Medicinal Mushrooms 🍄 the Basics and our Very Specific Sourcing

GENERAL MUSHROOM TIPS

1) All go well in coffee, hot choc and can be drank on their own.

2) Make sure you don't put wet or damp spoons in them. (You’d be amazed at how many people think that a damp spoon in a dry powder is a good idea).

3) Mixing is best in hot liquid before adding choice of milk.

4) Ideally in a hot/warm liquid for absorption but can be added to smoothies.

5) Dual extract means both water and alcohol extraction has been applied to acquire the most and most of the active compounds from the mushroom.

6) Some compounds only available through alcohol extraction.

7) Everything is wood-grown or wild. Wood-grown more favorable than oat/grain grown due to symbiosis between mushroom and the woods. 

8) All are heavy metal tested and mycotoxin tested.

9) I personally drink mine straight up or in hot choc that I make with tiger nut milk.

10) ENRICHD offer fruiting bodies of the mushrooms because the mycelium products often contain starches and unwanted fillers.

11) Having consulted with a number of Doctors of Traditional Chinese medicine including American doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine and also our own independent research we choose to source from the 'Di Tao’. This refers to the location and earth at the source. At the bottom of this post are a number of studies regarding this and other info on our sourcing. It is a significant factor, that we take very seriously with a smile :)

LOVE REISHI (Dual extract, wood grown).

Known as/for:
- Immune modulator
- Calming
- Bitter in taste, great in coffee, hot choc or on own.
- Shen tonic
- Heart opener (hence the name)
- Fruiting body dual extract.
- I will drink Reishi regularly for the rest of my life.


REISHI SPORES (from wood grown Reishi)

Known as/for:
- Hormone balancer
- Nutty / neutral taste
- Calming
- Immune support
- Spores are like the seeds of the reishi mushroom.


LIONS MANE (Dual Extract wood grown).

Known as/for:

- Focus, clarity, creativity.
- Taste is malty / leans to sweet over bitter.
- Support gut health (gastro-protective potential by nourishing stomach juices)
"It is speculated that the bioactive compounds present in the extract may play a major role in gastro-protective activity."
- Gut brain connection a positive factor here too.
- Dual extract critical on Lions Mane (it is the alcohol soluble compounds that may cross the blood brain barrier)
- Studies are on cumulative use, i.e every day or regularly for 3 to 6 weeks.
- I will drink lions mane at different times of the year for the rest of my life.

CHAGA MUSHROOM (Dual Extract Wild).

Known as/for:

- Chaga has been studied for its anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-allergic, anti-malarial, and anti-tumor properties. This is good because it may help you avoid or fight the above.
- Chaga is LOADED with antioxidants (with an exceptional ORAC value, it beats almost all other foods).
- Chaga may help with stomach issues including IBS, ulcers and gastritis.
- Comes with warning from some doctors for people on blood thinning meds and or having an op.
- Chaga has been consumed for thousands of years because of these potential health benefits.
- Chaga contains ample melanin, reported to be a gene protector and DNA repairer.


I will be proofing this blog post in a few days and also adding the rest of the ENRICHD mushroom powders, Turkey Tail, Maitake and Agaricus.

Gracias :)

MORE INFO ON 'DI TAO'

‘Di Tao’ can be thought of in a similar way to wine growing regions or tea leaves too. Different seasons bring slightly different qualities/tastes/potencies to the mushrooms. If it is a warmer or cooler season/more or less humid that will slightly affect the subtleties of the mushrooms.`

All of our mushrooms are heavy metal tested and we are in the process of implementing specific compound testing.

I’ve personally noticed over the years of sourcing slight variations in flavour and ‘feeling’ and also having tried a number of other brands which often feel “flat” though there are some good brands out there too! Especially in the US, Aus and Finland - who tend to source like we do.

There are other factors the basic decision comes close to choosing between lab-grown (on grain) or wood-grown on the mountains in China. We will, while we can, always choose the mountain.

SOURCES:

"Geographical Indications for Medicinal Plants:Globalization, Climate Change, Quality and MarketImplications for Geo-Authentic Botanicals"

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Geographical-Indications-for-Medicinal-Climate-and-Brinckmann/eaed216bfe06ebd3229a508580e4ec46805aa1eb#paper-header

"The formation of daodi medicinal materials"
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037887411200061X