom tea time. You can quickly turn this sweet tea into a deliciously creamy latte by frothing your favorite milk and adding a sweetener such as stevia or maple syrup.
What better way to calm your mind and senses than combining the mood-supporting benefits of Lion’s Mane with the relaxing effects of lavender and camomile? You can drink this tea any time during the day to destress or sip on it at night to wind down for bed.
Ease your stomach and your soul with a refreshing peppermint tea. With the addition of a Lion’s Mane tincture, this tea can support your gut and promote relaxation.
Lion’s Mane is one of the best functional mushrooms for brain health because it improves cognitive function and is used to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Two compounds found only in Lion’s Mane, erinacines and hericenones, stimulate brain cell growth and provide neuroprotective support (1). Clinical studies suggest regular usage of Lion’s Mane supplements can improve memory, cognition, and focus.
Packed with powerful antioxidants, Lion’s Mane boosts the immune system and helps maintain a healthy immune response. A polysaccharide called beta-glucan also assists in immune support by protecting immune cells from pathogens and viruses (2). Additionally, clinical trials have found that Lion’s Mane can support the nervous system by aiding in the regeneration of early-stage nerve damage (3).
Clinical findings point to Lion’s Mane having an antidepressant-like effect through daily administration because it restores essential neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine (4). Several compounds in Lion’s Mane enhance brain neurogenesis which can help reduce depression and anxiety.
Our Lion’s Mane tincture is made from 100% USDA-certified organic Lion’s Mane mushrooms grown in California. We process high-quality Lion’s Mane through a dual extraction process using the fruiting bodies of the mushroom to ensure all the beneficial compounds are available for your wellness.
Lion’s Mane is a great functional mushroom that you should incorporate into your routine if you’re looking for an overall health pick-me-up. Make the most out of your Lion’s Mane tincture by adding two droppers (360mg) to your daily cup of tea so you can start to reap this mushroom’s neurological benefits. You can also add your Lion’s Mane extract to other beverages, such as smoothies or your morning cup of coffee, as another convenient way to use this supplement.
Spelman, Kevin, Elizabeth Sutherland, and Aravind Bagade. 2017. “Neurological Activity of Lion’s Mane (Hericium Erinaceus).” Journal of Restorative Medicine 6 (1): 19–26. https://doi.org/10.14200/jrm.2017.6.0108.
Kim, Hyung Sook, Jin Tae Hong, Youngsoo Kim, and Sang-Bae Han. 2011. “Stimulatory Effect of β-Glucans on Immune Cells.” Immune Network 11 (4): 191. https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2011.11.4.191.
Sabaratnam, Vikineswary, Wong Kah-Hui, Murali Naidu, and Pamela Rosie David. 2013. “Neuronal Health – Can Culinary and Medicinal Mushrooms Help?” Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 3 (1): 62–68. https://doi.org/10.4103/2225-4110.106549.
Chong, Pit Shan, Man-Lung Fung, Kah Hui Wong, and Lee Wei Lim. 2019. “Therapeutic Potential of Hericium Erinaceus for Depressive Disorder.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21 (1): 163. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21010163.
The Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is a powerful superfood used traditionally by several cultures as a medicine to treat and prevent diseases. Modern science has backed these claims, finding that Chaga has many beneficial qualities that can improve your overall wellness.
Chaga is a parasitic fungus primarily found on birch trees in colder climates. The mushroom has a very dark exterior that protrudes from the tree, while the interior has a distinct orange hue. The most effective way to ingest this fungus is through a tincture or powder to reap the full benefits of Chaga.
To make Chaga tea, you will need to process your Chaga to make it easier to integrate into your drink. If you cannot forage your own, you can purchase Chaga chunks online or from specialty stores to make your own supplements.
If you want to make your own Chaga tincture, you should opt for a dual-extraction method. Dual extraction uses both hot water and alcohol to extract different beneficial compounds from the mushroom. Some of the compounds in Chaga are not water soluble, so alcohol helps infuse them into the tincture.
Break apart your Chaga into smaller pieces and grind them in a blender to ensure as much surface area of your Chaga is available for extraction.
Place the Chaga in a jar and fill it with just enough alcohol to cover it. For better results and to keep it shelf stable, you should use alcohol with a percentage of 25% to 35% (ex. vodka or grain alcohol). Keep the jar in a cool, dark place for at least a month, and give it a shake regularly.
After the month has passed, strain the alcohol put to the side. Reuse the ground Chaga, and add to a pot with twice the amount of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 2-3 hours.
Ensure the mushroom isn’t in boiling water for too long because too-high temperatures can damage the antioxidants. Keep an eye on the water content in the pot and add more as needed because it may gradually evaporate during this process.
Once the water extraction cools, strain the Chaga from the water solution. Combine the alcohol and water extractions into one container to complete your dual-extraction Chaga tincture.
Turning whole Chaga into a fine powder makes it easier to integrate into your beverages and recipes. Unfortunately, steeping in tea will not extract all the benefits, so you must consume the entire powder to absorb all the compounds. You will need to dry out the mushrooms on a low-temperature setting in your oven and blend them into a fine powder using a food processor or mortar.
You can use the ground Chaga powder in your teas or other recipes, but you will need to thoroughly blend it into your drink or strain with a cheesecloth or tea infuser so that you’re not left with a chunky, powdery beverage.
One of the best ways to consume mushroom extracts is in tea form because it’s tasty, cozy, and easy to make. Because of how long the prep time is to create your own tincture, we recommend adding two droppers full of Naturealm Chaga Tincture into any of these three teas for a great addition to your daily practices.
When you want that perfect warming pick me up, try our Chaga tincture with this perfectly balanced chai tea. The soothing aroma of cardamom, ginger, and star anise, combined with the subtle spice of the black peppercorns, makes this tea a great addition to your self-care routine. Steep some cinnamon sticks in for an extra kick, or turn this tea into a dairy-free latte by adding frothed coconut milk and a sweetener like maple syrup.
Ginger, peach, and turmeric are arguably one of the best combinations of flavors in a herbal tea. You can cool it to turn it into a refreshing iced tea or drink it warm with a spoonful of honey for a sweet cozy treat. Chaga and turmeric contain potent properties that can fight inflammation, making them a great combo to integrate into your daily routine.
If you’re feeling under the weather, or want to keep your immune system healthy, try adding Chaga tincture to this Elderberry and Echinacea herbal tea. All three ingredients are packed with antioxidants that protect cells from pathogens and infections. This tea is fruity, slightly tangy, and oh-so comforting.
Our Chaga Mushroom Tincture is sourced from wild-harvested Chaga from Alaska. It’s made using 100% mushroom fruiting bodies with a dual-extraction method, so you can take advantage of all the beneficial compounds Chaga has to offer.
Chaga is noted as one of the most powerful antioxidant substances because of a polysaccharide compound called beta-glucan, which promotes the production of antioxidant enzymes (1). It also contains polyphenol and triterpenoid antioxidants, which lower oxidative stress and free radical cell damage while boosting immune function.
Along with inflammation-fighting polysaccharides, Chaga is rich in nitric oxide, which reduces cell inflammation. Additionally, Chaga can help regulate cytokine production, which strengthens cell communication and white blood cell production (2).
The terpenoids in Chaga have excellent anti-microbial and anti-viral capabilities that have been studied as a potential treatment for SARS-Cov-2 and other viral illnesses (3). By interacting with the virus receptors, terpenoids prevent viruses from attaching themselves to a host cell.
When beginning your Chaga routine, keep in mind that it will take around two to three weeks until you notice the full effects. Take two droppers (360mg) of Chaga extract daily in tea or other beverages to boost your overall health.
Lu, Yangpeng, Yanan Jia, Zihan Xue, Nannan Li, Junyu Liu, and Haixia Chen. 2021. “Recent Developments in Inonotus Obliquus (Chaga Mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application.” Polymers 13 (9): 1441. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13091441.
Alhallaf, Weaam, and Lewis B. Perkins. 2022. “The Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Chaga Extracts Obtained by Different Extraction Methods against LPS-Induced RAW 264.7.” Molecules 27 (13): 4207. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27134207.
Basal, Wesam Taha, Abdo Elfiky, and Jehane Eid. 2021. “Chaga Medicinal Mushroom Inonotus Obliquus (Agaricomycetes) Terpenoids May Interfere with SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Recognition of the Host Cell: A Molecular Docking Study.” International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms 23 (3): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1615/intjmedmushrooms.2021037942.
The Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is a powerful medicinal mushroom with several noted health benefits, such as immune modulation and anti-inflammatory properties. Commonly found on birch trees in colder climates, this conk mushroom has been used by traditional folk medicine throughout Russia and Siberia, yet modern studies back these health claims. Analysis of the fungi’s fruiting body has found that Chaga contains high antioxidant properties that can contribute to one’s overall wellness.
So why exactly are antioxidants so good for you?
Let’s take a step back and discuss free radicals, which are unstable, highly reactive molecules that can harm the molecular structure of cells. They can accumulate in the body through natural metabolic processes and external factors like smoking, pollution, and x-rays (1).
Since free radicals are unpaired electrons, they can add or remove electrons from other molecules in your body. Oxidative stress can occur when there is an imbalance between high free radicals in the body and low levels of antioxidant defenses. As a result, biological changes can manifest as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cataracts, and other diseases.
Antioxidants are beneficial to the body because they protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. The molecular structure of antioxidants is stable enough to donate an electron to a free radical cell, therefore neutralizing its reactivity. Antioxidant-rich functional mushrooms like Chaga can prevent free radical damage and support balance within the body on a molecular level.
An ORAC score is a way to measure the antioxidant content in food and supplements. The higher the ORAC score is, the more antioxidant capacity is present.
Here are a few superfoods Chaga stacks up against:
Chaga:
146,700 μ mol TE/100g
Acai berries:
102,700 μ mol TE/100g
Dark Chocolate:
20,816 μ mol TE/100g
Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum):
9,244 μ mol TE/100g
Blueberries:
4,669 μ mol TE/100g
ORAC is measured in units of micromoles of Trolox (μ mol TE) per 100 grams of food. Trolox is a water-soluble derivative of the vitamin E antioxidant that serves as a standard for measuring antioxidant capacity.
Chaga’s high ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) score of 146,700 μ mol TE/100g is nearly 50% higher than the Acai berry, which has a score of 102,700 μ mol TE/100g. The units of measurement may be confusing, but one thing is for sure – Chaga is undoubtedly high in antioxidants.
The antioxidant activity in Chaga makes the mushroom an adaptogen, which helps the body manage stress and adapt to external stressors to restore physiological balance. There are several kinds of antioxidant compounds in Chaga mushrooms, such as polyphenols, polysaccharides, melanin, and triterpenes. The variety of these bioactive compounds contributes to Chaga’s high ORAC score. Chaga’s antioxidant properties are known for a variety of health benefits:
Too many free radicals can compromise our body’s immunity by damaging immune cells. Clinical trials have found that antioxidants protect immune cells from being attacked, therefore keeping the immune system strong (2).
When blood sugar concentrations are too high, glucose oxidizes and becomes free radicals. This oxidative stress can contribute to the development and advancement of diabetes. Antioxidants stop this oxidization and help regulate glucose metabolism (3).
Studies have correlated oxidative stress and carcinogenesis, which is the formation of cancer cells. Chaga contains an antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutases which helps revert the cancer phenotype (4). As a result, the enzyme can regulate the progression of cancer cells by preventing more ones from mutating.
If you’re scavenging for your own Chaga, you can boil it in water and make a Chaga tea, but keep in mind that it will not have the full effect of all the antioxidant compounds because some of them are not water-soluble. To get the most out of Chaga, you will need to process it through a month-long dual extraction process which draws out compounds with a combination of alcohol and hot water extraction.
That’s why we recommend investing in a high-quality tincture such as Naturealm’s Chaga Mushroom Extract Tincture, which has already gone through the dual extraction method. Adding Chaga mushrooms to your supplement routine can be as easy as adding a few drops to your morning coffee or smoothie, giving you an antioxidant boost any time of the day.
Although oxidative stress is inevitable, we can take our wellness into our own hands through preventative care to keep our bodies in a regulated balance between free radicals and antioxidant compounds. Chaga might not be the prettiest medicinal mushroom out there, but it definitely packs a punch with its insanely high antioxidant quantity.
1.) Park, Yoo Kyoung, Hyang Burm Lee, Eun-Jae Jeon, Hack Sung Jung, and Myung-Hee Kang. 2004. “Chaga Mushroom Extract Inhibits Oxidative DNA Damage in Human Lymphocytes as Assessed by Comet Assay.” BioFactors 21 (1-4): 109–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/biof.552210120.
2.) Bendich, A. 1993. “Physiological Role of Antioxidants in the Immune System.” Journal of Dairy Science 76 (9): 2789–94. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(93)77617-1.
3.) Bajaj, Sarita, and Afreen Khan. 2012. “Antioxidants and Diabetes.” Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 16 (Suppl 2): S267-71. https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.104057.
Many mushroom products on the market today claim to provide health benefits like immune system support and improved energy. From turkey tail to chaga, cordyceps, and lion’s mane mushrooms, there are countless functional mushroom supplements to choose from.
So do these products actually work? Well, yes and no. Scientific research has confirmed many promising benefits from functional mushrooms, yet several sold products do not contain the active compounds that back these claims. When shopping for mushroom supplements, remember that not all of them are made equal.
The fruiting body of fungi is the actual mushroom that we see above ground. They come in many shapes and sizes depending on the mushroom species, but their primary function is to produce spores. Of course, mushrooms are only a small part of the entire fungal organism, yet they are responsible for the fungi’s reproductive structure. Since the fruiting body is exposed to external elements such as light, temperature, and nutrients, its composition is entirely different than the mycelium that branches below it.
Mushroom life cycle
Mycelium is the unseen part of the fungi that branches underground into substrate or wood. It is composed of tiny thread-like structures of mycelial cells called hyphae, similar to a plant’s roots. They stretch out into networks to absorb water and nutrients for the entire fungus. Although mushroom mycelia are tiny and unseen, they make up most of the fungal organism and can stretch out for miles.
In the mushroom life cycle, mushrooms start as spores, then colonize the ground and create mycelia. Once the mycelium network is established, the fungus makes the fruiting bodies of mushrooms when they are ready to reproduce for the cycle to begin again. Each part of the fungi serves a different purpose in the organism and is made of separate compounds. Therefore, their health benefits will vary depending on what part of the fungi is consumed.
There is a discourse in the supplement community on whether or not mushroom extracts are most effective when composed of mycelium versus fruiting bodies. Several mushroom powders and tinctures on the market make claims of health benefits, but which ones are truly effective?
Be warned – many products claim to provide the full benefits of their functional mushroom extracts. On the contrary, these claims tend to be marketing, as the supplements do not contain much nutritional value.
Take the case of the Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) supplements in a 2017 study where they found that only five out of nineteen samples contained relevant amounts of the beneficial compounds called polysaccharides and triterpenes. A large majority of the samples in the study were mycelium based (1).
Mycelium-based supplements are the go-to route for many brands because of their cheaper and easier production methods. Many products do not use pure mushroom mycelium in their supplements. Instead, the mycelium is grown on a grain substrate like corn or rye. The myceliated grain is then ground up and sold as a mycelium extract despite being primarily composed of fillers.
Growing mushrooms or harvesting them is significantly more laborious and time-consuming than adding the spores to a grain substrate and waiting only for the first stage of a fungi’s growth. Since these products are not made entirely of pure mycelium, they lose their value as functional mushroom supplements.
On the other hand, fruiting body extracts can cut corners in production and lose nutritional content in the process. Some mushroom powders use fillers that dilute the amount of fruiting body powder actually available while cutting the nutritive quality of the supplement.
Additionally, many compounds in mushrooms are not water soluble, though several mushroom tinctures sell medicinal mushrooms that have only been extracted through hot water. In contrast, high-quality tinctures process the medicinal mushrooms through dual extraction, which processes the mushrooms through both hot water and alcohol extraction.
The alcohol extraction allows the remainder of the compounds to be absorbed into the tincture solution, but the extraction process can take several weeks.
Mushroom fruiting bodies and pure mycelium have different medical applications because of their distinct qualities. Both share similar amounts of complete amino acid proteins; however, they have varied nutritional values and functions due to the different gene expressions and external conditions that occur during fruiting formation.
Mycelium typically generates higher amounts of vitamin D2. It has a slightly higher concentration of a compound called lovastatin, which is used as a medication to treat high cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
On the other hand, fruiting bodies are significantly higher in antioxidants to protect cells from damage and free radicals. Additionally, they have higher concentrations of polysaccharides like beta-glucans, which are backed by clinical studies to improve focus and mood, boost immune function, reduce inflammation, and support gut health (2).
Though both mycelium and fruiting bodies of fungi have beneficial compounds, fruiting bodies have significantly larger quantities of the bioactive compounds linked to health-improving benefits.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) orders mushroom supplement manufacturers to indicate whether the supplement is made from mycelium or fruiting bodies, stating that “Labeling should not suggest or imply that the food contains mushrooms.” Unfortunately, supplements use marketing with false claims to lure in buyers. Here are some things you should look out for when searching for a high-quality mushroom supplement:
● Confirm that the product is made from 100% fruiting bodies.
Some supplements will label themselves “full-spectrum,” meaning they contain a combination of mycelium and fruiting bodies. There’s no way to know the ratio of the mix, though, as the product could be made primarily of grain with a small percentage of actual mushrooms. Read the ingredients to make sure the product is clear about its components.
● Ensure the product is Certified Organic.
Mushrooms are incredibly porous and can absorb contaminants and pesticides. Organic supplements ensure the highest quality mushrooms are used in the product.
● Examine the color of the product.
Mushroom powders and blends tend to be dark in color. Lighter powders may indicate a product that uses grain fillers.
● Smell and taste the product.
If the product has a starchy, grainy smell or taste like cereal or oatmeal, it’s likely to contain fillers. Legitimate supplements can smell earthy, musty, and even like chocolate depending on the species of mushrooms used.
● Look for brands that sell dual extraction tinctures.
Tinctures that go through the dual extraction process contain more beneficial compounds than those that only process through hot water. This extended process allows all of the compounds to be absorbed in the tincture, making it significantly more effective.
1.) Wu, Ding-Tao, Yong Deng, Ling-Xiao Chen, Jing Zhao, Anton Bzhelyansky, and Shao-Ping Li. 2017. “Evaluation on Quality Consistency of Ganoderma Lucidum Dietary Supplements Collected in the United States.” Scientific Reports 7 (August): 7792. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06336-3.
2.) Berger, Ralf G., Sven Bordewick, Nina-Katharina Krahe, and Franziska Ersoy. 2022. “Mycelium vs. Fruiting Bodies of Edible Fungi—a Comparison of Metabolites.” Microorganisms 10 (7): 1379. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10071379.
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Neither plant nor animal, each variety of mushroom has its own unique nutrient profile. Reishi mushrooms are potent healers. These fantastic fungi are known as the “mushroom of immortality” in Eastern cultures, thanks to their health benefits to mind and body.
Western medicine is only beginning to acknowledge mushrooms clinically, but luckily for us, mushrooms are everywhere and ready to boost your brain. One of the easiest ways to add functional and medicinal mushrooms to your diet is through supplements or as additions to your favorite dishes already.
Mushroom cells contain chitin, a polysaccharide that our bodies can’t digest. To access the full benefits, we have to steep the dried mushroom pieces. Once we do, our bodies will be able to absorb the beta-glucans and triterpenes that make the goodness possible.
This process is called decoction, or the act of extracting the essence of something. In this case, all we need is some hot water.
Use a food processor or spice grinder to break down your dried pieces. You’re looking to break down the pieces to about half-inch or quarter-inch bits. You don’t want to pulverize it into a mushroom powder!
Add the mushroom bits to a pot and cover in water. How many cups of water you need will depend on how many mushrooms you have. Bring the water to a boil and turn to low, simmering gently for 30 minutes to up two hours. The longer you simmer in boiling water, the stronger the tea.
If it’s your first time using dried Reishi, I’ll mention the bitter taste before you proceed. Some find it invigorating and others, well, prefer to consume Reishi alongside other flavors. If you want to liven up your tea, you can add other flavors to the pot. Ginger slices and lemon slices are delicious.
Scoop out your Reishi bits and any other ingredients in the simmering pot. Cool and store in an airtight container or consume right away. Congratulations, you made Reishi mushroom tea! Serve with a natural sweetener, like honey or maple syrup, and there you have it! Your very own Reishi mushroom tea recipe.
Now, no matter how much I love fresh Reishi tea, making my own on the go isn’t always possible. When you lack the time to go through the hours-long decoction process, there are ways to make sure you’re not missing out on your routine.
Here are three teas I love adding Naturealm Reishi Tincture to for a calming pick-me-up.
If your digestive system needs soothing, ginger and Reishi are a natural superfood pairing for gut health. Ginger aids with bloating and nausea, while Reishi mushrooms create better bacteria in your stomach. Research from Nature Communications found that, like ginger, Reishi is an anti-inflammatory agent. This is one of my go-to tea varieties when my stomach feels less than great.
If you could use a revitalizing, caffeine-free boost, this is your pairing. Good Earth’s blend of herbal and black tea contains rosehip, lemongrass, cinnamon chamomile, peppermint, jasmine green tea, anise seed, ginger root, orange peel, and orange oil.
I love adding my Reishi Tincture to this blend because it pairs nicely with the notes of cinnamon and orange. I opt for this combination when I need a midday pick-me-up.
I did, indeed, save the best for last. The Lemon Zinger is my personal favorite tea pairing with our Reishi Tincture. Anyone who’s had a Zinger flavor from Celestial Seasonings before knows what I’m talking about. This is a perfect blend for the first cup of the day or a mid-morning break.
The lemon pairs so brightly with Reishi, it feels like sunshine in a cup. And I feel like sunshine after having one.
You can find our Reishi Mushroom Tincture on our website! It’s made with USDA-certified organic Reishi fruit bodies grown on a small farm in California. We use 100% mushrooms and nothing else.
Our dual-extraction process ensures that every ounce of nutritional value from the Reishi is distilled into this potent liquid extract.
Reishi has been proven to support the immune system. It promotes the body’s defense against pathogens and also helps to de-regulate the immune system to avoid inflammation. Inflammation is one of the most chronic, intense forms of pain in the body.
The triterpenes in Reishi’s active compounds have been found to support blood pressure and manage cholesterol. Studies have also noted the increase in oxygen consumption and blood flow to the heart. The antioxidants found in Reishi also protect cells against damage from free radicals.
Reishi is incredible at balancing our two major stress hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. Research from a clinical trial, published in J Med Food, has shown that regularly ingesting Reishi leads to less anxiety, restful sleep, and mental clarity.
Reishi mushrooms were considered tonics in Traditional Chinese Medicine, something to be consumed daily to gain the fullest health benefits. This restorative mushroom is one you don't want to leave off your holistic health list.]]>Welcome to the world of adaptogen mushrooms! Some are all about your brain function. Others are here for your nervous system. Most boost your immune system. All of them are about restoration and regeneration.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Eastern medicine have incorporated medicinal mushrooms for centuries. Mushroom supplements have grown in popularity over the last ten years thanks to modern research's willingness to include mushrooms in studies. The clinical evidence gained in these confirms the historical reverence of functional mushrooms.
Editor's note: Adaptogen mushrooms are also referred to as nootropics. Nootropics are substances or herbs that enhance mental health. A nootropic stack can include more than just mushrooms.
Different mushrooms target different areas of the body and mind. One of the most common questions is, "Can you take multiple mushroom supplements at once?" You can and should. When combined or "stacked," mushrooms work collaboratively on your body and mind. Each mushroom brings its unique flair to each combination.
The right mushroom stack for you is about what you seek.
As you can see, the combinations are endless! A blended supplement strategy is a go-to way to consume functional mushrooms. That's part of the reason we launched our Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder.
Our mushroom powder is an equal blend of seven real mushrooms: Chaga, Cordyceps, Lion's Mane, Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake, and Turkey Tail. We recommend a 1000mg/day dosage, from which you'd get 143mg of each mushroom.
Three popular supplement combinations are Reishi and Chaga, Lion's Mane and Reishi, and Lion's Mane and Cordyceps. With Sacred 7, you're adding Turkey Tail for immunity, Maitake for energy, and Shiitake for nutrition to these powerful combinations.
We preserve the mushrooms' adaptogenic, longevity-promoting compounds because we use only whole organic fruiting bodies. They're also organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and keto-friendly. You can buy our USDA Organic Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder on Amazon or our website.
So, what does each type of mushroom in Sacred 7 offer?
Chaga mushrooms grow on the bark of Birch trees in cold climates. Per studies in the National Library of Medicine, Chaga is a friend to the immune system and promotes immune function. Rich in antioxidants, Chaga also boosts immunity, fights inflammation, and lowers cholesterol. It may benefit skin tone and texture based on its triterpenes, betulinic acid, melanin, and other unique compounds.
Cordyceps mushrooms are traditionally grown at high altitudes. Another "all-healer" variety, research shows that cordyceps improve energy, stamina, and libido by boosting ATP production. They also help regulate sleeping patterns, are cognition-enhancers, and aid with asthma, per studies in the National Library of Medicine. They are also known to carry beta-glucan polysaccharides, known for their immune system-based benefits.
A champion of nerve and brain health, Lion's Mane mushrooms contain triterpenes, hericenone, and erinacine. Both affect mental clarity, nerve growth factor, and immune support. Research studies found that it may protect against dementia and reduce mild anxiety symptoms. Studies also prove its gastroprotective properties, especially regarding ulcers, stomach cancers, IBS, and menstrual pain.
Also known as hen-of-the-woods, maitake mushrooms is a popular culinary mushroom superfood in addition to being a part of the Sacred 7 blend. Maitake mushrooms also contain polysaccharides that can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) without affecting good cholesterol (HDL) levels. A practical solution in diabetes management, maitake is also proven to lower blood sugar levels.
Reishi is consistently used in dietary supplements and extract powders of medicinal mushrooms thanks to its health benefits and neuroprotective properties. Research links Reishi mushrooms to white blood cell production, which helps fight infection. In addition to immune function and cognitive performance, Reishi mushrooms support gut health. A 2017 study even found evidence that Reishi suppresses breast cancer cell growth.
A deliciously gourmet variety, Shiitake is one of the best mushrooms attributed to longevity through research. Like Reishi, it boosts white blood cell production and high-quality immune function. Similar to Maitake, Shiitake mushrooms support healthy blood glucose levels. It's also high in Vitamin D2, copper, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Turkey Tail mushrooms grow on stumps and decomposing wood and turn decay into medicinal gold. High in antioxidants and loaded with prebiotics to support gut health, Turkey Tail is even linked in various studies to helping specific cancer treatments. It's a powerful wellness tonic in traditional medicine.
We only understand a fraction of the power mushrooms holds. The network of mycelium connecting not just fungi but also trees and plants is a great natural system. We learn more daily, powered by work from mycologist pioneers like Dr. Andrew Weil and Paul Stamets. It's a great time to consider functional mushrooms in your routine.
]]>Our Naturealm Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is an equal blend of seven real mushrooms: Chaga, Cordyceps, Lion's Mane, Maitake, Reishi, Shiitake, and Turkey Tail. We preserve the mushrooms' adaptogenic, longevity-promoting compounds because we use only whole organic fruiting bodies. They're also organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and keto-friendly.
We only harvest whole mushroom fruiting bodies, never mycelium-on-grain or fillers. Our blend is analytically tested and lab-verified for beta-glucan, guaranteeing to have at least 20% beta-glucans in every serving. The recommended dosage for Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is 700mg/day, from which you'd get 100mg of each mushroom.
The Sacred 7 Organic Mushroom Extract Capsules have a serving size of three capsules, with 150mg of each mushroom blend in each capsule. All Naturealm products are USDA certified Organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers.
In general, mushroom extract powder is a concentrated supplement made from mushrooms that have been dried and finely ground. Extract powder can be blended into beverages or sprinkled on food like salads. Our extract blend is especially powdery for better blending into smoothies, coffee, tea, workout protein shakes, and more.
We use only 100% whole fruiting bodies instead of mycelium-on-grain. Mycelium-on-grain is mainly a useless starch. Our hot water extraction process, using ultra-purified water, breaks down the mushrooms' cell walls to optimize the bioavailable of beneficial compounds. This process yields nutrient-dense mushrooms with high beta-glucan content.
Chaga mushrooms grow on the bark of Birch trees in cold climates. Per studies in the National Library of Medicine, Chaga is a friend to the immune system and promotes immune function. Rich in antioxidants, Chaga also boosts immunity, fights inflammation, and lowers cholesterol. It may benefit skin tone and texture based on its triterpenes, betulinic acid, melanin, and other unique compounds.
Cordyceps mushrooms are traditionally grown at high altitudes. Another "all-healer" variety, research shows that cordyceps improve energy, stamina, and libido. It also helps regulate sleeping patterns, is a cognitive enhancer, and aids with asthma, per studies in the National Library of Medicine.
A champion of brain and nerve health, Lion's Mane mushrooms contain triterpenes hericenone and erinacine. Both affect mental clarity and immune support. Research studies found that it may protect against dementia and reduce mild anxiety symptoms. Studies also prove its gastroprotective properties, especially regarding ulcers, stomach cancers, IBS, and menstrual pain.
Also known as hen-of-the-woods, maitake mushrooms is a popular culinary mushroom superfood in addition to being a part of the Sacred 7 blend. Maitake mushrooms also contain polysaccharides that can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) without affecting good cholesterol (HDL) levels. A practical solution in diabetes management, maitake is also proven to lower blood sugar levels.
Reishi is consistently used in dietary supplements and extract powders of medicinal mushrooms thanks to its health benefits. Research links Reishi mushrooms to white blood cell production, which helps fight infection. In addition to immune function and cognitive performance, Reishi mushrooms support gut health. A 2017 study even found evidence that Reishi suppresses breast cancer cell growth.
A deliciously gourmet variety, Shiitake is one of the best mushrooms attributed to longevity through research. Like Reishi, it boosts white blood cell production and high-quality immune function. Similar to Maitake, Shiitake mushrooms support healthy blood glucose levels. It's also high in Vitamin D2, copper, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Turkey Tail mushrooms grow on stumps and decomposing wood and turn decay into medicinal gold. High in antioxidants and loaded with prebiotics to support gut health, Turkey Tail is even linked in various studies to helping specific cancer treatments. It's a powerful wellness tonic in traditional medicine.
The Naturealm Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder is versatile. Whether you're looking to incorporate mushroom supplements for cognitive function or support weight loss, our easy-to-mix powder fits your routine. Here are a few suggestions from fans!
You can buy our USDA Organic Sacred 7 Mushroom Extract Powder on Amazon or our website.
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Excuse our tone, but what the heck is happening to the mushroom supplement industry?
The ordinary mushroom supplement user probably isn't acutely aware of how to spell each of the Latin names of the mushrooms they take. Maybe they should be, and fast.
Everything underlined on this label is spelled wrong. Feel free to google the underlined Latin names, and google will surely return with "Did you mean [correctly spelled name]?"
Half of the names of the mushrooms in this product are misspelled. Does this product actually contain any mushrooms at all? I doubt it! Is it safe for consumption? I wouldn’t consume this if you paid me.
OK, so there’s one terrible product out there. Big deal.
No. We found this EXACT SAME label and many close variations on dozens of other products! There is an absolute slew of them between Amazon and Facebook ads. Something weird is going on.
Which shady, morally-bankrupt “supplier” is dishing out this fake label full of misspellings to the countless fly-by-night grifter companies who are willing to buy it?
The whole thing is discouraging. It’s sad that mushrooms have gone the way of CBD. We’re not anti-CBD; it’s just that the CBD market has gotten insanely spammy and full of misleading marketing, false claims, and fake products.
It’s unfortunate that so many consumers read or hear about mushrooms, but can’t do the proper due diligence on the products they’re putting in their bodies.
It seems that many consumers assume that if something’s for sale on Amazon or Facebook then it must be safe and legitimate at least to some degree. Not even close.
It’s never been easier to start a generic supplement company. Any used car salesman can google ingredient wholesalers, purchase their turnkey products, label, packaging and all, and they’re off the races.
We’re not saying that every supplement company who offers a mushroom product has to share our passion for mushrooms. It’s understandable to want to add mushrooms to your product line because you realize they’re healthy and people want them.
But at least have the decency to buy them from a reputable, high-quality supplier. And for goodness sake, at least spell them right!
Having them all spelled wrong is extremely concerning. If there’s that little effort being put into the label (marketing is the only thing these companies even have to do), then there’s definitely no effort to ensure the quality of those ingredients.
It’s more important than ever to make sure the supplements you’re using are from companies with integrity. Labels like the one pictured here are likely not made by companies with integrity.
Hopefully consumers continue to become more educated about mushrooms and gain the ability to see through low-quality, copy & paste mystery products like these.
Until then we'll keep offering products we painstakingly formulated and developed ourselves because we saw real value in them. Products that are produced in cGMP facilities and subject to all of the rigors of high-end organic certifications and extremely stringent, upstanding copackers. Products we actually use ourselves every day. Products with correctly spelled Latin mushroom names.
]]>When you have a goal of getting in shape, don’t think that you need to be at a gym in order to do so. Although being in a gym is ideal, it may not be possible for everyone, especially during the time we’re living in right now.
Luckily, you can still get in shape and maintain your fitness by building your own home gym with some basic equipment. Let’s go over what’s ideal to use for your home gym, what the benefits of each are for you to get and stay in shape:
1. Your Body
Bodyweight exercises have a place in any and every workout routine. No matter what your fitness levels are, bodyweight training is beneficial and effective.
Exercises such as pushups, chin-ups, squats, lunges, jumps, and plank variations are incredible at building strength, increasing muscular endurance, improving your athleticism, stability, and balance.
Bodyweight training also builds relative strength. Being strong and moving big weight is great and all, but you also want to have the strength relative to your bodyweight. What good is benching 400+lbs if you can’t perform a single pushup or a proper lunge?
Bodyweight exercises gives you feedback on how you’re progressing with your physique. If you’re on a bulk and have been gaining weight, your performance on pushups and chin-ups will reflect whether or not you’re gaining any extra fat.
If you’re gaining weight and the amount of reps you’re doing is staying the same or increasing? Awesome, you’re building muscle and improving your muscular endurance. If not, then you’re probably gaining too much fat.
And if you’ve been sitting all day in front of the computer, I would recommend taking breaks and doing some bodyweight movements in between.
Do 10 reps of the following exercises:
Pushups
Wall Slides
Squats
Glute Bridge off a wall
Reverse Lunges
Given all these reasons, bodyweight training is a no-brainer to be doing at home.
2. Resistance Bands
One of my other favorite pieces of exercise equipment to use are resistance bands. They’re small, compact, and you can perform a wide variety of exercises with them. Even though bodyweight training is great, you’re limited to the amount of exercises and muscles you can target directly.
Resistance bands are great because they allow you to target all different muscle groups, and the resistance feels completely different than using your bodyweight or any weights. You can also use bands to add resistance to other exercises as well, such as pushups, squats, presses, and rows with weight, making them more difficult.
When working out at home, bands are a great piece of equipment to use. When selecting which ones to get, I recommend compact resistance bands and loop resistance bands.
Here are two I recommend:
Compact resistance bands
Loop Resistance bands
3. Dumbbells
Compared to barbells, dumbbells are a much better tool for in-home workouts. They take up less space and you can do more movements with them.The difference between a barbell and dumbbell is that a barbell is a long straight bar which you can load plates on. With dumbbells, think of them as a short barbell and you can hold them with one hand, and they’re usually fixed weights.
Depending on some exercises, dumbbells can be also way more challenging than their barbell counterparts. I love using dumbbells because of their versatility. You can do unilateral movements, load bodyweight exercises, and can chain together an awesome fat loss circuit with just a single dumbbell.
4. Jump Rope
One of the easiest tools you can use to improve your cardio and conditioning. It’s low impact, burns fat, and you can do it from anywhere.
The reason why I love the jump rope as a conditioning tool is because it’s so effective in improving your cardio. It’s a great way to warm up before your workouts, getting your body core temperature up, and increasing your blood flow beforehand. Jumping rope at the end of your workouts can also provide a nice fat burn effect to top things off.
Another benefit of jumping rope is the improved coordination and athleticism. As we continue to age, we lose both of those things. By jumping rope and performing the different types of moves, you can maintain and improve your coordination and athleticism.
Here are some ways you can jump:
-Regular jumps
-Double Unders
-Single Leg
-Running Man
-Criss-Cross
Here’s a clip going over several movements you can do
Final Thoughts:
If you’re trying to get in shape, don’t think you need to be in a gym. You can still get a great workout at home using your body, a set of bands, a set of dumbbells, and a jump rope. Simply focus on the basic movements and strive to improve each week. If you do so consistently, you’ll get in shape and have the body that you want.
Tim Liu is an online fitness and nutrition coach who helps busy people lose fat and build muscle without having to live in the gym. You can find him on his website at www.timliufitness.com and on Instagram at timliufitness.
A Japanese study from March 2019 study points to yes, Lion's Mane mushrooms really can help improve the brain.
It found that oral intake of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) fruiting body "significantly improved cognitive function and prevented deterioration" (1).
The study was randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and lasted for 12 weeks. It subjected participants to three different tests to measure cognition.
Note that Lion's Mane fruiting body was used as the supplement in the study, NOT mycelium.
The study states, "Oral intake of H. erinaceus [Lion's Mane] is a safe and convenient method for dementia prevention", citing hericenones and the way they affect the brain's neural networks in positive ways, such as increasing the neuropeptide Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). Hericenones increase NGF safely and naturally, and other studies point to it being an effective adjunct for Parkinson's disease, among other uses.
Multiple hericenones have been identified including hericenone A, B and I. Lion's Mane Fruiting body is also rich in beta-glucans.
While cardiovascular disease is known as the most lethal disease in the West, cognitive problems are a very pervasive issue in aging countries like the United States. Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease are extremely debilitating, and the loss of cognitive function in dementia is equally devastating for those affected.
More studies will continue to explore whether Lion's Mane may be able to assist in the prevention and the treatment of cognitive disease. So far it looks promising.
1. Yuusuke SAITSU, Akemi NISHIDE, Kenji KIKUSHIMA, Kuniyoshi SHIMIZU, Koichiro OHNUKI. 2019. Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus. Biomedical Research Volume 40, Issue 4, Pages 125-131. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.40.125
[Photo: Petra Illig]
Rhodiola is a powerful and well-researched adaptogenic herb. Check out some recent Rhodiola studies:
This study found anti-gastric cancer effects from Salidroside, a compound found in Rhodiola. Salidroside appears to elevate the expression of certain genes which help fight gastric cancers (1).
This study also focused on Salidroside, this time with regard to how it may protect neurons from Parkinson's Disease via a mitochondrial pathway (2).
Pro-inflammatory cytokines are proteins your immune system secretes to send signals in your body. While they have many functions, they are strongly associated with muscle atrophy (or wasting). This study found that Salidroside may be valuable in reducing the inflammation and muscle-destroying effects of cytokines (3).
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Well, here it goes.
We used to have two varieties of Sacred 7: Original and Chocolate.
Now Sacred 7 Original is the only variety that exists. Chocolate was discontinued and its inventory was depleted by early 2019.
There are no added ingredients whatsoever in Sacred 7. The product is 100% mushrooms, and its smell and taste result from natural characteristics of the mushrooms. Something smelling chocolately doesn't necessarily mean there is any chocolate in it.
Smell and taste can be extremely deceiving. Take vanilla extract for example. Vanillin is the chemical responsible for the smell and taste of vanilla. It exists in nature. We typically think of vanilla extract’s most common recipe: vanilla beans steeped in alcohol. However, the vast majority of vanilla extracts were not made with any vanilla beans. They are most commonly made from guaiacol, a chemical derived from creosote flowers. Chemically similar fake vanilla flavor can also be derived from clove oil, pine bark, coal tar, bran, and even cow dung. Yet you will munch away on your 'Nilla Wafers and sip your cream soda believing with all your heart's content that the vanilla flavor you are enjoying is authentic.
This is meant to illustrate a simple point: our senses fool us easily and often.
Now enter chocolate. Chocolate is made from the cacao bean. About 600 various compounds including terpenes, alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and pyrazines have all been identified as odor‐active components (the things responsible for smell and taste) in cacoa beans. Many of these compounds are not exclusively found in cacoa beans. They’re found in many different plant, and likely mushroom, species in nature.
Professor Schieberle studies the odor receptors in the nose, as well as other ways in which we perceive smell and taste. In his research at the Institute for Food Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich, he frequently mimics chocolate flavors with recombinates (groups of chemically similar compounds), and taste testers can almost never tell the difference. Schieberle states that “To make a very good cocoa aroma, you need only 25 of the nearly 600 volatile compounds present in the beans”. This makes it pretty clear that something can seem chocolately without being chocolate at all.
When we first developed Sacred 7 back in 2015, we bought powders of all seven mushroom species from a grower and mixed them by hand in a tub. We couldn't believe the result. "Wow, these smell so good, almost like chocolate" was basically the first thing we said. We trusted the supplier we bought them from, and when we later replicated the blend from a different supplier, it still smelled chocolately.
But a few early reviewers of Sacred 7 still said it tasted gross - like mushrooms. So we had the brilliant (horrible in hindsight) idea to make a version of Sacred 7 with a little bit of added cocoa powder - Sacred 7 Chocolate . We wanted to embellish the amazing chocolate notes which were naturally present in the mushrooms. We weren't deceptive about this in any way. We clearly stated on the label how much mushroom powder and how much cocoa powder were in the product. 700 mg mushrooms and 300 mg cocoa powder per gram. We still offered Sacred 7 Original alongside the new Chocolate variety, and we even made Sacred 7 Chocolate much cheaper to account for the cocoa powder (which is cheaper than the mushrooms).
But since Original already naturally smelled chocolately, some folks started to cry foul, believing they were receiving Chocolate by mistake, or that we were somehow adding cocoa powder to both varieties of the product to make more money.
Ultimately we discontinued Sacred 7 Chocolate because it caused too much confusion. But many of our bad Amazon reviews have been persistent, and seem to have led to a sort of confirmation bias where people read the bad cocoa reviews, buy the product anyway, and then when they receive it they say, "Yep, it's true, this is just filled with cocoa powder"!
We don't even blame the people who do this because we agree with them - the blend smells chocolately. It always has. But there's nothing we can do about it. Trust us, if there was any hidden cocoa powder to remove from the formula, we would have loved to take it out a long time ago. That's exactly why we killed Sacred 7 Chocolate - we heard people loud and clear that they didn't like it. We thought they would like it, but they didn't, so we discontinued it. Today the product is just mushrooms, and there is nothing else we can remove to change its sensory characteristics.
On the Sacred 7 Amazon listing we clearly recommend the product for canine use. Chocolate is toxic to dogs, and we would never recommend the product if it were harmful to them. Countless healthy dogs who use the product are further proof that it does not contain cocoa powder.
Once more, Sacred 7 Original does not, and has never, contained cocoa powder. The only Sacred 7 product that ever contained cocoa was called Sacred 7 Chocolate, and cocoa powder was clearly listed as an ingredient on the bag. We would never add any ingredients to our products without listing them on the bag.
Aside from being a giant violation of our integrity, there’s no possible way our manufacturing facility would ever let that happen. Sacred 7 is made at an SQF certified facility whose quality protocols are extremely rigorous. They are liable for what they manufacture, and they would never let their customers put random unlisted ingredients in products. All of our product’s labels will always detail exactly which ingredients are in them.
We're an extremely small team and we care about our customers, our products, our company. Every time we see a one-star Amazon review viciously attacking us and our integrity... it hurts.
To summarize:
If you actually read all this you're amazing. We hate being negative. We just felt we had to address this issue candidly and extensively. We appreciate the trust of all of our wonderful customers and we would never do anything to compromise it.
Sincerely, and with gratitude,
Kevin and Brandon
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The science is overwhelming that Lion's Mane is gastro-protective. In other words, it may be great for gut health!
A 2019 study found that a Lion's Mane extract inhibited the growth of H. pylori (the bacteria known for causing stomach ulcers) (1).
A 2018 study found found a polysaccharide in Lion's Mane to have gastroprotective activity as well as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (2).
A 2016 study found a Lion's Mane extract got rid of ulcerative colitis in mice by suppressing inflammation (3).
A 2013 study found that an extract of Lion's Mane protected the gastric mucosa of the mice (4).
A 2017 study found that a polysaccharide in Lion's Mane prevented oxidative stress in vitro in human gastric epithelial cells (5).
An emerging theme in health science is the interconnection of the brain and gut. All kinds of psychological and neurological issues like depression and even neurodegenerative diseases are being linked to the gut microbiome.
Brain fog? That could be because you have a bacterial overgrowth. That bacteria is producing lactic acid which is creating inflammation and potentially causing disease, in addition to making it harder to think clearly.
Your gut is packed with neural tissue. It's how your stomach and your brain communicate to tell your stomach to secrete its acids to help you digest your food; or how hormones like leptin and ghrelin are sent between your brain and other tissues to regulate your appetite.
Gut health is absolutely critical to brain health. If one has issues, they probably both do. And conversely, if health is promoted in one, health is probably also promoted in the other; they are that interrelated. It's not a coincidence that Lion's Mane may have profound benefits on the health of both your brain and stomach.
In the West, we're very focused on productivity and how we can take supplements to improve it. In recent years there has been a big focus on nootropics and brain-boosting supplements. But sometimes, the best way to improve brain health is to improve gastric health since the two are intrinsically linked.
1. Wang, GE, Zhang, Xiumin, Maier, Susan E, Zhang, Liping, Maier, Robert J. Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori by Ethanolic Extracts of Lion's Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, Volume 21, 2019 Issue 1. Pages 1-11.
2. Xiao-Yin Wang, Jun-Yi Yin, Ming-Ming Zhao, Shi-Yu Liu, Shao-Ping Nie, Ming-Yong Xie, Gastroprotective activity of polysaccharide from Hericium erinaceus against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesion and pylorus ligation-induced gastric ulcer, and its antioxidant activities, Carbohydrate Polymers, Volume 186,
2018, Pages 100-109, ISSN 0144-8617.
3. Qin, Mingming, et. al. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ethanol Extract of Lion’s Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Agaricomycetes), in Mice with Ulcerative Colitis, International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v18.i3.50
pages 227-234.
4. Wong JY, Abdulla MA, Raman J, et al. Gastroprotective Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae) Extract against Ethanol-Induced Ulcer in Rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:492976. doi:10.1155/2013/492976
5. Wang M, Kanako N, Zhang Y, Xiao X, Gao Q, Tetsuya K. A unique polysaccharide purified from Hericium erinaceus mycelium prevents oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in human gastric mucosa epithelium cell. PLoS One. 2017;12(7):e0181546. Published 2017 Jul 24. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181546
Don't worry - there's a mushroom for that:
This December 2018 study states, “We found that the mushroom Grifola frondosa (maitake) exhibited mercury adsorption capacity”. It showed that the maitake accelerated the decline of blood mercury, and also promoted the elimination of it by the liver and kidneys. The study used a hot water extraction of fruit bodies.
Heavy metal buildup can cause all kinds of awful symptoms like chronic lethargy, brain fog and cognitive problems, and even flu-like symptoms with higher toxicity. There are lots of “detox diet” foods, but few with actual research supporting their use for eliminating heavy metals. It’s great to have a tool with real science behind it like maitake mushroom to assist in eliminating mercury and potentially other metals from the body.
As we learn again and again, mushrooms have a very wide scope of health-promoting benefits. There are surely countless applications which science hasn’t uncovered yet.
1. Zhang W, Jiang X, Zhao S, et al. A polysaccharide-peptide with mercury clearance activity from dried fruiting bodies of maitake mushroom Grifola frondosa. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):17630. Published 2018 Dec 4. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-35945-9
]]>The health of your intestines is undoubtedly important - they make up an incredibly complex system that communicates with your brain, giving and receiving feedback, creating hormonal responses, turning on and off genes, and more. Gut health also has all kinds of correlations with disease. "Disease starts in the gut" is a phrase which is reverberating through the medical community.
As more science commentary and public discourse begin to highlight these concepts, more people are trying to somehow take advantage of this information to improve their own health.
This leads to using probiotic supplements. But it's possible that supplemental probiotic use isn't good for you, as found recently in a journal called Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology. It looks like a small study, but its results were upsetting. The bacteria in the probiotic supplements colonized the patients' small intestines TOO effectively.
Bacteria live by breaking down sugar and producing lactic acid. If there are too many bacteria living in the gut, they can produce a glut of lactic acid which can be toxic to brain cells, ultimately causing "brain fog". The patients in the study had way too much lactic acid in their blood and it was very clearly harming their cognitive function and ability to think clearly.
The article cautions against "excessive and indiscriminate use" of probiotics, which is wise. It notes there are times when supplemental probiotics are a great tool - like when one needs to replenish stomach flora from a strong course of antibiotics. But they should be treated more like a drug and less like a supplement.
We've seen supplement use play out this way time and time again. One isolated ingredient or compound is touted to have health benefits, everyone starts taking it, and later finds out it had more negative effects than positive effects.
We stand by our mushroom supplements because they're made directly from "superfoods" - organic mushrooms. When supplements are food-based it's easier for the body to assimilate the nutrients because they're packaged as nature intended. Consuming large amounts of heavily isolated ingredients - like a specific strain of bacteria - can create imbalances like we see in this study. A much safer and more effective way to optimize gut health is to eat and drink fermented foods like kimchi and kombucha. Just be very cautious with the supplements you take!
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, ”Probiotic Use is a Link Between Brain Fogginess and Severe Bloating.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 6 August 2018. <http://neurosciencenews.com/probiotics-brain-fog-bloating-9659/>.
Lion’s Mane - A Super-functional Medicinal Mushroom
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceum) is an incredible mushroom which is as delicious as it is medicinal. It has traditionally been consumed as both a food and a medicine in East Asia. Now it’s finally getting recognition as a powerful functional food in the West. An absolute wealth of bioactive compounds have been identified in it including polysaccharides, erinacines, hericerins, hericenones, resorcinols, mono and diterpenes, and aroma compounds. Lion’s Mane is most commonly touted as a brain health mushroom, a sort of nootropic neuro-supercharger. While this may be true, we wanted to briefly explore what other health benefits the research suggests this mushroom may have.
Lion’s Mane and Bone Health
This 2017 study looked at 11 different compounds in Lion’s Mane. Three of the compounds had a strong cellular antioxidant effect, and four more compounds had strong anti-osteoporotic activity (1). “...results suggested that H. erinaceum could be utilized in the development of natural antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic nutraceuticals and functional foods”. So Lion’s Mane is an antioxidant - you could have guessed that - but it may actually improve bone health as well by interfering with some of the processes which cause osteoporosis (bone loss).
Lion’s Mane and Stomach Health - Treatment of Irritable Bowel Disease with Lion’s Mane Extract
This 2016 study was done on mice with upset tummies. In fact, the mice had acute intestinal inflammation and bleeding. They were given a Lion’s Mane extract which drastically improved their stomachs. It reduced the build-up of bad stuff in their colons and improved the health of their mucous membranes and stomach linings, thereby reducing the inflammation and bleeding. The Lion’s Mane also seemed to fix the production of other compounds in the mice’s stomachs which naturally reduced oxidative stress. The study ultimately concluded that Lion’s Mane extract may be used as a protective agent against irritable bowel disease (IBD) (2).
Another study in rodents showed that Lion’s Mane reduced the severity of ulcers in a significant way. Again, it protected the mucosa, an important part of the stomach, and the study declared that compounds in Lion’s Mane extract may have gastroprotective activity (3).
Lion’s Mane and Obesity
Metabolic diseases are finally becoming better understood. Many experts believe cancer is actually a metabolic disease. Diabetes is another metabolic disease, as is obesity. Obesity is the culmination of many factors. However, like many diseases, inflammation in the affected tissues is the underlying cause of obesity. In the case of obesity, the adipose tissue is actually what gets inflamed. This study from 2015 looked at the effects of Lion’s Mane extract on adipocytes, or fat cells. The study concludes, “ Our findings indicate the possibility that H. erinaceus [Lion’s Mane] exerts anti-inflammatory effects...and prevents or ameliorates adipose tissue inflammation associated with obesity” (4). So, we have to go there... Lion’s Mane extract may just help with fat loss.
Lion’s Mane and Cancer
Another 2015 study identified two new compounds in Lion’s Mane and looked at five others with regard for their anticancer activities. It found that one of the newly identified compounds called Hericerin A, along with with previously recognized heracerin, may both be useful as potential cancer treatments (5).
Another study looked at Lion’s Mane and its ability to stave off lung cancer in mice. The mushroom extract had a number of very positive effects including eliciting cancer cell death and preventing metastasis, or growth of the cancer (6).
This study found that Lion’s Mane may help fight leukemia, again by causing apoptosis (cell death) of the cancer cells. It went on to conclude that “The results indicate that H. erinaceus [Lion’s Mane] mushrooms may have therapeutic potential against human leukemia” (7).
Lion’s Mane and Neuro Benefits
Lion’s Mane is an oft-purported nootropic - that’s arguably its main claim to fame since being introduced to the West as a dietary supplement. Since the brain is such a complex, dynamic organ, there are countless ways a nootropic could improve it. Therefore the term nootropic is actually quite vague. One way Lion’s Mane does appear to improve the brain is through neurogenesis. Compounds like hericenones and erinacines in Lion’s Mane appear to stimulate Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) which can promote the growth of nerve cells. One study found this to be the case, as it identified NGF synthesis in cells as a result of administering Lion’s Mane extract. While the mushroom showed nerve growth effects, it failed to yield neuroprotective benefits in cells exposed to oxidative stress. Still, the neurotrophic (growth) properties produced in the study are positive.
Clearly lions mane does some incredible things. Another study wrote “The reported health-promoting properties of the mushroom fruit bodies, mycelia, and bioactive pure compounds include antibiotic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, antifatigue, antihypertensive, antihyperlipodemic, antisenescence, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and neuroprotective properties and improvement of anxiety, cognitive function, and depression. The described anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and immunostimulating properties in cells, animals, and humans seem to be responsible for the multiple health-promoting properties.” (8). There is no more thorough way we could have elucidated the breadth of possible health benefits of Lion’s Mane mushroom.
All the studies referenced here used different amount of Lion’s Mane, different extracts, in different situations, with countless different variables that may or may not replicate the same way when you or I take our medicinal mushroom supplement in the morning. But the fact that it has shown to do all these things means that the effects could occur on a meta scale even with a lower dose. We believe a lot of the health benefits highlighted in the studies are tangible, and that Lion’s Mane mushroom is one of the most incredible functional foods in the world.
1. Li W, Lee SH, Jang HD, Ma JY, Kim YH. Antioxidant and Anti-Osteoporotic Activities of Aromatic Compounds and Sterols from Hericium erinaceum. Molecules. 2017;22(1):108. Published 2017 Jan 11. doi:10.3390/molecules22010108
2. Qin M, Geng Y, et. al. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ethanol Extract of Lion’s Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Agaricomycetes), in Mice with Ulcerative Colitis. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. Volume 18, 2016 Issue 3, pages 227-234. DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v18.i3.50
3.Wong JY, Abdulla MA, Raman J, et al. Gastroprotective Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae) Extract against Ethanol-Induced Ulcer in Rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:492976. doi:10.1155/2013/492976
4. Mori K, Ouchi K, et. al. The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Lion's Mane Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) in a Coculture System of 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and RAW264 Macrophages. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. Volume 17, 2015 Issue 7, pages 609-618. DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v17.i7.10
5. Wei Li, Wei Zhou, Eun-Ji Kim, Sang Hee Shim, Hee Kyoung Kang, Young Ho Kim, Isolation and identification of aromatic compounds in Lion’s Mane Mushroom and their anticancer activities, Food Chemistry, Volume 170, 2015, Pages 336-342, ISSN 0308-8146, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.08.078.
6. Sung Phil Kim, Seok Hyun Nam, and Mendel Friedman, Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) Mushroom Extracts Inhibit Metastasis of Cancer Cells to the Lung in CT-26 Colon Cancer-Tansplanted Mice. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2013 61 (20), 4898-4904, DOI: 10.1021/jf400916c.
7. Kim, Sung Phil and Kang, Mi Young and Choi, Yong Hee and Kim, Jae Ho and Nam, Seok Hyun and Friedman, Mendel, Mechanism of Hericium erinaceus (Yamabushitake) mushroom-induced apoptosis of U937 human monocytic leukemia cells. Food Funct. Volume 2, 2011 Issue 6, Pages 348-356. DOI: 10.1039/C1FO10030K
8. Friedman M, Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2015, 63, 32, 7108-7123. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02914.
]]>Reishi (or Lingzhi) mushroom is one of the oldest known health foods, with its use dating back to 300 B.C. in China. Reishi is a true panacea, with hundreds of bioactive compounds identified in scientific literature. Research suggests it can do everything from fighting cancer to improving sleep. Since touting every possible benefit of Reishi is beyond the scope of this article, we want to instead highlight just a few new pieces of research.
A 2017 study found evidence that Reishi suppresses breast cancer cell growth. It found that Reishi suppressed a certain signaling pathway called Wnt/β-catenin which is responsible for many types of cancer, including breast cancer. The study ultimately indicated that supplemental Reishi could be a potent inhibitor of breast cancer (1).
Another new study looked at immunoglobulin A (IgA) secretion in rats after they had taken Reishi powder. IgA helps mediate a number of the body’s protective functions, and is an important antibody that acts as the immune system’s first line of defense. It is secreted in large part by mucous membranes in different parts of the digestive track. The digestive system is often the first point of contact for pathogens, and its reaction often dictates whether or not the body gets overtaken and becomes sick from the pathogens. The study found that Reishi increased IgA secretion in the small intestines of the rats. Overall it concluded that Reishi might reduce the risk of intestinal infection (2).
Yet another study found that Reishi polysaccharides may have neuroprotective effects. It found that the polysaccharides down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoted anti-inflammatory expressions in microglia (an important type of cell that’s prevalent in the brain and spinal cord). Many neurodegenerative diseases are caused in part by inflammation. This study is exciting because it suggests that Reishi may have some ability to protect the nervous system by decreasing inflammation (3).
Inspiring research continues to be published about the therapeutic potential of Reishi. There are many recurring trends in the research about its anti-cancer, immunomodulating, and neuroprotective properties. Reishi is historically regarded highly as a superfood and a medicine for good reason. Hopefully more research about the mushroom continues to make its way into the mainstream so that more people can benefit from all it has to offer.
1. Zhang, Yu. "Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) suppresses proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells via inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Volume 488, Issue 4, 8 July 2017, Pages 679-684.
2. Kubota, Atsuhito, et al. Reishi mushroom Ganoderma lucidum Modulates IgA production and alpha-defensin expression in the rat small intestine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 214, 25 March 2018, Pages 240-243.
3. Cai Q, Li Y, Pei G. Polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum attenuate microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and modulate microglial phagocytosis and behavioural response. J Neuroinflammation. 2017;14(1):63. Published 2017 Mar 24. doi:10.1186/s12974-017-0839-0
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Maitake comes from the combination of two Japanese words - Mai (meaning dance) and Take (meaning mushroom). This may be a description of the fruiting bodies and how they overlap and appear to be in rhythm with one another. It’s also referred to as “Hen of the woods”, perhaps both for its appearance and its poultry-like characteristics when eaten. There is rich lore depicting times in Feudal Japan where Maitake was worth its weight in silver. The distinct locations where Maitake was prevalent were treated as fiercely guarded secrets, often passed down through generations.
Maitake has traditionally been coveted for culinary reasons - both its taste and texture are excellent. However only more recently has its nutritional merit been discovered in a more scientific way.
Certain polysaccharides like beta-glucans may be referred to as biological response modifiers, or even more loosely, adaptogens. These plant compounds work in stride with the body’s natural cellular defense systems to boost the immune system and fight cancers and tumor growth.
Maitake compounds don’t appear kill cancer or tumor cells directly, but they bolster the cellular systems which do. They also seemed to protect healthy cells from becoming cancerous by suppressing the systems which foster cancer growth (1).
These properties could make medicinal mushrooms an excellent complement to the traditional Western approaches to fighting cancer. Maitake extracts may work in conjunction with chemotherapy to preserve cellular integrity and reduce the damage it causes to healthy cells.
A very recent rodent study showed that the antioxidant capacity of polysaccharides in Maitake actually improved the rats’ brains (2). After supplementing with Maitake for 8 weeks, these older rats showed significant memory improvement on a standard test called the Morris Water Maze test. The study mentions superoxide dismutase, a powerful antioxidant enzyme, citing that its increase (among other antioxidants present in the mushroom) was consistent with the rats’ improved performance. This is exciting because it draws the conclusion that there may be real neuroprotective and brain-enhancing benefits to supplementing with Maitake.
1. Masuda Y, Inoue H, Ohta H, Miyake A, Konishi M, Nanba H.”Oral administration of soluble β-glucans extracted from Grifola frondosa induces systemic antitumor immune response and decreases immunosuppression in tumor-bearing mice”. Int J Cancer. 2013 Jul;133(1):108-19. doi: 10.1002/ijc.27999. Epub 2013 Feb 15. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23280601>
2. Chen Z, Tang Y, Liu A, Jin X, Zhu J, Lu X. “Oral administration of Grifola frondosa polysaccharides improves memory impairment in aged rats via antioxidant action”. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2017 Jul 28. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201700313. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28752930>
]]>Rhodiola rosea is quite literally legendary. It was used by the ancient Greeks and the mythological Argonauts - rhodiola was probably Hercules’ supplement of choice. The vikings, the Mongols, and Chinese emperors are all rumored to have derived great power from rhodiola rosea.
Rhodiola has a pleasant aroma and a striking yellow flower. It’s an herb that grows in extremely harsh conditions - on the edges of cliffs just below the snow line. Just like we see in other holistic herbs like cordyceps, the ability to withstand such radical environments often correlates with the presence of a wealth of powerful compounds contained in the herb.
Rhodiola rosea got its name in 1725 from the famous Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus, who advocated its use for a number of ailments. Much of the early modern day research with Rhodiola was done by Cold War era Soviets. They were searching for an alternative to amphetamines, which proved to be very damaging to the body long-term.
In 1948 a man named Dr. Lazarev headed a team of researchers at the Siberian Academy of Sciences who were to find a more sustainable drug for the Soviets to replace amphetamines. They tested over 150 different herbal concoctions. During the process of testing and analyzing extracts they noticed that some of the extracts they created promoted “a state of nonspecific increased resistance”. From these observations, Lazarev first coined the now popular term “adaptogen” (1).
There are many different herbs which have been subsequently labeled adaptogens:
To gain the acclaimed title of adaptogen, an herb must meet some unique criteria:
All of the herbs above have tremendous use as holistic adaptogenic supplements. But a particular wealth of different compounds have been identified within rhodiola rosea:
1. Treatment of Depression. Depression is often very difficult to treat. Sometimes drugs can help, but the side effects can often be as debilitating as the depression itself. This study found that while the rhodiola rosea extract had less antidepressant effect compared to sertraline (Zoloft), it was better tolerated with significantly less side effects (2). Rhodiola may be have a better risk to benefit ratio for individuals suffering from mild to moderate depression. A main hardship for depression sufferers is a complete lack of energy and a drained feeling. Rhodiola might be able to help with this too.
2. Energy Production and Prevention of Fatigue. Working as an antioxidant, Rhodiola may protect the cells' mitochondria from damage, in turn leading to higher caliber energy production. Rhodiola may also increase ATP and CP (creatine phosphate) production (3), both of which lead to increased exercise performance (4).
3. Neurological and Brain Health. Neurological deterioration is behind some of the worst degenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Rhodiola's potent antioxidant effect may be neuroprotective and assist in repairing damages that eventually lead to degenerative diseases. Rhodiola may be able to help save injured neurons. In healthy individuals, rhodiola rosea could be a useful nootropic. In one study, rhodiola elicited significant improvements in cognitive functioning for a group of healthy physicians who were consistently on night shifts (5).
We are also learning that inflammation is correlated with neurological diseases. Rhodiola might have the ability to help control systemic inflammation and stave off the progression of some of these age-related diseases.
4. Fat Loss. This study linked rhodiola rosea extracts, namely the salidroside and rosavins contained in them, to lipolytic and anti-adipogenetic activity in humans (6). This means that rhodiola could help with both the breakdown of fat and the prevention of fat storage. Perhaps rhodiola could even be an accompaniment to a ketogenic diet if it continues to show promise in assisting with fat burning and counteracting fat storage.
5. Use as a SERM. A study showed that rhodiola could potentially help older women combat the adverse effects of menopause by acting as a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) (7). It could lessen some of the deleterious effects of menopause like bone loss, psychological effects, and cardiovascular effects.
These are just five quick uses for rhodiola rosea. Its potential benefits actually span much wider.
The research has shown an impressive array of physiological actions and uses for rhodiola rosea. Adaptogens as a whole are a very interesting class of holistic herbal supplements. Their ability to optimize many different systems of the body can produce a strong network effect which supports overall wellness.
1. Brown, Richard P. M.D.; Gerbarg, Patricia L. M.D. "The Rhodiola Revolution: Transform Your Health with the Herbal Breakthrough of the 21st Century". Rodale, 2005. <https://books.google.com/books?id=krbHuJxEG1EC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>
2. Mao JJ, Xie SX, Zee J, et al. Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2015;22(3):394–399. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2015.01.010
3. Abidov, M., Crendal, F., Grachev, S. et al. Effect of Extracts from Rhodiola Rosea and Rhodiola Crenulata (Crassulaceae) Roots on ATP Content in Mitochondria of Skeletal Muscles. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2003) 136: 585. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BEBM.0000020211.24779.15
4. De Bock, K., Eijnde, B. O., Ramaekers, M., & Hespel, P. (2004). Acute Rhodiola Rosea Intake Can Improve Endurance Exercise Performance, International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 14(3), 298-307. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/14/3/article-p298.xml
5. Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, Gabrielian E, Wikman G, Wagner H. Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue--a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine. 2000;7(5):365–371. doi:10.1016/S0944-7113(00)80055-0
6. Pomari E, Stefanon B, Colitti M. Effects of Two Different Rhodiola rosea Extracts on Primary Human Visceral Adipocytes. Molecules. 2015;20(5):8409–8428. Published 2015 May 11. doi:10.3390/molecules20058409
7. Gerbarg, P, Brown, R Pause menopause with Rhodiola rosea, a natural selective estrogen receptor modulator. Phytomedicine. 2016 Jun 15; 23(7): 763–769. Published online 2015 Dec 12. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2015.11.013
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They supplement with cordyceps to make a high-altitude trudge look easy.
So what is cordyceps? Cordyceps bodies are fairly small, almost resembling a chili pepper, except dark orange, brown, or even black. And the hearsay is true - it is a parasitic fungus and it does overtake a host insect’s (usually a caterpillar) body and grow out of it in a very alien way! This happens only at high altitudes under a number of other special conditions.
It is possible to cultivate cordyceps without a host insect from which to grow out of. Naturealm’s cordyceps are actually vegan, and grown on rice. Cordyceps can also be grown on a mix of substrates including insect protein powder.
There are around 400 different identified species of cordyceps. The two main species which are used for nutritional supplementation are militaris and sinensis. We don’t know every difference between the two, nor all the ways they affect the body differently, but for all intents and purposes they are similar and can be used interchangeably.
One study found that militaris had higher amounts of cordycepin and exopolysaccharides (EPS) than sinensis (2). This may lead to militaris being the superior species of cordyceps for performance, but the overall picture is likely much more complex than the amounts of just two compounds. A rich spectrum of amino acids, peptides, polysaccharides, nucleotides, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals have all been identified in cordyceps!
Chemical constituents of natural cordyceps. © Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine
In the mid 1990’s there was speculation that supplementing with cordyceps helped propel Chinese athletes including Wang Junxia and others to crush a number of world records for distance running. Unfortunately the role of the cordyceps in setting those records became unclear as the coach of those athletes, Ma Junren, became known for forcibly doping his athletes. He stated that the incredible abilities of his athletes were due in part to turtle’s blood and caterpillar mushroom, but that was likely an alibi to cover up the doping.
Wang at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta
So does cordyceps actually improve athletic performance?
There are many different conclusions.
This paper's title clearly states that supplementation does not improve exercise performance. However, upon digging in, the paper still says that cordyceps sinensis has been shown to have a blood pressure lowering effect and an effect on hepatic energy balance (3).
The latter is consistent with this study, which also concluded that cordyceps cicadae, a different species, could be useful in combating kidney disease.
The former paper also mentions that cordyceps appeared to lower plasma triglycerides and cholesterol, as well as improving glucose disposal, both huge positives for overall health, if not for exercise performance. Effective glucose disposal can help increase insulin sensitivity, regulate blood sugar, and ultimately fight things like diabetes and obesity.
In spite of the paper's dismissive title, it does agree that the findings suggest cordyceps did influence cardiovascular and metabolic systems; the effects just didn't necessarily point to any improvement in athletic performance.
Major pharmacological functions of Cordyceps sinensis. © Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine
This is a detailed, wide-ranging study. The sample size was relatively small, but it reasons that higher doses of cordyceps militaris (over 4g per day) over longer periods of time (weeks) may lead to those elusive exercise performance benefits. Neither we nor they are recommending that as a dose, and the study states that future studies should be seeking an acceptable dose for the desired benefits.
This study was conducted over 12 weeks and found that cordyceps improved exercise performance and may promote wellness in healthy older adults.
Cordyceps also improved skeletal muscle in rats as evidenced here. It interestingly concludes that cordyceps improves endurance capacity with or without exercise, and it called cordyceps a potent exercise “mimetic”. Does cordyceps give the benefits of exercise in supplement form? Probably not entirely, but it’s interesting to consider the possibility of being able to improve certain systems without exercise.
Another study was done with humans at the Beijing Medical University Sports Research Institute. This study found cordyceps helped buffer lactic acid, thereby increasing anaerobic performance. Cordyceps could improve the body's capacity for strength training in this manner.
Cordyceps and its associated compounds show much more benefit than just exercise performance. Cordyceps is also a potent antioxidant as declared here.
This powerful antioxidant effect may also carry over into helping memory impairment as seen here.
Looking more at cordyceps and mental health, cordyceps had an antidepressant-like effect on mice who were subjected to mild chronic stress in this study. Perhaps it may work like other adaptogenic herbs in terms of promoting a healthy stress response and a general sense of well-being.
Many people look to herbs and alternative medicine for sexual dysfunction. This paper claims that cordyceps may be a healthy natural alternative to Viagra. It cites three different Chinese studies, all double-blind, placebo-controlled, with over 200 men who suffered from various sexual dysfunctions. 64% of the men who were given cordyceps reported significant improvements in their conditions at the end of the study, compared to only 24% of the men who were given the placebo. There was a similar, albeit smaller, study with women, and 90% reported improvements. The paper suggests vasodilation and enhanced blood flow are the main mechanisms for the success in these studies.
Cordyceps may also increase testosterone. This study found a significant stimulation of testosterone production in mice, and says that the results may apply to the treatment of problems caused by low testosterone in human males.
Cordyceps mushrooms are a beautiful representation of form follows function in the natural environment. They typically grow at high altitudes where oxygen is very scarce. In such a harsh environment, all forms of life must create adaptations in order to survive. The compounds in cordyceps could represent a byproduct of the ways in which the organism copes with its harsh environment.
Is it a coincidence that compounds in cordyceps may have a host of incredible effects on biological systems when those effects are exactly what’s essential to survive in such a climate?
Cordyceps and its rich composition appear to have enormous pharmacological merit. It appears to, at the very least, promote wellness in a number of impressive ways.
We believe it’s well worth supplementing with, based on both its vibrant history as folk medicine and all of the continually emerging research. Its newly widespread adoption as an ergogenic aid in the West is not without good reason. But, alas, whether or not cordyceps will propel you to break any Olympic world records, the jury is still out on that one.
1. Panda AK, Swain KC. Traditional uses and medicinal potential of Cordyceps sinensis of Sikkim. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2011;2(1):9–13. doi:10.4103/0975-9476.78183
2. Kim H.O., Yun J.W., A comparative study on the production of exopolysaccharides between two entomopathogenic fungi Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps sinensis in submerged mycelial cultures, Journal of Applied Microbiology. 2005; Volume 99, Issue 4, Pages 728-738. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2005.02682.x
3. Parcell A, et. al, Cordyceps Sinensis (CordyMax Cs-4) Supplementation Does Not Improve Endurance Exercise Performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2004, 14, 236-242 © 2004 Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
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