Don’t be a spore-sport and get in on the craze! Mushroom tinctures have gained significant attention for their potential to positively impact various aspects of our lives. This article delves into the remarkable benefits of mushroom tinctures, exploring their role in enhancing well-being.
Mushrooms have been a healthy addition to the human diet for millennia, imparting nutritional benefits to people lucky enough to access the tasty fungi. Many cultures have also used mushrooms as a critical component of traditional herbal medicines. These concoctions have often involved the conversion of mushrooms into tinctures, which are concentrated extracts made by soaking the mushrooms in alcohol or vinegar. Either medium pulls out the active ingredients in the mushrooms, concentrating them as a liquid.
In this article, we’ll look at some popular mushrooms available as tinctures and discuss the advantages of ingesting these fungi by the dropper-full. We will also look at the benefits of taking a variety of mushrooms instead of limiting a diet to one or two varieties.
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Mushroom tinctures:
Good things in small bottles
In America, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers most tinctures to be nutritional supplements, so their health effects are not regulated as conventional medicine would be. Proponents of mushroom tinctures point out that they can incorporate many different types of compounds into their products, giving users access to a much wider variety of benefits than would be found in a regular diet.
Another benefit of tinctures is their concentrated nature. Instead of large volumes of raw ingredients or other mushroom-based supplements, tinctures require just a few drops to impart their healthful effects. Tinctures allow customers to enjoy the benefits of many different mushrooms, each with a specific nutrition boost.
Among the benefits claimed by mushrooms are improved immunity from disease, increased memory and focus, additional energy and endurance, healthier blood sugar levels, improved cardiovascular health, and relief from stress.
Mushroom tinctures:
A half-dozen fungi make a person feel whole
While there are dozens of edible mushrooms worldwide, traditional medicine practitioners have recognized at least six significant types that offer unique health benefits. These are often the ones turned into tinctures that are in many popular supplements. These six, along with their purported benefits, are:
Chaga (Inonotus obliquus)
Immunity and Skin Care
Chaga mushrooms are among the highest sources of natural antioxidants and offer potent immune support. Commonly found on birch trees in cold climates across Eastern Europe and North America, Chaga grows as a sclerotia (canker) on a host tree. Traditionally used in Russian herbalism, Chaga offers support against UV exposure.
Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris)
Energy and Endurance
Cordyceps is an adaptogenic mushroom that promotes stamina, endurance, and energy. Popular among athletes and those who want to maintain an active lifestyle, Cordyceps’ use dates back to imperial China. In the wild, these orange mushrooms grow on caterpillars, but it is possible to cultivate them using vegan-friendly practices.
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
Memory and Focus
Lion’s Mane is a tasty nootropic mushroom that supports the brain – including memory, focus, and nerve health. Native to Europe, Asia, and North America, Lion’s Mane is a large, shaggy white mushroom that resembles a brain (and a lion’s mane, of course). In addition to cognitive well-being, Lion’s Mane also supports gut and immune health.
Maitake (Grifola rondose)
Immunity and Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Maitake is known as the hen of the woods or the dancing mushroom, which dates back to feudal Japan, where they were worth their weight in silver. Edible and native to Asia, Europe, and North America, Maitake mushrooms support immune health, healthy blood sugar levels within normal ranges, and some aspects of cardiovascular health.
Red Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
Stress Relief and Immunity
Reishi is the “mushroom of immortality” and the queen of mushrooms. It is an adaptogen that supports a healthy stress response and a tonic that promotes longevity and healthy aging. Used for over 4,000 years, Reishi supports healthy sleep, rest, and immune health.
Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)
General Immunity
Turkey Tails are the most widely researched mushrooms due to their support of the immune system. These striped mushrooms are used extensively in China and Japan. They get their name from the colorful fans their fruiting bodies form, resembling turkeys’ tails. Turkey Tails offer antioxidant support and are native to North America, Europe, and Asia.
Mushroom tinctures:
Ready for their close-up
Fantastic Fungi is a company started by mushroom enthusiast and world-famous filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg. Mr. Schwartzberg is a pioneer in time-lapse photography and created the phenomenal film Fantastic Fungi, which celebrates the myriad benefits of mushrooms. Today the company has become a trusted voice and leading authority on mushrooms and the mycelial network.
“Mushrooms are amazing. They can feed your body, feed your mind, and feed your soul,” says Schwartzberg. “With Fantastic Fungi, we are introducing many folks to a subject they do not know much about. We hope to spread the message of mushroom wellness to help benefit everyone.”
To make this vision a reality, the company developed its Fantastic Fungi Mushroom Drops Bundle, which features six proprietary blends designed to work together. All of the tinctures featured in the bundle are triple-extracted, a vital process that makes the active compounds found in the mushrooms easier for the body to absorb and use.
There are four steps to the triple-extraction process: steam processing to break down the mushrooms’ cell walls; fermentation to increase the bioavailability of the nutrients; hot water extraction to unlock important polysaccharides; and finally, alcohol extraction, which takes about three months to unlock many of the mushroom’s healthful compounds. Once the extraction process is complete, the alcohol is removed and the blend is stabilized with organic vegetable glycerin, so the drops taste sweet (not bitter).
Mushroom tinctures:
Easy-to-swallow benefits – literally
Throwing a handful of mushrooms on top of a salad or scattering them on top of a pizza is a straightforward way to get some of the benefits from these healthful morsels. As we’ve seen, however, this limits the amount and the variety of nutrients available from the wide variety of edible mushrooms worldwide.
Extracting those benefits by converting fresh fungi into mushroom tinctures may seem an odd way to make them available to consumers. Tinctures are an ancient form of traditional medicine practices and contain many plants and herbs used to relieve a wide range of health issues and promote overall good health since time immemorial.
The future of good health lies in such ancient practices. After all, only some things old are outdated, and a good idea is still good no matter how long it has been around.
For further reading:
Forbes: A First-Timer’s Guide To Healing With Functional Mushrooms
EverydayHealth.com – Mushroom Supplements 101
National Cancer Institute – Medicinal Mushrooms
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
