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Let's touch on a little bit of fungal biology. The kingdom Fungi is estimated to be one of the most diverse groups of organisms on earth—second only to insects. Those fungi that have been identified and catalogued represent a small percentage of the total estimated diversity, meaning there is an abundance of undiscovered species still waiting to be found and described.
The cap and stem that most people would pick and identify as a mushroom is actually just the fruiting body, or reproductive structure of a larger fungal organism. The majority of the fungus exists underground, in the wood, soil, or other material the mushroom is growing from. This filamentous web, the mycelium, serves as the vegetative body of the fungus, accessing resources and growing through its environment. Think of it like this: a mushroom is akin to an apple and mycelium is akin to an apple tree.
The reason fungi produce mushrooms is to create a structure that is capable of releasing billions of spores—some of which will eventually find a suitable growing medium, germinate, and produce a tiny strand of tissue one cell thick called a hypha. Hyphae grow out through their environment in a dendritic pattern, seeking water and nutrients. This massive branching network is called mycelium. Eventually, the mycelium will encounter a compatible mycelium and fuse together, swapping nuclei. Once joined, this dikaryotic (having two sets of nuclei) mycelium is capable of sexual reproduction. Environmental conditions, like a loss of food, space, change in humidity or temperature, can trigger the mycelium to condense and form a mushroom, starting the process anew.
Although mushrooms are fundamentally composed of mycelium, supplements made from mushrooms are not the same as supplements made from mycelium. Remember it, memorize it, live by it.
Chilton, for his part, is an expert in ethnomycology—the study of the historical uses and sociological impact of medicinal mushrooms. He has authored numerous books and papers on the subject, and in established Nammex, the very first company to supply medicinal mushroom extracts to the nutritional supplement industry. He points out that the mycelial structure of the mushroom fruit body is much more complex than the vegetative mycelium, and the mushroom also produces numerous natural compounds that the mycelium simply does not.
Although, it should be pointed out, the mycelium does contain similar nutritional value to the fruiting body—in fact, some food products like tempeh are made only from mushroom mycelium—but the important thing to remember is that the mycelium is not concentrated like it is when in fruit body form.
The findings from the study do show it is possible that this immunological activity occurs from mycelium and its substrate. Unfortunately, the sample sizes in the study were so small as to be statistically meaningless (ever rolled the same number three times in a row with a six-sided die?). This means that although the authors might like to make some assertions, they don’t have the data to do so. Even one of the study reviewers asked for an additional reviewer with statistical expertise to provide review, but the editor for whatever reason chose not to have this review done.
Proponents of mycelium-based products, including Stamets’ company, will use this study to support their use of rice media in medicinal supplements. As the study authors suggest, “The rice is not simply a filler...The rice is the starting material, but during the fermentation process a biotransformation occurs, altering the substrate, which gives it health-supporting properties.”
Paul Stamets himself asserts, “In my scientific opinion, mushroom products not incorporating mycelium are at a decided disadvantage.”
Still, many mycologists, Jeff Chilton included, refute these claims. He and Paul Stamets have taken divergent paths on the subject over the past several decades; the two actually wrote a book together in , “The Mushroom Cultivator: A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home.”
According to Chilton, the worldwide market value of medicinal mushrooms is growing rapidly, having more than doubled from $6 billion USD in to $18 billion USD in . The North American market has likewise expanded exponentially over the last 25 years, he adds, and today just about every company that offers all manner of nutritional supplements has at least one mushroom supplement—or two or three—in its product line.
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That’s not to mention the many companies (North Spore included) that are specifically dedicated to growing and selling mushrooms, mushroom products, and at-home grow kits. As Chilton puts it: “One might say that medicinal mushrooms have arrived, and in view of their growth trajectory, are destined to become a much bigger market in North America.”
Still, despite the high growth, there is little to no quality control in the industry. His ultimate goal: To have a comprehensive screening process that qualitatively and quantitatively measures any given medicinal mushroom product. This is essential, he notes, to keep the marketplace stocked with high-quality products with medicinal value, while also promoting strong consumer confidence.
At this point, however, that level of quality control remains problematic. There are medicinal mushroom product labeling requirements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directing manufacturers to distinguish whether the product contains actual mushroom or just mycelium. But many respected mycologists like Chilton point out that these are not highly enforced and that many companies simply flout the requirements. The same is true of labeling guidelines from the American Herbal Products Association.
As a point of fact: One scientific report published in tested 19 batches of reishi supplement products, most of which were sold through Amazon and eBay. Of those, just five tested in accordance with their labels. According to the study, that meant they only contained some element of reishi.
On June 7th, , Jeff Chilton filed a citizen petition requesting that the Food and Drug Administration "address the mislabeling of dietary supplements and functional foods as 'mushroom' or containing 'mushrooms' when they contain other fungal parts, and do not contain 'mushrooms' as claimed, or fail to disclose added grain ingredients." On November 30th, the FDA issued an interim response stating that they had not yet made a decision but their staff continue to evaluate the petition.
On July 3rd, Fungi Perfecti, along with M2 Ingredients, Gourmet Mushrooms, and Monterey Mushrooms published an open letter in response to the citizen petition, claiming the Nammex petition “obfuscates the use of well-established mycological definitions” by advocating to “eliminate the use of the word ‘mushroom’ in products using mushroom mycelium.” The open letter goes on to claim that “the word ‘mushroom’ can both be a noun and used as a qualifier as to the stage of the life cycle” and according to Nutraceutical Business Review, the “collective industry use of ‘mushroom mycelium’ is scientifically accurate, just as the use of ‘mushroom spores’, ‘mushroom fruit bodies’ are "descriptively accurate" and removal of the word “mushroom” from fungi-derived products would cause unnecessary confusion on the part of the consumer. The open letter concludes with the following statement: “We do not have any issues with mushroom fruit bodies. We utilize this life stage as well. We find mushroom mycelium has added benefits as demonstrated by scientific research.”
On August 8th, the Natural Products Association filed their own citizen petition, calling on the FDA to amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to incorporate mushroom labeling guidelines put forth by the American Herbal Products Association and call for the agency to “issue a labeling guidance of its own, and exercise enforcement discretion in the meantime.”
On November 30th, , the FDA issued an interim response stating that they had not yet made a decision but their staff continue to evaluate the petition. Given that the market for North American mushrooms is expected to nearly double from $12 billion to $20 billion per year by , “regulating the definition of a mushroom puts billions of dollars on the line…and could impact consumer health as well.”
No doubt, it can be extremely difficult to identify the ingredients and components in the many medicinal mushroom products that continue to infiltrate the market. Still, experts say, there are things you can do to ensure you’re getting the most out of your medicinal mushroom supplements.
Most importantly: Read the label, front and back. Don’t ever skimp on this. Ensure that the product is clear and specific about its ingredients, and that it also states that it is derived from fruit bodies—and, ideally, 100% at that. Also single out products that identify the amount of beta-glucans they contain.
Then there is the importance of the color: If your mushroom supplement is a mushroom powder or mushroom capsule, the color of the mushroom powder inside should be dark and rich. If the mushroom powder is light, it’s most likely grain-based. If it’s difficult to tell if a medicinal mushroom supplement seems lighter than it should be, Chilton suggests doing an iodine starch test, which is as simple as it sounds: Add a few drops of iodine to the mushroom powder. If it turns black, it is high in grain starch. Genuine mushroom supplements do not change color when subjected to iodine. Please note that this test will not work for lion's mane supplements.
And ultimately? Research, research, research (like you’re doing right now!). Read up on products that pique your interest. Learn about medicinal mushrooms in general, and the supplements they support. Get to know the industry—the key players, the longtime companies, the newcomers. And remember that, if a medicinal mushroom product is making wild and magnificent claims, or if it seems suspect, it most likely is.
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