Lion's Mane Mushrooms - Beta-glucans, Polysaccharides & Heavy Metals Testing

Beta-glucans, polysaccharides and heavy metal testing – oh my! Why should you care about these three long words? Well, because not all mushrooms are created equal, and these levels can easily help you determine whether your chosen mushroom supplements are quality or bust.

Find out the importance of beta-glucans, polysaccharides and heavy metal testing in mushroom supplements, and save yourself a lot of wasted time, money and stomach aches…

What The Fungus Are Polysaccharides?

Mushrooms are like little fibre factories. And that fibre comes in the form of polysaccharides, a fancy name for complex carbohydrates found in all mushrooms. These polysaccharides are made up of long chains of sugar molecules all linked together. 

They're like a puzzle that's hard for the body to solve, but in this case, that's a good thing! These stubborn sugar chains take longer to break down, giving your body more time to absorb all the fantastic nutrients they contain. 

As a result, your blood sugar stays stable, and you get a steady dose of goodness throughout the day. But some mushrooms are more effective than others. 

The most ‘bioactive’ ones contain something called beta-glucans…

Beta-Glucans: The Superheroes Of Polysaccharides!

Beta-glucans are the shining stars of the polysaccharide world. They are a specific type of polysaccharide found in fungi and yeast. Think of them as the Supermen of mushrooms. Beta-glucans are packed with superpowers that can benefit your health in numerous ways. 

They can help reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, supporting your heart's well-being. Plus, they keep your body weight in check by promoting satiation and steady blood sugar levels. 

These amazing beta-glucans also work wonders for your gut, supporting healthy bacteria and producing short-chain fatty acids. 

They can even boost your immune system, helping you fight fatigue, infections, and stress. Who knew mushrooms could be so mighty? It's like having a fungal superhero by your side… which is better than it sounds.

Why Measure Beta-Glucans In Mushrooms?

Now, here's a juicy secret from the mushroom industry. While many companies boast about their high polysaccharide numbers, not all that glitters is beta-glucan. 

Some mushrooms have lots of alpha-glucans, which are like the sidekicks of beta-glucans. Picture them as the ‘fillers’ in the mushroom world. 

They don't have the same bioactive powers as beta-glucans. It’s like a mouse dressed as Wonder Woman. Pretty ineffective. That's how it feels when you think you're getting all the beta-glucan goodness, but instead, you're left with high levels of alpha-glucans and low levels of the bioactive compounds.

Seems sneaky, right? That’s why it’s so important to carefully test mushroom supplements so you know more than just the face values.

Unravelling The Mystery Of Mushroom Polysaccharides

So do high polysaccharides equal high quality? In short, no. 

Don't be fooled by high polysaccharide numbers alone. They don't always represent the desirable β-glucan content, the real health heroes. While alpha-glucans like glycogen, pullulan, and starch can be found in many foods, fungi have minimal starch, averaging less than 3% of their dry weight. 

Unfortunately, numerous mushroom products on the market contain excessive alpha-glucans and inadequate beta-glucans. 

The culprit? Mycelium grown on grain (MOG) products. So, if you seek top-notch mushroom supplements, keep an eye out for those precious beta-glucans and avoid the alpha-glucan impostors.

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Growing Methods Matter... 

Growing mushrooms is an art. There are two primary methods: growing them as mushroom fruiting bodies or growing the mycelium, the root-like structure of the fungi, on a grain base. 

Let's talk about the grainy side of things because that’s where some products can get it wrong. Some mushroom products on the market are grown using a method called MOG (mycelium on grain). But that method can leave behind a lot of residual grain, like an unwanted floaty in your pool.

That means your final product ends up with high levels of alpha-glucans and low levels of bioactive beta-glucans. This means you’ll get less of the positive effects you’re looking for, like heart health, immune boosting and neuron protection!  

Luckily there are cultivation techniques that use traditional wood substrates and grow mushroom fruiting bodies, resulting in a more potent and higher quality product. That's where the real magic happens, and that’s how we grow our Lion’s Mane at Twenty Two.

Quality Shrooms Give You Real Results

Why spend your hard-earned money on a ‘mushroom’ product that provides no results? 

Sadly, this is what’s happening in the mushroom marketplace, and many consumers are unaware of what’s going on. Because they don’t have an understanding of the importance of beta-glucans in mushroom supplements (which is reasonable, we can’t all be shroom experts), they don’t know when they’re getting a poor-quality product.

But beta-glucan and polysaccharide content is so crucial that, at TwentyTwo, we’ve taken a stand. We thoroughly test our mushroom products, including our powerful Lion’s Mane capsules. We know we have a top-notch product because we grow and harvest fruiting bodies and not handfuls of grain and filler. 

But we want you to know that too. That’s why we’re proud to show off our beta-glucan test results. We score a resounding 24% beta-glucan content and a 66% polysaccharide content. These kinds of impressive, mycelium-free results can certainly grow on you!

Now, we know that the beta-glucan numbers for our mushroom supplements might mean nothing to you. Which is why we’ve rounded up some of the averages for a nifty comparison.

Other similar products to our Lion’s Mane supplements have closer to 40% and even 30% polysaccharide content, which means you’re getting half of the desired effects when compared to a high-quality product like ours (not to toot our own horn, but it’s true!)

So, look out for those percentages and don’t be fooled by the ol’ ‘super high strength’ lingo slapped on almost every supplement…

Heavy Metal Testing: All About Purity and Safety

Now, let's talk about something that might make you cringe: heavy metals. We're not talking about the music (though if that's your thing, rock on). We're talking about the not-so-fun stuff like lead, mercury and arsenic. When ingested, these things can cause all sorts of problems with your heart, brain, kidneys and bones.

Unfortunately, mushrooms are like little sponges that absorb whatever is in their environment. So, it's crucial to ensure that your mushroom supplements undergo rigorous heavy metal testing - which we do at Twenty Two. 

You don't want to ingest any unwanted heavy metals, do you? Look for companies that prioritise safety and purity by testing their products for heavy metals. 

And don’t forget growing conditions. We grow our shrooms in pristine conditions to ensure none of these heavy metal rockers can ever get into the mushies in the first place. So it’s worth checking out the company’s growing process too.

 Your body will thank you.

How Clean Are Your Mushrooms?

So how can you find out how clean your mushrooms actually are?

The only way to know for sure is for companies to conduct independent heavy metal testing to prove that they are offering something safe for human consumption. That seems pretty reasonable to us.

As a mushroom muncher yourself, you deserve the right to know exactly what’s in the mushroom products you’re consuming. That way, you can make the most informed health choices.

We’ve always aspired to provide access to the cleanest and most effective mushroom products available to our customers. That’s why we’ve independently tested and verified our mushrooms to have extremely low levels of heavy metals!

At Twenty Two, we use the strict heavy metals guideline of the Low Heavy Metals Verified Organisation as a benchmark to test our mushrooms. And that’s why we’re happy to disclose our heavy metal test results with you if you fancy a bit of light reading.

Better Beta-Glucans Bag You Bigger Results!

Remember, not all polysaccharides are created equal, and beta-glucans are the true heroes. Choose wisely and look for products made with proper growing methods to get the most out of your fungi friends. 

And don't forget about heavy metal testing to ensure purity and safety. So, embrace the mushroom marvels and let the fungal adventures begin! 

If you’re ready for safe, tested and highly effective Lion’s Mane mushroom supplements to boost your body, then check out our capsules here.

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