Lion’s Mane mushroom is an incredible gift from nature that can help our brains to perform a their best… science is only just starting to uncover the incredible benefits contained in this special mushroom.
There are 4 things you should consider as a first time buyer of Lions Mane mushroom:
1. Is it a whole food or an extract?
Let’s break down what an “extract” is. You take a plant or a mushroom and extract one or two compounds and then suspend those compounds in water or alcohol. This is how you take a solid (ie: a Lions Mane mushroom) and make it into a liquid.
Whilst this is cheap to produce, it doesn’t contain the full spectrum of benefits contained within the mushroom. I’m pretty sure we can’t even identify half the active compounds in Lion’s Mane… let alone extract them!
Over thousands of years, this incredible mushroom has evolved to the super food it is today.
Both humans and the mushrooms have evolved together meaning our bodies recognise the mushroom as food. Once you isolate certain compounds it is no longer as readily recognisable by the human body.
That’s why we prefer to use the whole food Lions Mane mushroom as a supplement. Something that contains the full spectrum of nutrients, vitamins and active compounds (even if we can’t yet identify what half of them are!)
2. Concerns about heavy metals/pollution
Mushrooms are super absorbent. If you ever go out foraging with an experienced person, you will notice they never harvest from the side of the road.
Why?
Because the mushrooms will most likely absorb the pollution from the passing cars. They can also absorb heavy metals from the water.
We wouldn’t feel comfortable eating an imported mushroom, so we won’t sell them when Australian grown readily available.
Australia has a reputation for the best clean air and clean water on the planet… it’s a no brainer for me.
3. How is it dried?
Fresh is always best. No matter what you are drying there is always some nutrient loss in the drying process. Our aim is to deliver our mushrooms as close to “fresh” as possible.
How do we do this?
With a technology known as freeze drying. Freeze drying very quickly takes the mushroom to -65 degrees celsius because it happens so quick it minimises nutrient loss dramatically compared to other drying methods. It’s “snap” dried.
Freeze drying is (almost) nutritionally equivalent to eating the Lions Mane mushroom fresh.
It’s a very expensive process but one that I think is well worth the extra cost.
4. Does it include the mycelium?
Our Yarra Valley Lions Mane mushroom does not contain the mycelium, which is optimal for people with sensitive stomachs. If you would like to experience the benefits of Lion’s Mane with the mycelium included, you can purchase our Australian Grown Lions Mane.
