Buy reishi powder that is full of health constituents, like beta-glucans from reishi fruiting bodies, and avoid products involving mycelium grown on grain
The global mushroom market is booming, and that includes supplements like reishi powder. According to Furion Analytics, “Reishi Mushroom Extract Market size is forecast to reach $ 560.78 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 4.88% during the forecast period 2020-2025.”
There’s growth beyond the reishi market. According to "Mushroom Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2020-2025", in 2019, the global mushroom market reached $53.7 billion. This publisher expects the mushroom market growth to continue, reaching $86.6 billion by 2025.
Powerful constituents can be found in reishi powder from fruiting bodies
Traditionally the mushroom fruiting body has been consumed to support health. However, now that mushroom popularity has grown in the last 10 years, mycelium is now being used in supplements. Mycelium grown on grain has not been thoroughly researched but is economical and easy to scale for companies offering mushroom supplements. For instance, instead of costing $5 for a pound of shiitake mushrooms grown in the US, the mycelium on grain can be grown for close to 25 cents per pound! The choice to use mycelium on grain isn’t based on efficacy; it’s based on economics and it comes at a cost in quality.
Studies have shown that higher amounts of mushroom polysaccharides come from extracts of mushroom fruiting bodies, and not the mycelium on grain. One such study was discussed in Powell’s book Medicinal Mushrooms: A Clinical Guide. Here is the excerpt:
“In contrast to the relatively inexpensive commercially available beta-glucans from yeast, mushroom beta-glucans have more diverse structures and, as a consequence, higher levels of immunological activity. Of the mushroom polysaccharides reported to have immunological activity 77.5% are from mushroom fruiting body, 20.8% from mycelium and 2.0% from culture filtrate (broth).”
Understanding reasons why people use reishi powder
The healthcare sector is one of the major places seeing growth in reishi mushroom extract, and there are a variety of reasons that Industry Arc references as growth factors. For instance, they state, “Reishi mushroom extract is rich in nutrients such as vitamin D, potassium, calcium, vitamin B, amino acids, and fiber. These nutrients are vital in improving antioxidant activity by reducing free radicals in the human body.”
The article continues with a deeper look into the drivers for the growing market segment. Here is an excerpt:
“People also take reishi mushroom for health conditions such as high blood pressure, High cholesterol, Cardiovascular disease, liver or kidney disease, Respiratory diseases (such as asthma), Viral infections (such as the flu), HIV/AIDS, Cancer and support during chemotherapy. Many such health benefits are increasing the consumption of medicinal mushrooms, which is driving the growth of the market.”
Accessing mushrooms for health with supplement powders
Reishi powder is one of the mushroom supplements frequently used. As mentioned above, it’s critically important that you know exactly what you’re getting when you buy mushroom supplements. Make sure you are getting hot water extracted mushroom fruiting bodies! The label on the back should guarantee (like we do) beta-glucan and starch levels.
If you don’t have time for adding mushrooms to your meals or making mushroom medicine at home, our bioavailable mushroom supplements are the perfect alternative for you If you want to leave the extraction process up to professions but you still want to know the beta-glucan content in your supplement, our products will work great for you.
Supplements are also perfect for those who want high doses of readily available mushroom medicine. Our reishi powder is a great option for anyone who wants the benefits of reishi mushrooms without having to make their own tincture or teas consistently.
As consumers become more educated about what is in their mushroom supplements, US-based mushroom farms will be able to tap into this market more heavily. Consumers will likely want to shift away from mycelial-based products. This positions American mushroom farms strongly to begin offering value-added products to this extremely fast-growing functional mushroom market.
Using reishi powder at home
There are a variety of ways you can use reishi powder at home. One popular method is for all of the coffee drinkers out there. Adding some reishi powder to your morning coffee is a great way to get your mushrooms first thing in the morning. Be sure to stir well so your reishi powder mixes well with your coffee.
You can also simply mix the reishi powder into hot water to make a strong tea. Since reishi powder can be on the bitter side, some supplement users will opt into making reishi hot chocolate by adding the reishi powder with their favorite cocoa.
How do you like to use your medicinal mushroom powders? What are some of your favorite recipes to add mushroom powder?