Functional mushrooms may offer a healthy way to reduce stress, boost immunity, and even improve cognitive function. We’ll compare two leading brands: Urth Mushroom gummies and Real Mushrooms capsules so that you can make an informed purchase decision.
Mushrooms are a common and familiar food known as edible fungi, but there are mushrooms with medicinal applications. For example, “magic mushrooms” have achieved recent prominence as a source of psilocybin, a potentially medically-beneficial psychedelic compound. It is classified as a hallucinogenic and is not yet legal for purchase or prescription in the U.S. But the compound has been undergoing extensive clinical testing, and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) has just “published its decision to authorize the use of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.”
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Urth Mushroom Gummies vs Real Mushrooms Capsules is an original (MushroomMaestro) article.
Functional medicinal mushrooms:
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Parallel to these closely-watched tests, a range of non-psychoactive, prescription-free supplements containing mushroom extracts are available online in the U.S. and worldwide. They are known as medicinal or functional mushrooms and offer psychological and physical benefits based on traditions that date back thousands of years to ancient Chinese herbal medicine.
Depending on the types of mushrooms used, the extracts are believed to support the immune system, maintain blood sugar balance, and supply antioxidants to combat free radicals and resist inflammation. In addition, they promise improved cognition, creativity, nervous system support, and increased stamina and energy. In this article, we will be comparing two products, Urth Mushroom gummies and Real Mushrooms capsules, that are formulated with these beneficial extracts to determine which is the better purchase.
Authenticity and the presence of active ingredients have become the quality standards, given variances in sourcing and extraction methods. The medicinal mushroom market includes some products that are produced not from actual mushrooms, but from mycelium, the mushroom’s root system. These products contain remnants of the grain-based growth medium that is used, other fillers, and much lower levels of active extracts and medicinal compounds.
Concentration vs. combination
While both brands in the comparison are rich in mushroom extracts, they differ in how they are formulated. One combines all of the benefits in each daily dosage. The other includes just one primary benefit in its daily dosage, and has fewer additives:
- Urth Mushroom gummies are a combination blend of 10 mushroom extracts. It includes 250mg of Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Chaga, Turkey Tail, and Reishi. It also contains Maitake for immunity and energy, Shiitake for cell health and circulation, Royal Sun for immunity and blood sugar support, Black Fungus for gut health and appetite, and White Button for liver health and blood pressure. You will notice that the first 5 are the same extracts used by Real Mushrooms but in much smaller doses.
Urth Mushroom gummies also contain glucose syrup, sugar, glucose, pectin, citric acid, natural raspberry flavor, sodium citrate, purple carrot juice concentrate, and vegetable oil (with carnauba wax).
- Real Mushrooms capsules are benefit-specific, containing 1,000mg of only one type of mushroom extract to ensure an optimal effect for the desired benefit. Some of their products include Lion’s Mane for cognition, Reishi for longevity, Cordyceps for peak performance, Turkey Tail for immune support, Siberian Chaga for digestive health, and Tremella for rejuvenation. Some of their products combine several extracts for immune strength, clarity, energy boost, and rest. Each capsule contains at least 25% beta-glucans, which ensures potency and effectiveness.
There are no added sugars, flavors, or colorants. The other ingredients within the capsules are hypromellose (vegetable capsule), silicon dioxide, microcrystalline cellulose, and possibly stearic acid.
Mycelium, grains, and fillers
As noted earlier, some mushroom extracts are made with mycelium root structures, and the grains they are grown on, to the detriment of active ingredients from the mushroom body. Neither Urth Mushroom gummies nor Real Mushrooms capsules appear to contain mycelium, grains, or other fillers. However, the Real Mushrooms website is more explicit and detailed in explaining their “story” and detailing each capsule’s contents.
Quality and Safety
Urth Mushroom gummies are produced in an FDA-registered facility and considered safe for every member of the family aged 12 and up. (We question the recommendation of these gummies for preteens and teenagers, especially given the candy-like form.)
Urth states, “Our gummies are 100% plant-based and use pectin, a healthy vegan alternative to gelatin; they are also allergen-free and gluten-free.” They further confirm, “We lab test every batch for purity, potency, DNA verification, active compounds, heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial activity.” There is no indication that Urth Mushroom gummies are organic.
Real Mushrooms is a family business “with over 40 years of mushroom growing experience.” All of their mushroom extracts are organic, sustainably cultivated, gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan. “Beta-glucans are the main immunological compound,” says Skye Chilton, founder and CEO.
Additionally, “over 2,200 holistic medical practitioners are purchasing and prescribing Real Mushrooms for their patients.” There is no added starch or grain, and these products are verified for quality by accredited third-party laboratories.
Pricing: one brand costs less per day
Urth Mushroom gummies: One bottle of 60 gummies costs $34.95 and provides a 30-day supply based on the recommended daily dosage of 2 gummies, making the cost per day about $1.17. Shipping is free on all orders.
Real Mushrooms capsules: One bottle of 120 capsules of certain extracts costs $29.95 and provides a 60-day supply based on the recommended daily dosage of 2 capsules. This makes the cost $0.50 per day. Other products cost $34.95 for a 45 days supply or $0.78 per day. Shipping is free on all orders over $50 and $4 for orders under $50.
Making the right decision
The medicinal mushroom industry is evolving. As psilocybin and similar plant-derived psychoactives gain public and regulatory recognition there is a new interest in the micro-dosing of traditional, recognized mushrooms. Brands such as Real Mushrooms capsules and Urth Mushroom gummies offer consumers the opportunity to experiment with medicinal mushrooms.
While both brands have strong credentials, Real Mushrooms capsules have proved superior for us by providing a more focused concentration of active, exclusively organic ingredients, fewer additives, lower pricing, and a more educational and informative website.
Further Reading:
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Chinese Medicine“
Live Science: “What are medicinal mushrooms?“
Medical News Today: “Mental health treatments: Australia OKs MDMA, psilocybin, but what does this mean?”
Pacific College: “A Beginner’s Guide to Holistic Medicine“
Important Note: The information contained in this article (Urth Mushroom Gummies vs Real Mushrooms Capsules) 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.