Duanwood Reishi Mushroom | Dual Extract | Full Spectrum | Wild Cultivated

What is reishi mushroom?

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is a polypore mushroom that grows on the trunks of decaying hardwood trees in temperate forests across Asia. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it has been used for over two thousand years, reishi is known as the mushroom of immortality and is one of the three classical Shen tonics, the herbs traditionally said to nourish the calm, observant part of the heart and mind. Daoist priests gathered it for meditation, and old Chinese paintings show reishi growing at the feet of sages.

Where does our duanwood reishi come from?

Our duanwood reishi is sourced from the Dabie Mountains of central China, where it is wild cultivated on hardwood logs in the same forests where it has always grown. Duanwood is the traditional Chinese term for log grown reishi, considered superior to commercially produced reishi grown on grain substrate. Only the fruiting body is used in our extract, never mycelium grown on grain. This matters because the active compounds, including triterpenes and beta glucans, sit predominantly in the fruiting body. A Certificate of Analysis is available on request for every batch.

What is a dual extract and why does it matter?

The most valued compounds in reishi sit in two different fractions of the mushroom. Water soluble polysaccharides, including the beta glucans long studied for their effects on the body's regulatory systems, release into hot water. Fat soluble triterpenes, including the ganoderic acids that give reishi its characteristic bitterness, only release into alcohol. Reishi cell walls are made of chitin, which the human digestive system cannot break down efficiently. A dual extract performs both extractions and concentrates the result at a 10:1 ratio, putting the full spectrum of reishi's bioactive compounds into a form the body can actually absorb.

How do I take reishi extract?

A daily serving is one gram, roughly half a level teaspoon. Stir into warm water, plant milk, coffee or tea. Reishi has traditionally been taken in the morning or evening as a calming tonic, and many of our customers enjoy it before bed. The extract dissolves readily in any liquid above room temperature, no brewing or steeping required. Reishi pairs beautifully with chaga, cordyceps or lion's mane in a daily mushroom blend, and forms the base of many of our elixir blends.

What does reishi taste like?

Reishi is famously bitter, in the way of strong tea or dark chocolate. The bitterness comes from the triterpenes and is the sign of a properly extracted product. Some customers grow to enjoy the taste over time, others mix reishi with cacao, honey or sweeter herbs to soften it. The bitterness can also be balanced by adding it to a creamy plant milk drink with cinnamon. The full spectrum extract takes on the colour of dark amber when mixed with hot water.

• 10:1 (Dual Extracted) Full Spectrum Extract produced from the Fruiting Bodies of Duanwood Reishi Mushrooms (Ganoderma Lucidum)

No added fillers or preservatives
Product carefully sourced from Dabie Mountains, China
Click here for info on our sourcing policy

1g (approx ½ level teaspoon) with warm water, or added to your favourite tea, smoothie or beverage of choice. Can also be sprinkled on salad, or hot foods.