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Are Your Mushroom Supplements Helping Your Immune System?
So you've been wondering about taking functional mushrooms to support your immune system. It's a wise idea: Mushrooms are now well-established for their inflammatory-balancing and antioxidant properties.* Plus, they're full of proteins, antioxidants, and fatty acids—all of which play a role in immunity. These days, the question is less about whether you're taking mushrooms and more about where you're getting them. For the sake of your immune system, you deserve the best.
The truth about your mushroom supplement
If you're wondering what all the mushroom hype is about, it starts with beta-glucans1. These beneficial polysaccharides make up the cell walls of mushrooms and are connected1 to heart health, gut health, immune function, inflammatory response, and beyond.* Research indicates that beta-glucans (and other beneficial components) are found most abundantly in the mushroom's fruiting body—that is, everything aboveground.
However, most mushroom supplements on the market today are made out of the mycelium, or the root of the mushroom. While mycelium certainly has its own benefits, supplements made from the fruiting body guarantee you're getting the good stuff.
As far as quality goes, Gaia Herbs' pure extraction process sets the gold standard. It starts with harvesting the fruiting bodies at their peak. From there, they dry and powder the mushrooms before concentrating them in hot water for five hours. Before capsulation, this concentrated extract undergoes the same quality testing as the rest of their herbs to ensure potency, purity, and integrity. With Gaia Herbs, you get 100% mushrooms—which is harder to find than you'd think.
The case for fruiting bodies
Here's the issue with mushroom supplements made from mycelium. Mushrooms are often grown using grain substrates like rice or oats. This substrate allows the mycelium (or the roots) to grow, but it's difficult to extract. Because of that, the growth substrate often ends up in the final product—which means you're taking mushrooms but also added ingredients like fillers, grain, and starch.
Not only does Gaia Herbs harvest their supplements from the fruiting body, but they also get as close to a natural environment as possible. Their chaga, for example, is grown on Siberian birch located on organically managed land. Their reishi is cultivated on beachwood log. This paints a picture of the brand's commitment to sustainable sourcing. It's also how you end up with a 100% mushroom supplement.
How to choose the right mushroom for your immunity
But returning to why a quality mushroom supplement really matters… Your immune system gets more bang for your buck! And by that we mean—more beta-glucans. For years, vitamin C and zinc have been ruling our immunity routines. But now that we know what mushrooms are capable of, that's all changing.
All mushrooms are packed with health benefits. But certain fungi are more connected to immune support than others.* Need a little extra respiratory support?* Or a helping hand for your liver?* Not to worry, there's a mushroom for that:
Reishi
Reishi mushroom, also known as the "mushroom of immortality," has been shown to support overall immune function as well as cardiovascular health.* If you're looking to boost your overall longevity, Gaia Herbs Reishi Mushroom is your go-to.*
Turkey Tail
Researchers2 actually consider our liver an "innate immunity organ" due to its high concentration of immune cells. Gaia Herbs Turkey Tail promotes healthy liver function and support.* As the most widely studied mushroom, give this fun-guy a front-row spot in your supplement cabinet.
Chaga
Chaga is known for offering antioxidant support3 and has long been used to prompt healthy cell turnover and gut health (another key aspect of immunity).* Gaia Herbs' Everyday Immune is formulated with chaga, reishi, and maitake—another mushroom known for immune support.* Combined with immune-supporting herbs, this everyday supplement checks all boxes.*
The bottom line
Immunity can be one of those things you take for granted until you're feeling a little under the weather. We're big believers that immunity isn't just something you focus on during winter or when you feel a bug coming on. Immunity is a lifestyle—and choosing a high-quality supplement, like Gaia Herbs, is how we can ensure we're giving our immune system its best chance!* Remember: Your health deserves nothing less than transparent sourcing, high quality, and integrity.
