• The quality claims you read on a website / blog / in a forum should be seen as marketing without value, unless the claims are backed up by test reports, such as a genuine Certificate of Analysis (COA), which has been issued by an actual registered / certified laboratory. In-house testing is per definition unreliable because of the conflict of interest. You can find our test reports here.
• Most vendors will not share test reports (don't you wonder why not ??). They might send you some 'fact sheet / spec sheet', though. This means nothing and can be considered deceiving, because everybody with a computer can produce that.
• If the quality claim is not reflected on the Supplement Facts label that means a red flag. The Supplement Facts label shows the guaranteed levels of compounds, and the justness of this information is checked by the authorities. False claims result in prosecution. Many vendors decide therefore not to repeat their statements on that label. By doing that they are in fact underlining it's marketing, not facts they're telling you.
• Information on the front label is not verified for its accuracy. Therefore you cannot rely on that, in particular if it is not repeated on the Supplement Facts label. Another red flag.

We source our raw materials based on the objective quality. We use third party laboratories to determine that quality and, of course, the safety. We test for both active ingredients and contamination, such as heavy metals and radioactive isotopes, all in all for ± 30 compounds.

We ignore geographical location and we use several suppliers, changing to another supplier if the quality is better there.

Marketing has led many people to believe it matters where the mushrooms have been sourced. Like, Siberian Chaga is always best, Japanese Reishi is always preferable, Chinese mushrooms are always best avoided, etc...

But this is not true at all, and nobody has ever been able to prove that, as an example, 'Siberian Chaga is best'. Such claims are based on ignorance and hearsay.

Marketing. If you can show us objective proof that e.g. Siberian Chaga has a higher quality than others please get in touch!

'Best quality' is -objectively speaking- defined by the therapeutic potential and the safety / lack of contamination, fillers and adulteration of the supplement. All these variables are easy and cheap to test.

The bioactive compounds define the therapeutic potential. These compounds are well-known and can be determined cheap and easily in a lab. Compounds such as beta-glucan, terpenes and polyphenols. Being the pragmatic common-sense people that we are, that is what we do - we test a lot of raw materials and then choose the stuff with the highest therapeutic potential and the lowest level of contamination.

As said, we test for ± 25 - 30 compounds, including heavy metals and 3 radio-active isotopes. We source the best quality mushrooms only, ignoring geographical location.

And we share those test results with our customers, starting from the idea that premium and proven quality is what people want. It's also the best marketing there is, knowing that consumers want their money's worth. We're sure everybody agrees with that !!

Which makes you wonder why other vendors don't follow the same path. Instead, a story is their main marketing. A story rich in unsubstantiated and exaggerated claims, usually. No hard facts, but a lot of suggestive statements and assumptions instead. What do you prefer ?

Just check our COA's if you want to validate our quality claims - they're available here.

• for some mushrooms the most important active ingredients are actually in the mycelium (Lion’s Mane (erinacines), Turkey Tail (PSP/PSK), Cordyceps CS-4 (no fruiting body extracts exist!))
• there is a difference between mycelium-on-grains/rice (biomass) and pure mycelium. Biomass should always be avoided as it is contaminated with undigested substrate in the form of starch. This includes all US-cultivated products. We only use pure mycelium, free from starch, if the products properties request the use of mycelium
• quality claims are only worth something if they are backed with actual test reports. This includes a claim like 'fruiting body extracts are better than mycelium-based extracts' or vice versa. Nice statement, but where is the proof ? Also see our 'I'm confused by all the information online' entry, above. Using ‘we use fruiting bodies only!!’ has the subtext ‘it’s better!’ but actually only reveals the ignorance of the vendor, and the actual specifications, if any (% of glucans, terpenes etc.) usually have no verifiable source or backup in the form of official documents. Only specifying active ingredients is acceptable as proof of superior quality.

• Age below 35: 1 gram of extract daily
• Age 35 - 50: 1-2 grams of extract daily
• Age over 50: at least 2 grams daily

This recommendation is not applicable to alcohol extracted Lion 's Mane, because that extract is optimized for the alcohol-solubles and is best taken with food.

The main active ingredient of most medicinal mushroom extracts are water-soluble beta-glucans, though. These are very large macro-molecules with a high molecular weight; in fact a type of dietary fiber.

When taken orally, intestinal absorptive cells (enterocytes) facilitate the transportation of beta-glucans and similar compounds across the intestinal cell wall into the lymph, where they begin to interact with receptors of the immune system, activating a wide spectrum of immunological effects.

Due to their size beta-glucans do not pass the intestinal wall easily. To increase the chances of beta-glucan entering the blood-stream it's common sense to have as little 'competition' as possible present. So no solid foods or fiber-rich smoothies !

Research found that the absorption / therapeutic effect of beta-glucans is improved when combined with vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The type or amount is not important: 20 - 50mg of the cheapest type will do. See e.g. this article - a Google search for 'beta-glucan vitamin C' will return many more results.

Vitamin C will also improve the absorption of iron.

• Arsenic: (Adult, 70 kgs: 150 mcg = daily limit)
• Cadmium: (Adult, 70 kgs: 70 mcg daily = daily limit)
• Lead: (Adult, 70 kgs: 250 mcg daily = daily limit)
• Mercury: (Adult, 70 kgs: 16 mcg daily = daily limit)

• fresh collard greens: 30 microgram of lead
• dry roasted mixed nuts: 20 microgram of lead
• Brussels sprouts 15 microgram of lead
• Sweet potatoes : 16 microgram of lead
• Spinach: 15 microgram of lead