THE REISHI MUSHROOM
Ganoderma lucidum, better known as reishi, is one of the most highly valued medicinal mushrooms in traditional Asian medicine. Used for over 2,000 years, it is known as the “mushroom of immortality” due to its powerful adaptogenic effect and its ability to strengthen the body in an integral way.
Our reishi powder comes from organic cultivation and has been micromilled at low temperature, ensuring greater absorption of its active compounds and optimal preservation of its properties.
This mushroom contains a high concentration of beta‑glucans, triterpenes, and natural antioxidants that help to:
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Regulate the immune system
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Reduce stress and improve rest
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Support cardiovascular and liver health
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Promote natural anti‑inflammatory processes
Thanks to its powdered form, it easily blends into teas, smoothies, or daily recipes. Only a small amount is needed to enjoy its benefits.
Ideal for those seeking natural support for daily well‑being, from the nervous system to immunity.
At Fungi natur, we select only the highest‑quality reishi, cultivated slowly, respecting natural cycles, and harnessing the full concentrated power of the forest.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF MICROMILLED POWDER?
Micromilled means ground into extremely tiny particle sizes, just a few thousandths of a millimeter.
It has an absorption rate up to 200% to 300% higher than coarse‑ground or granulated reishi.
It also allows its fungal fiber to be processed by the intestinal microbiota and transformed into short‑chain fatty acids.
Advantages
This means that one small teaspoon of micromilled reishi (1 g) can be equivalent to 3 or 4 teaspoons of non‑micromilled reishi.
This technique breaks the cell walls of every cell in the mushroom, allowing our digestive system to access their inner contents. This maximizes and accelerates absorption, increasing the beneficial effects more quickly.
Directions for use
Take one small teaspoon per day (1 g) by adding it to tea or directly into the coffee maker to infuse with the coffee. You can also add it to smoothies, yogurt, or other foods.
Why is our reishi better?
- Most powders on the market are poorly absorbed: their particles are very large, hard to digest, so you need to consume much more to get the same effect.
- Many reishi powders are not processed at low temperatures and become overheated, which damages the product. These powders smell toasted, like coffee. The burned product requires higher doses.
- Some reishi is adulterated, containing very little pure reishi, so you need to consume a lot to get the same amount of active compounds.
Main types of extracts and their relevance
Beta‑glucans
Almost all extracts on the market are made with the goal of concentrating these compounds: beta‑glucans.
To maximize their extraction and thus increase profit, most companies use highly reactive substances during the extraction process (acids and bases), capable of stripping beta‑glucan chains from the mushroom’s cell walls.
The problem is that, since 2015, it has been known that common extraction processes damage the beta‑glucans in pure reishi, resulting in a significant loss of activity.
In the end, the resulting extracts, while containing higher concentrations of beta‑glucans than pure reishi powder, are degraded and have less biological activity.
Triterpenes and triterpenoids
A reishi extract is unlikely to contain all the triterpenes present in pure reishi powder. Why?
Among triterpenes and triterpenoids, there are over 100 different molecules of this type.
Due to their high chemical diversity, some dissolve well in cold water, others in hot water, and others in alcohol…
Depending on how the company produces the extract, you may find a large, small, or minimal portion of these highly valuable molecules.
In contrast, pure reishi will always contain all of them.
Immunomodulatory proteins
Note: the term “immunomodulatory proteins” comes from studies conducted on cell models, animals, etc. Having this name does not mean they have medicinal properties; it is simply their technical designation. Please do not take it out of context.
During the preparation of extracts, these proteins can easily lose their tertiary structure, becoming denatured due to two factors: the high temperatures applied to the reishi (heat “linearizes” and can degrade the protein, making it lose its structure) and drastic pH changes.
When a protein loses its tertiary structure, it loses much of its biological activity.
It should be noted that, at present, no one has evaluated the loss of activity of reishi proteins during extraction processes, but it is reasonable to assume that if they lose their conformation, they may lose much of their activity.
Additionally, whether the proteins denature or not, these proteins of interest often never make it into the final extract because they precipitate during the extraction process.
The pH changes can reach the protein’s isoelectric point, causing it to precipitate and later be removed along with the extraction residue.
