Extracts absorb quickly, while powders retain fibers for versatile, nutrient-rich use. Choosing the right one for your goals matters.
When I began my wellness journey in the mushroom world, I often wondered: What’s the best option — extracts or dried mushroom powder? The different choices felt confusing because I didn’t have the right information, and I wasn’t sure which format was best for my needs.
That’s why today, we’re breaking it all down. Let’s dive into the differences between powders and extractions, so you can discover the perfect way to incorporate adaptogenic mushrooms into your daily life.
Let’s dive in! 🪄
What are they, and how are they made?
1) Extracts
Liquid extracts are made by extracting nutrients from mushrooms through multiple extraction methods, often combined for maximum efficacy. These extracts are fast and easily absorbed by the body. Our favourite and most potent extraction method is a quadruple extraction. This advanced process exposes the mushroom’s fruiting bodies to multiple extraction techniques, ensuring a highly pure and concentrated product. At SHYFT, we prioritize quality by using sustainably wild-harvested mushrooms, rather than cultivated ones. These standards guarantee the highest potency and purity in every drop.
But what does quadruple extraction mean?
Quadruple extraction is a process that uses multiple methods to maximize the bioavailability and concentration of beneficial compounds in mushrooms. It typically combines techniques like hot water, alcohol extraction, and other additional methods to ensure a full spectrum of nutrients.
Advantages of Extracts:
- Better absorption: Extracts are absorbed directly through the tongue, bypassing stomach acid and entering the bloodstream quickly.
- More concentrated: Extracts are more potent than powders.
- Ease of use: Simply use a dropper to place the extract under your tongue once or twice a day. Powders require mixing into food or drinks.
- Extra Potency: Our extracts undergo a quadruple extraction process, ensuring maximum benefits in every drop.
- Sustainably Wild-Harvested: Sourced with care from pristine environments, it’s as pure as it gets.
Try Lion’s Mane for enhanced focus and mental clarity, Reishi for deep relaxation and immune support, Cordyceps for sustained energy and endurance, Chaga for powerful antioxidant protection or Turkey Tail for gut health and immune-boosting benefits.
Usage: Place ½ a pipette (10 drops) under your tongue, twice a day, to experience the full benefits of your mushroom extract. One 30ml bottle provides 60 doses, lasting 30 days.
Storage: Keep the extract in a closed, dry place at room temperature. Avoid refrigerating.
Tip: To ensure the highest quality and potency, choose extracts made from sustainably sourced, organic mushrooms to maximize nutrient purity and avoid contaminants.
2) Powders
Mushroom powder is made by grinding dried mushrooms, preserving their full nutritional profile. It offers a versatile and convenient way to incorporate the benefits of medicinal mushrooms into your daily routine. It can be blended into smoothies, used in recipes like banana bread or pancakes, or mixed into coffee and other beverages. By adding it to your favourite drinks or meals, you can enjoy the powerful benefits of mushrooms with minimal effort.
Advantages of Powders:
- Alcohol-free: Unlike extracts, powders don’t contain alcohol, making them a better option if you want to avoid it.
- Culinary applications: Use powders in recipes like baked goods or soups.
- Retains fibers: Powders preserve the mushroom’s fibers, making them 100% mushroom.
- Rich in nutrients: Powders maintain the full spectrum of nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support overall wellness.
- Supports digestive health: The fibers in mushroom powders aid digestion and promote gut health, while also helping regulate blood sugar levels.
- Sustained benefits: Unlike concentrated extracts, powders offer a slower, more gradual release of nutrients, providing long-term benefits for energy, immunity, and mental clarity.
- Versatile usage: Add powders to smoothies, hot drinks, or meals. For example, stir it into warm plant-milk with honey for a comforting beverage.
Usage: Add 2 teaspoons (4g) of mushroom powder daily to your hot or cold beverages, or sprinkle it into your meals to power up your day.
For a unique twist, try mixing it with foamed plant-based milk, cacao powder, and a touch of honey for a delicious mushroom-choco-cappuccino—an excellent, caffeine-free alternative to coffee!
Tip: To get the most out of your mushroom powder, look for powders made from organically grown mushrooms to avoid contaminants and maximize the purity of the nutrients.
The Best Of Both Worlds
When it comes to incorporating medicinal mushrooms into your wellness routine, both extracts and powders offer unique benefits. Each form brings its own strengths, and choosing the right one for you can depend on your specific needs, preferences, and lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for quick, targeted support or a slow and steady boost to your overall wellness, both forms can complement each other and enhance your daily routine.
Why Choose Mushroom Extractions?
a) Fast and potent absorption: Extractions are quickly absorbed by the body, providing a rapid, concentrated dose of beneficial compounds for immediate support.
b) Targeted benefits: Extracts can be more effective for specific wellness needs, as the concentration of active compounds is higher, offering quick and precise support.
Why Choose Mushroom Powders?
a) Whole-food benefits: Mushroom powders offer the full spectrum of nutrients from the mushroom, not just the concentrated compounds found in extracts.
b) Easy absorption: The body can absorb the nutrients in powdered mushrooms more gradually, which provides sustained benefits over time.
With Shyft’s extracts or powders, you’re not just getting a product; you’re embracing centuries of mushroom wisdom and care, sustainably harvested and prepared for you. Whether you prefer the quick-acting potency of extracts or the holistic, long-lasting benefits of powders, both forms are designed to support your well-being at every level.
Start small, make it a part of your rhythm, and notice how it helps you stay grounded, energized, and well.
Here’s to embracing the power of mushrooms and moving through life’s seasons with support and nurture.
