To get the most benefit from functional mushrooms it is best to use an extracted supplement which concentrates their beneficial compounds. This is because in their raw or dried form mushroom cells have tough walls that our bodies cannot efficiently break down. By using extraction the mushroom compounds are made bioavailable which means that your body can easily put them to use.
To start the extraction process whole mushroom fruiting bodies (stem and cap) are dried and turned into a powder, this powder is then simmered in hot water or alcohol to draw out the active properties. The result is a more concentrated version of the beneficial compounds.
At fourfive we use a double-extraction process which uses both alcohol and water to extract different properties. Some beneficial properties in mushrooms called beta-glucans are water-soluble whilst other properties called triterpenes are alcohol-soluble. Both of these are valuable and for that reason, it’s often best to use a double extraction method to get all the goodness you can.
The mushrooms used in fourfive supplements are extracted at a 10:1 ratio. This means that for every 1 gram of dried, powdered extract we put in a capsule, 10 grams of raw mushrooms were used. This makes the powder extract much more highly concentrated than others you may see on the shelves, which are typically 4:1 or even 1:1 ratio.