What is the difference between spore powder and spore oil? What is Reishi mycelium? How do you eat it? People who are new to Reishi mushroom often have such similar questions.

 

 

First, it is important to know that the growth stages of Reishi mushroom are: spores → mycelium → fruiting body → release of spores. Products made from any part of Reishi mushroom like fruiting body, mycelium, spore powder or spore oil can be called Reishi. What are the differences between these raw materials? Let’s learn together today.

 

Only the Reishi mushroom fruiting body harvested before the release of spores has value.

 

The Reishi mushroom, which has been recorded in ancient books as having a variety of therapeutic effects, refers to the fruiting body of the Reishi mushroom. Most scientific experiments conducted over the past 40 years to study the efficacy of Reishi mushroom have used the fruiting body of Reishi mushroom as raw material.

 

Reishi fruiting body

 

The fruiting body of Reishi mushroom contains numerous active ingredients and can be used as a comprehensive health food. However, there is a prerequisite: the fruiting body must be harvested when the spores are full, that is, when the milky white growth ring on the outermost edge of the mushroom body has just disappeared. Once the spores have flown away, only a woody shell remains.

 

How to extract the effective ingredients from the fruiting body of Reishi mushroom?

 

Reishi slice-decocted water: Cut Reishi mushroom fruiting body into slices, add water, and simmer it like a traditional Chinese medicine decoction. Generally, decoct Reishi slices 3-4 times and drink the decocted Reishi slice water.

 

Reishi mushroom extract capsules/powder: The main active ingredients of the Reishi mushroom fruiting body are extracted using advanced equipment and processes. These extracts are then concentrated and dried to produce capsules or powders. These products are more convenient to take and are believed to have better therapeutic effects than traditional methods of preparation.

 

Reishi Extract

 

The harvesting and processing of Reishi mushroom spore powder must be carried out in accordance with national standards.

 

Reishi mushroom spore is the tiny reproductive cell released when the Reishi mushroom fruiting body matures.

 

Because spore powder is so tiny, it is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye whether it is mixed with sand or dust. In addition, after the spores are sporoderm-broken, the oil inside comes into contact with the air. If the packaging process does not properly protect against oxidation, the entire batch of spores can quickly spoil and deteriorate.

 

The national standard “Standards on harvesting and processing techniques of Ganoderma Lucidum spore powder” (GB/T 29344-2012) has been officially implemented since August 1, 2013. As long as the standard is followed, the minimum quality of the spore powder can be guaranteed, regardless of whether the spores have been sporoderm-broken or not.

 

Reishi spore powder

GanoHerb is the main developer of the national standard “Standards on harvesting and processing techniques of Ganoderma Lucidum spore powder” (GB/T29344-2012).

 

How to eat sporoderm-broken Ganoderma lucidum spore powder?

 

Sporoderm-broken Ganoderma lucidum spore powder can be consumed by mixing it with warm water. After brewing, it should be consumed as soon as possible to avoid oxidation. 

 

It is recommended to take sporoderm-broken spore powder on an empty stomach, half an hour before eating, or one hour after a meal. This can improve the absorption of spore powder by the stomach and intestines.

 

The authenticity and quality of Reishi mushroom spore oil should not be ignored. 

 

Reishi mushroom spore oil is an active lipid substance contained within Reishi mushroom spores. Modern technology is required to extract it. 

 

To produce high-quality Reishi mushroom spore oil, several factors must be considered. Firstly, the spore powder used as the raw material for extraction must be full and fresh. Secondly, advanced technology (such as supercritical CO₂ extraction) must be used to effectively extract the oil from the spores. Every step of the extraction and packaging process must be carried out with great care to avoid oxidation and deterioration of the spore oil due to contact with air.

 

It is clear that producing a bottle of spore oil is not an easy task. A considerable amount of spore powder is needed to extract a small bottle of spore oil. The high cost makes spore oil the most expensive of all Reishi materials. 

 

GanoHerb Group has adopted the patented supercritical CO₂ extraction technology (ZL201010203684.7) in the process of extracting Ganoderma lucidum spore oil.

 

How to consume GanoHerb Ganoderma lucidum Spore Oil Softgels?

 

Take two softgels twice daily. It is recommended to take them on an empty stomach, either half an hour before meals or one hour after meals. This can improve the absorption of Reishi spore oil by the stomach and intestines.

 

Reishi spore oil

 

Reishi mushroom mycelium products often contain more than just mycelium.

 

The cultivation of Reishi mushroom mycelium is relatively simple. By placing the strains in a culture medium containing carbon and nitrogen sources, clusters of white mycelium will grow.

 

 

Compared to the 3-6 months it takes to grow Reishi mushroom fruiting bodies, it only takes a short 2 weeks to obtain a large amount of a mixture of Reishi mycelium and culture medium, significantly reducing costs. The components in the mycelium are relatively simple, with the vast majority being Reishi polysaccharides.

 

Although the polysaccharides in mycelium have been proven to have immune-regulating effects, the vast majority of mycelium on the market is mixed with a large amount of culture medium and culture fluid. This is because during the fermentation process, the mycelium and culture medium and fluid have become intertwined and are difficult to separate.

 

Therefore, it is difficult to say whether consumers are eating the health-promoting Reishi polysaccharides or the fattening starchy polysaccharides. After all, starchy polysaccharides were originally used as nutrients for mycelium growth.

 

In the end, regardless of which type of Reishi product you choose, what you should be most concerned about is whether the manufacturer has its own Reishi cultivation base and processing plant. If the source of the raw materials is unclear, no matter how powerful the subsequent processing is, it will be in vain.

 

Choosing qualified and well-credentialed Reishi products is the right investment for your health!

 

References:

“The difference in raw materials: fruiting body, spore powder, spore oil, mycelium” in the book “Healing with Ganoderma” written by Tingyao Wu.