THE GREENEST SAYS:
The life of a holistic and progressive product reviewer can be tough. Given the nature of this space, you come across a lot of questionable brands. Sometimes you get the feeling that some brands (gasp!) hide some of the most important facts about their products. But that’s why it’s so refreshingly great to come across a brand like Real Mushrooms. They do every single thing right when it comes to medicinal and functional mushrooms. And their Real Mushrooms Organic Cordyceps Extract Capsules are a perfect example of what their brand stands for.
First, they use fruiting bodies (instead of mycelium, which we get into a little more detail later.) They don’t add starches or grains. They use hot water extraction. And Real Mushrooms use certified organic mushrooms. (We don’t see that they are USDA-Certified organic, but that doesn’t mean they’re not organic.) And they are one of the very few medicinal mushroom brands that will actually provide the results of their third party lab results. If you believe in the power of mushrooms and adaptogens like cordyceps, then it’s hard to find a better and more trusted product on the market.
WHAT IS THIS PRODUCT?
This is the extract of the cordyceps mushroom – which is purported to have benefits around libido, energy and increasing blood oxygen. The FDA has not approved any claims when it comes to what cordyceps can do for your health. Asian and Eastern European cultures have used these mushrooms for centuries in teas (and other forms) but we’re not sure if their version of the FDA has approved it either.
Does this Use Fruiting Bodies or Mycelium?
Real Mushrooms uses fruiting bodies in all their products. In fact, it’s kind of their thing. And in case you’re new to these products, the fruiting body is the part of the fungi that’s above ground. That part contains a higher percentage of the antioxidants, beta-glucans and other good stuff that makes these mushrooms so interesting. The mycelium, on the other hand, is the root part that’s underground. That contains far fewer of the beta-glucans etc. Always find out if the medicinals mushroom product you’re buying is made from fruiting bodies or mycelium.
Also Read: What is a Beta-glucan and what does it do?
HOW MUCH FUNCTIONAL MUSHROOMS AND ADAPTOGENS ARE IN THIS PRODUCT?
Each capsule contains 500mgs of cordyceps extract. They recommend taking two capsules per day.
No! A lot of people get “functional mushrooms” confused with “magic mushrooms.” They are totally different. Cordyceps is a mushroom similar to the one you’d buy at your local store or farmer’s market, but with a lot more goodies inside. They are completely and totally NOT psychoactive in any way.
Also Read: 5 ways to eat a climatarian diet
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU TAKE?
Start off with their recommended dose. And then we’d recommend sticking with that dose. There’s enough cordyceps in here for your body to process. And we’d doubt you’d need to up the dose.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO BECOME EFFECTIVE?
Medicinal and functional mushrooms are not pharmaceuticals. They aren’t designed to mask pain or make you feel better within an hour. These are most effective (we think) when they become a component of a long term lifestyle. I think we can all agree that mushrooms are good for us. And other cultures believe, rather strongly, that some of the superfood-branded fungi have healthful properties. But don’t expect to wake up the next day and feel like Superman.
Yes, completely. As we mentioned these are just like any mushroom.
ARE THESE Real Mushrooms Organic Cordyceps Extract Capsules TESTED AND CERTIFIED?
Yes. Real Mushrooms makes a point to let us know that all their products are certified and tested by third party ISO labs. They even will send you the lab test if you email them. Which is something we wish more functional fungi brands would do.
Read our other Real Mushrooms Product Reviews:
Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders Organic Mushroom Blend Capsules
