Understanding Beta-Glucans

Today, we’re diving into one of the most important ingredients in our mushroom supplements: beta-glucans. 

Beta-glucans are potent polysaccharides (a type of carbohydrate) found in the cell walls of fungi, algae, yeast, and certain plants. Fungal beta-glucans are particularly renowned for their ability to modulate the immune system - either enhancing or regulating our body's defense mechanisms.

What Are Beta-Glucans?

The beta-glucans in mushrooms interact directly with our body’s immune sensors in the lower digestive tract. Once they are recognised by the body, they trigger a comprehensive immune response, offering a spectrum of health benefits that include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, among others. Whether you're looking to enhance your immune response, support gut health, or protect against oxidative stress, beta-glucans are your go-to resource.

How Beta-Glucans Can Support Your Health

Beta-glucans are found in all species of mushrooms, with some edible and medicinal mushrooms containing more of these active compounds than others and offering different immune benefits. Many medicinal mushrooms that have been used for centuries in traditional medicine are particularly high in beta-glucans, backing up the use of these mushrooms for boosting health.

Polysaccharides vs. Beta-Glucans: What to Look for in Supplements

Some mushroom supplements label the proportion of polysaccharides in the product - this is potentially misleading because the term polysaccharides can include non-immune stimulating compounds such as starch or cellulose.

Describing the products in this way could be hiding the fact that it has non-mushroom fillers in it. The most accurate way to know the potency of a mushroom extract is by the percentage of beta-glucans it contains, not polysaccharides.

Dual Extraction and Mushroom Testing

Our mushroom extracts are dual-extracted to get as much of the active compounds as we can.  We strive for a minimum of 30% beta-glucans in our encapsulated mushroom extracts and we have them tested by Massey University to verify the potency.  Our most recent batches of Lion's Mane and MyComplete both came in at over 50% beta-glucan content - now that's potent! Don't just take our word for it: we publish the actual test reports on our website, which can be found through the link below.