Extraction Process For Mushroom Supplements

Most of what a mushroom is actually good for is locked inside cell walls made of chitin, the same structural compound found in insect exoskeletons, which the human body can't break down on its own. Eating a raw or simply dried mushroom, or taking a supplement made from unextracted mushroom powder, means a lot of that potential passes straight through undigested. Extraction is the process that changes that. Here's what actually happens between a harvested mushroom and the capsule in your hand, and why each step matters.

1. Sourcing and Facility

It starts with the mushroom itself. We use fruiting body, the visible part of the mushroom, grown on hardwood logs or sawdust rather than grain, and harvested from growing regions with a long history of cultivating each specific species. From there, the mushrooms go to our extraction facility, which is GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified, meaning it operates under strict, independently audited standards for consistency, cleanliness and safety.

2. Dual Extraction: Hot Water and Alcohol

The dried mushrooms are ground down and extracted using two solvents rather than one. Hot water extraction draws out water-soluble compounds, including beta-glucans, the polysaccharide class most associated with mushroom extract quality. Alcohol extraction draws out a different set of compounds, including triterpenoids, that water alone doesn't reach. Heat and pressure are used throughout to break down the chitin cell walls and release what's inside.

This is what "dual-extracted" actually means, and it's why it matters: a single-solvent extract only ever captures half the picture. Using both methods together is more involved than using one, but it's the difference between a supplement that delivers a broad range of a mushroom's compounds and one that only delivers some of them.

3. Concentrating the Extract

Once extraction is complete, the liquid is spray-dried to remove the remaining water and alcohol, leaving a concentrated mushroom extract powder with no residual liquid. That powder is what goes into our capsules, and what our powder blends are built from. Nothing is added back in to bulk it out.

It's worth knowing what the alternative looks like, too. Some brands sell simply dried, unextracted mushroom powder, often marketed as "full spectrum" or "the way nature intended." It sounds appealing, but without extraction, the chitin cell walls are still intact, so a meaningful share of what's actually in the mushroom never becomes accessible to your body. Non-extracted powder is also considerably cheaper to produce, which is worth factoring in when comparing prices between products that look similar on the label but aren't made the same way.

4. Third-Party Testing in New Zealand

Extraction alone doesn't tell you what actually ended up in the finished product, which is why testing is a separate, essential step. Every batch is tested for heavy metals, pesticide residues and microbial contamination, and for beta-glucan content specifically, to verify potency rather than just assume it. This happens twice: once at the extraction facility, and again independently once the extract reaches New Zealand, where we test through Hill Laboratories and Massey University. Results are published on our test reports page, so the numbers are there to check rather than take our word for. You can read more about what beta-glucan content actually measures in Understanding Beta-Glucans.

Why This Process Is Worth Knowing About

None of these steps are unique to us; dual extraction and third-party testing are simply what a mushroom extract needs to be made properly. What varies enormously between brands is whether they actually do all of it, or skip the more expensive, more time-consuming parts and hope nobody asks. Knowing what fruiting body, dual extraction and independent testing actually involve is the fastest way to tell the two apart, whichever brand you end up buying from.

Every Flow State capsule is made this way: fruiting body only, dual-extracted, and third-party tested here in New Zealand, with the results published for anyone to check.

Disclaimer: It is important to consult a health professional before taking supplements if you have a health condition, are taking medication, are pregnant, or nursing.