all roots apothecary mushroom extracts are certified organic and lab tested to verify beta-glucan content and therapeutic compounds. our mushrooms are grown on native substrates and are always extracted from the fruiting body. if you’re wanting the powerful benefits of performance mushrooms, choose organic extracts from the fruiting body to maximize both therapeutic compounds and bioavailability.

mushrooms are often dried and ground into a powder. this is the cheapest way to produce a supplement, but it provides the least health benefits. essential beta-glucans need to be extracted from the cell walls of a mushroom. these cells are made of an indigestible fiber called chitin. the human body can’t easily absorb chitin, and so the beta-glucans end up passing through rather than being absorbed. extracts break down chitin, making beta-glucans available for absorption.

most commercial mushroom growers use a grain substrate. as mycelium expands, it attaches and becomes inseparable from the grain to create one product called “mycelium biomass”. there’s a big problem with this. how much mycelium and how much grain is in the biomass? this varies widely and depends entirely on the grower. if mycelium biomass is pulled for product making as soon as mycelium expands through the grain, you will get far more grain than mycelium. if the grower allows this process to continue, the amount of mycelium will increase. however, even at its strongest, mycelium biomass will contain anywhere between 30%-40% grain. mycelium pulled early for faster product making may have anywhere from 40%-70% grain content. this means 1000mg reishi mushroom (for example) in the form of mycelium biomass can be anywhere from 300mg - 700mg grain. depending on the price, you may tremendously overpay for this product and you definitely won't receive the therapeutic potential of reishi mushroom. here’s the ultimate problem, the product label will probably just say “1000mg reishi mushroom” without any indicator of whether it's mycelium or fruiting body. if it’s mycelium, you probably won't be informed about how much pure mycelium you’re getting and how much grain you’re getting in that 1000mg serving.

mushrooms have been around for a long time. the greeks labels mushrooms as “food for the gods” and hippocrates, circa 450bc, classified mushrooms as a potent anti-inflammatory. there are countless examples of mushrooms being recognized for their medicinal properties throughout history. performance mushrooms are becoming very popular in modern holistic health and western medicine for their and ability to calm the stress response, reduce inflammation, promote neurogenesis and plasticity, strengthen beneficial gut flora, support the immune system, fight pathogens, increase sustainable energy and much more. like most natural remedies that go mainstream, the mushroom industry is flooded with low-quality products that test low in beta-glucan and active compounds. when a mushroom tests high in polysaccharides, but low in beta-glucan content, it's basically an exotic potato. high in starch, low in therapeutic value, and deceptive above all. while the booming popularity of performance mushrooms is bringing mainstream attention to these healing enigmas, the bastardization of quality and authenticity makes it difficult to find a product that packs the therapeutic benefits found in nature. if you’re interested in the benefits of mushrooms, you should know what you’re getting.

fruiting body - contains 2x-3x higher concentrations of beta-glucans and active compounds. contains no grain substrate.

mycelium biomass - an inseparable block of oat substrate and mycelium network. contains 30%-70% oats and 30% - 80% mycelium. the entire block is processed for product making and is significantly weaker in beta glucan and active compounds than the fruiting body.