Mushroom supplements to boost immune system

[Shezian]

Hi 

I have just received blood test results that l have low white blood cells, they believe is a result of a viral infection and have to get the another blood test in 3 months. There was this study in Australia

https://news.griffith.edu.au/2019/11/08/mushroom-extracts-could-offer-an-immune-cell-boost/

which recommends these supplements

Mediherb Mushroom Forte

Liquid dosing contains 3g reishi, 3g shitake and 2.5g maitake per 7.5ml dose, with dosage set at 7.5ml twice daily. Tablet dosing contains 1g reishi, 1 g shitake and 833mg maitake per tablet, with dosage set at 3-6 tablets daily.

but l was also thinking of getting these.

Which was are better? Anyone know? 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2020 by Shezian

[Gordo]

I can't comment on any particular brand of supplement, but I do believe mushrooms have well documented value to one's health, longevity, brain function, healthy aging, and immune system.  There are countless studies out there on this subject.  I take mushroom supplements daily, but mine are homegrown, not a commercial product.  For people that have access to so called "exotic" species of mushrooms (my local produce store actually has a decent variety, the asian grocery superstore father away has far more variety) you can buy them, dehydrate them yourself, and pack them into capsules.  There is considerable debate about extracts - are they better/worse, and mycelium vs. fruiting bodies (in some studies mycelium appears more effective, in other cases fruiting bodies do better, depends on species and exactly what they are testing for).  I have also read other reports like the one you linked to, describing synergistic effects, it seems that combining species often shows synergies for the human immune system and brain health (improvement beyond what can be achieved with a single species).  I nearly always combine species when I take them.

 

[Ron Put]

While reishi mushrooms may be beneficial, there are also reports of liver toxicity, so 3g per day may not be advisable over a long (over a month) period.

[Shezian]

okay thanks so much for the advice will keep that in mind. 

Have grown my own magic mushrooms, and that was an experience l can tell you that. Hahaha

[Gordo]

Well the specific product you mentioned originally looks like nothing more than an extract from shiitake mycelium. It is very easy to grow shiitake mycelium. I don’t see how the high price of this product makes much sense. If you’ve grown magic mushrooms you can even more easily grow shiitake mycelium, just get https://amzn.to/38APHKU and some grain/rice of your choice, pressure cook or pasteurize the grain in a mason jar and then inject with the liquid culture and you will be able to make a nearly endless supply of mycelium. Takes very little time too.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Gordo

[Shezian]

Thanks, will give it a go when time allows. 

[tea]

Mushroom supplements are actually very economical for the most part. You just need to by bulk powder rather than capsules. Terrasoul sells economical reishi and lions mane extracts. Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies are dirt cheap, and CS-4 mycelium powder is available for around $45/kg (bulksupplements or znaturalfoods). Don't be afraid of Chinese grown mushrooms. In fact, that's pretty much the only place to get mushroom fruiting bodies.

[Gordo]

The concern with Chinese grown mushrooms is that mushrooms absorb air pollution, so it depends on where they were grown.  China has among the worst air pollution in the world, although that doesn't mean all of their product would be affected.

[Shezian]

good to know will keep that in mind. 

[Sibiriak]

If price is not a major concern,  this product is worth considering:

Pure Synergy Immune Health

 

Pure Synergy insists on the highest purity of ingredients,  all organic,  and zero added fillers, excipients etc.    Their beta glucan and echinacea products might be of interest as well.

[Gordo]

I like the idea of growing on black rice, I will try that.  Never heard of growing on turmeric rhizome, that just seems weird to me, I can't imagine any species of mushroom wanting to grow on that and it doesn't seem like a mushroom supplement either, I wonder what the thinking is there?

[Thomas G]

Don't most people who practice CR have lower than normal white blood cells? And is that necessarily a bad thing?

[Shezian]

Thomas, l would like to know that too. Interested to see the answers to your question.

[Ron Put]

On 2/27/2020 at 1:24 AM, Sibiriak said:

If price is not a major concern,  this product is worth considering:

...

Pure Synergy insists on the highest purity of ingredients,  all organic,  and zero added fillers, excipients etc.    Their beta glucan and echinacea products might be of interest as well.

The problem is that at one gram per dosage, one would need approximately 10 of these daily to get the dosage I see used in studies (e.g. about 6g for turkey tail mushrooms). Better off buying dried mushrooms or powder.

On another note, this is interesting:

Johns Hopkins study finds Psilocybin dosage 'sweet spot' for positive and lasting effects

[Ron Put]

On 2/15/2020 at 7:17 PM, Gordo said:

Well the specific product you mentioned originally looks like nothing more than an extract from shiitake mycelium. It is very easy to grow shiitake mycelium. I don’t see how the high price of this product makes much sense. If you’ve grown magic mushrooms you can even more easily grow shiitake mycelium, just get https://amzn.to/38APHKU and some grain/rice of your choice, pressure cook or pasteurize the grain in a mason jar and then inject with the liquid culture and you will be able to make a nearly endless supply of mycelium. Takes very little time too.

How big of a problem is contamination? I understand it can be quite dangerous.

At the same time, mushrooms grow in the wild so what is the issue with home-grown mushrooms and what exactly contaminates them?

 

[tea]

I'm not sure it's worth the effort to grow mushrooms, when button, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms are commercially available for rather cheap and have well proven immunomodulatory effects. If you can't find fresh locally, dried organic shiitake can be bought online for less than $20/lb.

That said, cordyceps in particular is known for its ability to improve lung function, so it may be worth special consideration in times of coronavirus. However, efficacy is still to be proven. 

Effects of Cordyceps militaris supplementation on the immune response and upper respiratory infection in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Note, this study used 1.5 grams per day, perhaps more would have been more effective. 3 grams is generally the starting point dosage in TCM.

[tea]

By the way, it is definitely worth mentioning the "PowerGrown" mushroom supplement is mycelium, not fruiting bodies. Black rice and turmeric grown mushrooms sounds like nothing more than fancy marketing to me. You want to grow mushrooms on what they grow best on, using a superfood substrate won't make a more potent medicinal mushroom.

Anytime you see "mycelium", "mycelial biomass", or "full-spectrum lifecycle (Fruiting Body, Mycelium, Spores, and Primordia)" you can basically be assured you are being sold an impotent, overpriced product that is nearly entirely starch. In China, mycelium is often sold as pig feed. Some liquid ferment substrate seems to be an exception, where cordyceps CS-4 mycelium has levels of active components at comparable or higher levels than wild harvested (trading cordycepin for adenosine).

[Gordo]

2 hours ago, Ron Put said:

How big of a problem is contamination? I understand it can be quite dangerous.

At the same time, mushrooms grow in the wild so what is the issue with home-grown mushrooms and what exactly contaminates them?

 

If you pressure cook your grains for 90 minutes first, and flame sterilze your liquid culture / spore syringe needle until it glows (which only takes a few seconds) the risk of contamination is close to zero.  If it does contaminate, it is always easy to detect, either you will see strange colors (green, red, black, etc) or you will smell it (sweet or sour).  Its pretty much the same deal as with your old leftovers in the fridge going bad.  The most common contaminant is trichoderma.

And yes, if you can buy cheap mushrooms locally, that is far easier than growing them yourself.  But some research claims the health benefits from mycelium may be better than the fruiting bodies (this is what is in many of the supplements being sold including one of the above).  You can't buy mycelium in a grocery store (except maybe in the supplement isle where its quite expensive).  And growing mycelium is far easier and faster than growing the actual mushroom fruit bodies.  

[Gordo]

59 minutes ago, tea said:

You want to grow mushrooms on what they grow best on, using a superfood substrate won't make a more potent medicinal mushroom.

As you point out, when they sell "mycelium" the product typically contains mostly the substrate it was growing on, so there is something to be said for using black rice at least, the person eating that will get the benefit of the black rice but I agree you should only be using substrate ingredients that the mycelium thrives on.  I seriously question using turmeric (but if they are just throwing it into their supplement separately I get it, might as well throw in some black pepper to increase bioavailability too).  Mycelium will typically grow well on almost any grain.

[Ron Put]

16 hours ago, Gordo said:

If you pressure cook your grains for 90 minutes first, and flame sterilze your liquid culture / spore syringe needle until it glows (which only takes a few seconds) the risk of contamination is close to zero.  If it does contaminate, it is always easy to detect, either you will see strange colors (green, red, black, etc) or you will smell it (sweet or sour).  Its pretty much the same deal as with your old leftovers in the fridge going bad.  The most common contaminant is trichoderma....

Thanks, Gordo and tea!

I consume mushrooms almost daily, mostly brown, oyster, maitake and portobello, and supplementing occasionally with turkey tail and reishi powders.

But my question was regarding the Golden Teacher variety....

[Gordo]

18 hours ago, Ron Put said:

But my question was regarding the Golden Teacher variety....

Haha, OK, well that type is actually less prone to contamination than most other species, reason being, it grows really well on coco-coir which is very resistant to contamination.  If you have no equipment its easiest to just buy a kit to get started.  But to do it on the cheap, all you really need is some sterile grain and a spore syringe (which will be flame sterilyzed then injected into the grain bag), that will result in lots of mycelium, which are then easily transferred to a 66qt or similar size tote/monotub full of: 

1 brick of coir (650g) 

4 quarts boiling water (wait until it all cools before adding the grains/mycelium)

 2 qts vermiculite (optional helps keep moisture levels consistent)

 1/4 cup gypsum (optional nutritional supplement mushrooms like)

The transfer of grains to the above does not need to happen in sterile or even super sanitized conditions.  Keep the tote lid propped open for air exchange at all times.  Grows and fruits in normal room temps (70 to 80F). Mist with water daily as needed.

[Ron Put]

Thank you, Gordo!!!

I sent you a PM. This is really helpful!

[Shezian]

https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-ahcc-89399

Would love to know your thoughts on these supplements. 

 

Cheers

Snez

[Gordo]

The pic is of shiitake mushrooms, you are probably better off just eating the shiitake mushrooms and maybe some garlic to go with it too.

[Matt]

I have that brand of AHCC but only keep it at hand for when I think I need it. I frequently take beta-glucan from NOW Foods (taking 5 capsules per day right now ) as AHCC can be a bit expensive. 

Here's a bit more information from a couple of articles I wrote on AHCC and Beta-Glucan for immunity. 🙂  

http://www.crvitality.com/2018/07/ahcc-benefits-and-side-effects/

http://www.crvitality.com/2019/01/beta-glucan-vs-ahcc/

Edited March 6, 2020 by Matt