Today we’re excited to bring you a guest article by Oli Genn-Bash, “The Fungi Consultant”. Oli is one of the leading mushroom educators and advocates in the UK, as well as a previous guest on the Mycopreneur Podcast. Thanks for reading ( :

Are we in the midst of a ‘shroom boom’? It seems like fungi are popping up everywhere, and not just on our plates!  

From lion’s mane being touted as the answer to boosting your cognitive function, to reishi having potential benefits for sleep and relaxation, cordyceps assisting us with exercise and endurance, or chaga and turkey tail supporting our immune system, these mushrooms have captured the wellness market and they’re certainly having a moment.

But as demand grows and the range of brands increases, do consumers actually know what they’re buying? Understanding the science behind these supplements - and more importantly, learning to decode their labels - is crucial for both producers and consumers navigating this rapidly expanding market.

Unlike culinary mushrooms valued primarily for their nutritional content, functional mushrooms offer therapeutic benefits that extend far beyond basic nutrition. These fungi contain beneficial compounds including polysaccharides, terpenoids, proteins, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals that can enhance both physical and mental wellbeing.

Often referred to as being either adaptogenic (allowing our body to adapt to stress) or nootropic (providing cognitive enhancement), it’s not surprising that functional mushrooms have been positioned in wellness culture as a go-to choice for health-conscious consumers. Scientific research increasingly supports traditional uses of species like lion's mane, reishi, turkey tail, cordyceps, shiitake, and chaga, with various studies documenting their effects on immune function, stress levels, cognitive performance, and overall vitality.

By studying the range of bioactive compounds we can explore these benefits in greater detail, potentially taking targeted approaches to seeing where certain compounds have specific benefits for treating different conditions. The ability for our body to access these compounds is tricky however, and that’s why we’re seeing such an increase in brands producing extracts where these bioactive compounds become more available for our body to absorb.

A fundamental problem is that mushroom cell walls contain chitin, a compound which isn’t easy for our digestive system to break down. This is why extracts have become the gold standard for functional mushroom supplements. Through extraction processes using alcohol and hot water, manufacturers can unlock beneficial compounds like polysaccharides and triterpenoids that would otherwise remain difficult for us to access. Despite even going through extraction processes, these compounds still might not be completely absorbed, and we’re starting to see more research and development looking at extracts which utilise liposomal formulations for more efficient absorption.

Extracts can also potentially offer consistency and standardisation, which are critical factors for therapeutic efficacy. While raw mushroom powders may contain varying amounts of fruiting body and mycelium with unpredictable potency, properly made extracts should in theory deliver reliable doses of active compounds. So what are these active compounds and why do we need to know about them? 

Polysaccharides and Beta-Glucans

These are long sugar molecules within mushroom cell walls which resist degradation by our digestive system, with the most commonly spoken about one being beta-glucans. They're common to all fungi and exert a prebiotic effect on the gut microbiome.

These compounds significantly impact immune function and appear responsible for the immunomodulatory and anti-cancer properties attributed to medicinal mushrooms. 

Terpenes

These highly biologically active, alcohol-soluble compounds include the ganoderic and lucidenic acids from reishi, which are the signature triterpenoids responsible for its anti-inflammatory and calming benefits. Other types of fungi such as chaga and birch polypore contain betulin and betulinic acid - there are other types of triterpenoids with anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. Lion's mane, which seems to be the mushroom increasing most in popularity, produces hericenones and erinacines, the diterpenoids responsible for its brain-boosting effects.

Sterols

Mushrooms principally produce ergosterol, which demonstrates powerful anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic activity. When exposed to UV light, ergosterol converts to vitamin D2. Lion's mane is a good example of a mushroom which contains particularly high levels at 381mg per 100g.

Examples of other Key Compounds

Cordycepin, the signature compound in cordyceps, stimulates ATP production for enhanced energy and athletic performance. Ergothioneine is a compound which is being spoken about more frequently in recent years, with it being abundant in golden oyster and lion's mane and shown to have strong anti-ageing benefits. 

The Label Confusion Crisis

Things can get a bit murky when it comes to labelling, and it often feels like the functional mushroom industry operates in something of a Wild West. With there being a lack of regulation, it seems that brands can put almost anything on their labelling, just as long as they’re not making any medical claims about their products. From what I’ve found, there seems to be three areas of confusion:

The Extract Ratio Myth

A "10:1 extract" for example sounds like it's ten times stronger (some brands actually put this statement on their label - but I always ask “10 times stronger than what exactly?”) What this actually just means ten kilograms of raw material were processed down to one kilogram of powder. This ratio indicates starting material concentration, and a larger ratio means that more starting material has been required, meaning a lower quality of material being used to make the final product. When we look at some of the science behind botanical extractions, we can see how the extract ratio can be used to unfortunately mislead consumers into thinking they’re buying superior products. It seems that companies are starting to move away from this concept as it doesn’t necessarily provide much information about quality. 

The Polysaccharide Trap

A product boasting "30% polysaccharides" seems impressive until you realise this could turn out to be mostly starch. Without specifying the beta-glucan content, this number becomes essentially meaningless - yet it's commonly used in marketing, whether through lazy practices or intentional misdirection.

Fruiting Body vs. Mycelium vs. Myceliated Grain

This represents perhaps the most significant confusion in the industry. The fruiting body—what most people recognize as "the mushroom"—contains rich concentrations of beta-glucans and triterpenes. Mycelium is the underground network that breaks down nutrients, typically grown on grain substrates.

Research shows these components differ significantly in their metabolite profiles. The type of substrate, strain of mushrooms, developmental stage, and environmental variables all create wide variation in metabolite concentrations.

Myceliated grain is formed when mycelium consumes and converts a grain substrate through fermentation. This is then marketed as "full spectrum" mushroom biomass. Proponents claim the fermentation process enhances health benefits, and limited evidence suggests turkey tail mycelium with fermented substrate can boost immunity.

When it comes to lab testing however, the results aren’t exactly promising. Alpha-glucan testing shows myceliated grain products are predominantly starch. Ergosterol testing indicates these products contain only one-tenth the ergosterol found in fruiting bodies. Low ergosterol plus low beta-glucans suggests minimal actual mycelium content.

Since manufacturers never disclose the ratio of mycelium to mushroom to spores in "full spectrum" products, there’s not really any way for consumers to trust their claims. The amount of starch in a grain product is directly proportional to missing fungal material, and myceliated grain product with significant mushroom content should show lower alpha-glucans and higher beta-glucans.

It's also worth noting that grain producers often cite research conducted on mycelium cultivated in liquid culture, which is an entirely different product from mycelium grown on grain.

For brands entering into this space and consumers alike, here are the critical questions to ask:

Responsible producers should provide full transparency about cultivation methods and extraction processes, which can breed more trust amongst consumers and eventually healthcare professionals in the near future. The functional mushroom market has tremendous potential to improve human health, but it needs to be protected and move beyond marketing hype toward genuine quality and honest labeling.

With solid science and education, we can build this trust to ensure that mushrooms have more than just a moment, where they can form a solid foundation for our health, longevity, and overall wellbeing.

For more information about functional mushroom production and consulting services, visit thefungiconsultant.com or contact [email protected]

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