Hot Water Extraction Untapped

The hot water extraction method used for producing our mushroom supplements maximizes the human body’s ability to access and benefit from the natural compounds found within mushrooms. Hot water extractions directly target and make available the main active ingredient in mushrooms: beta-glucan compounds.

The mushroom’s cell wall is made in part of a very tough substance known as chitin, unlike plants whose cell walls are made up of cellulose. Chitin, interestingly enough, is the same thing that makes up lobster and other arthropod exoskeletons. There are specific chitinase enzymes that can break up chitin, but typically us humans don’t have many of those enzymes. While consuming whole mushrooms is great for our gut health, there are still many health-benefiting compounds locked within the chitin cell wall that our bodies can never access through regular digestion. This is why hot water extractions are incredibly valuable when it comes to getting the most out of your mushroom supplementation. 

During a hot water extraction, the hot water breaks down the chitin cell walls of mushrooms and draws out the water-soluble compounds. Beta-glucans become available to our digestive systems once they have been extracted past the chitin cell walls of the mushroom.

After the beta-glucan compounds have been extracted, the water used for extraction is evaporated, leaving behind dry powder remnants. The dehydrated hot water extract powders are very sticky at this point, so in order to preserve the powder and to prevent it from sticking in the machines during the encapsulation process, an unextracted mycelium biomass powder is incorporated in each batch.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history utilizing hot water extraction to make mushroom teas. This process has been scientifically tested and shown to extract immune-supporting beta-glucans in mushrooms. The difficulty with this form of consumption of mushrooms is that you are unable to determine the exact quantities of active ingredients in each cup of tea. Unlike brewing mushroom tea, the hot water extraction process of encapsulating the dried powder allows Mushroom Science to hold on to the traditional preparation methods while also providing exact nutritional quantities printed on each label. TCM practices are prioritized at Mushroom Science because we believe in its 3,000-year history of healing and the TCM’s pursuit of maintaining balance in the body.

Mushroom Science has many supplements that you can learn more about on our products page here on our website. We look forward to helping you learn more about hot water extraction as you find the best supplements within the Mushroom Science product line to support your needs.