42 replies to this topic

[jroseland]

Have you used Reishi? Please take just a moment to respond to this survey

 

Did you find Reishi Anti-Androgenic?

[EFTANG]

the company that is increasingly recognized as producing the best reishi is actualy based in Japan, " Hokkaido reishi ",

I've been using it for a while now and I don't regret it...although their products are more expensive the quality and the service is there. 

higly recommended

 

 

Overrated and mostly useless brand. 

 

They make potency statements that are not realistic; actually, they make no sense at all.

 

- the percentages of triterpenes/beta-glucans they claim are technically impossible. They add up to 100%; so what about proteins, vitamins, minerals, sterols etc. ?

- their product is not extracted but just dried powder, meaning the active ingredients that are present are not bio-available (your body will have problems absorbing them, because most people cannot digest non-extracted mushrooms properly)

 

- furthermore, their claims are not backed up / validated by a Certificate of Analysis and/or an authorised supplement facts label. I know because I have requested a certificate from this company in the past, posing as a reseller, and they didn't even bother replying to me.

 

Be aware that Japanese Reishi products never contain bioavailable triterpenes; they are only producing hot water extracts for some reason. So what makes Reishi different from other mushroom supplements (the triterpenes) is actually not present. Most products are actually just powder, non-extracted, like the hokkaido products.

 

If the website claims are not reflected on the official supplement fact label of the product(s) you can toss them aside as being just marketing IMO. It is unlawful to make false claims on that label, but if those claims would be genuine and have been validated, no seller would leave those out on the label. That is simple logic.

 

Japanese sellers are notorious for their deceiving marketing. Many products are stuffed with dextrin and other fillers. See this overview of several Reishi products. Read this revealing article about Reishi supplements (true, written by a company selling Reishi themselves, but you will see the logic and plausibility of their statements). They also give proof, so it's more than just an opinion or bias.  

 

Unfortunately there are a lot of deceiving and fraudulent producers. It’s all about the money, not about good products anymore. Be critical.

[normalizing]

vlad, its always about profit when it comes to any company so finding the pearl in the ocean is such an enticing journey for some of us who can afford it

[albedo]

AHCC Clinical Evidence

http://www.humanclin...s.org/ahcc-1-1/

[normalizing]

yeh thanks for this albedo, but that doesnt help the thread which is about "reliable brands" and AHCC is very much so sold all over the place with no quality and its mostly scam that is highly pricey. i remember reading almost all of the AHCC on the market was lacking the active ingredient in a journal while ago and it explains why so many people buying it never notice results. so, good luck finding a reliable AHCC

[gamesguru]

i used to think i was the only one that overthought simple things.  when you have a gem staring you in the face at the grocery store, the white button/portobello, it's amazes me that people have complicate things with cordyceps or the reishi or something else that your poor grand mama can't even pronounce.  the lowly button shroom has incredible immunologic and hormonal effects.  i've gotten viral infections under control, i've gotten the eczema on my hands under control and i couldn't have done it without mushrooms.  i have so little estrogen in my system now, my joints are killing me and i haven't thought about sex in days

[albedo]

yeh thanks for this albedo, but that doesnt help the thread which is about "reliable brands" and AHCC is very much so sold all over the place with no quality and its mostly scam that is highly pricey. i remember reading almost all of the AHCC on the market was lacking the active ingredient in a journal while ago and it explains why so many people buying it never notice results. so, good luck finding a reliable AHCC

 

Understand and agree. My post was not on top of the reliable source topic, I just wished to log a small research on the compound I did and there is much more on the web. I did not make a search over all suppliers and agree with you it is a jungle. I decided for several reasons, trust and practical, to give a try with the brand LEF carries (Kinoko). Hopefully the label is trustful:

http://www.lifeexten...o-Platinum-AHCC
Any comment on this brand? Some of the research paper I found on AHCC acknowledged the supply from Kinoko so I thought that choice was not too bad. In any case all brands carrying AHCC which is registered should get their compound from Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd

Edited by albedo, 17 June 2017 - 11:53 AM.

[normalizing]

i dunno about that one i never tried. it says its rich in alpha glucans, arent we aiming at the beta glucans tho?  from what i gather, they are the actual active glucans that infuence immune system, but alpha glucans arent. anyway, i havent tried it and i dunno.

 

gamesguru, interesting post. why not people just eat super cheap buttom white mushrooms yes. they are just like all mushrooms, containing similar contents and do have beta glucans which do influence immune system without spending the extra money on questionable pills. this line i couldnt understand as many times i tried though; "i have so little estrogen in my system now, my joints are killing me and i haven't thought about sex in days"

what is the point in this? you have little estrogen somehow, you havent thought about sex somehow and you have pain in joints? what is this related to and why tell us this? it doesnt seem positive thing and its kind of confusing too, im not sure if mushrooms did this, or what the hell you talking about!

[normalizing]

at least it comes with a certificate

[gamesguru]

you havent thought about sex somehow[1] and you have pain in joints[2]? what is this related to and why tell us this? it doesnt seem positive thing and its kind of confusing too, im not sure if mushrooms did this, or what the hell you talking about!

 

white buttons were, out of dozens of assayed plants, the most potent (grape seed extract was a close second) "aromatase" inhibitor .. that's the enzyme which reduces testosterone to estrogen.  so effectively it lowers estrogen and raises test, except it's not terribly effective at raising test (in guys).  but you do end up with as little as 40-60% as much estrogen, hence the joint pain.  can be mitigated with ginger root a bit, curcumin and blueberries seem helpful too, but i'm finding the only real solution is to back off the shrooms a bit

 

other compounds in the mushrooms, natural vitamin d, alkaloids and amides, mycotoxins such as Agaritine, and other constituents may contribute to the wide spectrum of effects seen in rodent studies.  the beta glucans on their own even have cholesterol and colon cancer reducing effects.  i'm not saying don't waste your money on a bit of reishi extract, by all means be my guest, but why not still supplement with a 1/2 cup or so of white buttons for good measure?

[normalizing]

good mention about the mycotoxins. they are present in all mushrooms that are both edible and non edible and they are NOT GOOD FOR YOU by all means! none of these mycotoxins has any effect but to bring your body down. and this is interesting since nobody discusses their detrimental effects, that being present in so much edible things we eat, especially mushrooms, medicinal ones included for sure! ill probably go down on this subject in another topic though, dont want to bring this off topic, but write it down, mycotoxins - serious concern!

[normalizing]

ok, i emailed fungi perfecti specifically about their chaga product not being grown on birch and hence lacking the active ingredients which makes it medicinal, and here is their response;

 

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for contacting us.

 

Our Chaga is made from mycelium, not the conk (or fruiting body, as some call it). Cultivated Chaga lacks betulinic acid (because it's not grown on birch), but it will have B-glucans, arabinoxylans, glycoproteins, ergosterols & triterpenes. At first, betulin was identified as a primary constituent augmenting immune response. More recently, non-betulin compounds from the mycelium called lanosterols are now known to be responsible for its powerful antioxidant and immune enhancing properties. Harvesting Chaga out from the wild isn't a sustainable practice, so we happily grow ours in the lab, holding strong to our moral code and sustainable ecological practices.

 

 

There is abundant research on the beneficial properties of mycelium. I encourage you to use Google Scholar and or PubMed.gov if you're interested in researching mycelium. http://mushroomreferences.com/ is another excellent online resource with a wealth of information on mycelium! If you have a focused interest a certain mushroom; use of the Latin binomial will greatly aid in your search parameters.  For example, Chaga is Inonotus obliquus, Turkey Tail is Trametes versicolor, etc. 

 

 Mushrooms are a product of where and how they are grown, so we feel it is important to look for certain things when choosing a mushroom supplement. 

 

 

1) Are they certified organic?- This ensures product purity and protection for the environment. 

2) Are they USA grown?- This ensures you are supporting sustainable growers in the USA. 

3) Do they have Mycelium for optimal health support- Mycelium is the immune system of the mushroom, and the most powerful part of the organism for supporting health. 

4) Do they have scientific studies demonstrating efficacy?- Can they demonstrate the value of their products for your health? 

5) Are they Non-GMO Project verified?- This preserves the wisdom of nature to benefit health and wellness 

6) Heat-treated for safety and bioavailability?- To actually absorb the nutrients of mushrooms, they need to be heat treated. 

7) Do they have independent 3rd Party Quality Testing?- This verifies the identity, screens for pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminants to ensure purity.

 

Our products are grown at the base of the Olympic Rainforest with the highest quality laboratory and growing environments. We purity test batch to batch. We grow and process every single mushroom in our product. There is no other mushroom supplement company that has such complete control over their raw materials. 

  

When we source our mushrooms from the Olympic Rainforest, Paul and Dusty leave the habitat and the original mushroom intact and undisturbed. Only a small sample is required and taken for growing in our laboratories at the farm. Our Host Defense methods protect the native habitat, and our vast culture library of rare and endangered mushroom species has been called a national treasure. 

  

Host defense is a 100% organic food producer and processor. We are the best-documented and longest-certified organic mushroom company in the US. Our products have been chosen and utilized in scientific studies conducted by the NIH. 

  

You are welcome to check out our Host Defense website, which has more in-depth information on the products, supporting research, and our company. You can make purchases and find more information on our Fungi Perfecti web page.  

 

We hope this information is helpful. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions. We hope you have a lovely day.

 

 

 

what do you guys think of this response? makes sense, good enough? personally i doubt chaga's mycelium is as good as the reliable medicinal body of chaga, what do you think??

[normalizing]

relation to this, a new article just released reveals major adulteration market when it comes to reishi; https://www.nutraing...ys-USP-analysis

 

question is, which brands scored fake and which are reliable??