Potent functional mushrooms have been grown in China for hundreds of years, and to this day the most nutrient-rich mushrooms come from Chinese cultivars. For over 2000 years, the traditions of Chinese medicine have been applied to the cultivation of these mushrooms for a host of purposes. Mushroom cultivation in China has furthermore been so refined that farmed variants are in no way inferior to their wild-grown counterparts. Our shiitaki are sourced directly from the globally-recognised mushroom-growing region of Gutian County in Fujian. Our farming partner is organically certified according to EU standards and places a high value on natural, traditional cultivation methods. The mushrooms are selectively harvested by hand between July and October for maximum nutritional value.
Mushrooms are composed of the fruiting body, which typically appears above ground, and the mycelium underneath. The most important nutrients are concentrated in the fruiting body. Products derived from the mycelium are frequently much cheaper because mycelia are cultivated faster, cheaper, and easier. Yet these products hardly contain any of the potent compounds of the mushroom. Our mushroom powders and extracts are exclusively made from the entire fruiting body of the mushroom (including the stem) and contain the full nutritional richness that the mushrooms have to offer.
Among the most valuable components of the vital mushrooms are the mushroom polysaccharides, especially the beta-1,3- and beta-1,6-D-glucans. Our mushroom extracts bundle these substances into a rich concentrate. They are extracted by the traditional method using only water, the purest and gentlest extraction process. As a result, they do not contain any toxic residues of chemical solvents (such as acetone, N-hexane or methanol).
In contrast to extracts, which can lose some of their nutritional value during processing, powders contain the full spectrum of nutrients and enzymes for a particularly strong adaptogenic effect. To ensure that these nutrients are optimally bioavailable, our powder is gently ground according to the "shell-broken" method to a size of less than 0.1mm. This milling process breaks open the difficult-to-digest cells of the mushroom and makes their contents directly bioavailable.
By combining the mushroom powder and extract, this product offers the complete range of all the effective nutrients, including an especially high concentration of beta-glucans.