Mushroom extracts are a powerful source of bioactive nutrients which help improve your health and wellbeing. At Organic Mushrooms, we offer you the power of revered functional mushrooms such as Lion’s Mane, Shiitake, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, Chaga and Reishi in the form of 100% natural extract powder. The functional mushrooms undergo a patented double-extraction process which involves hot water and steam to produce the natural and filler-free extract powder.

As most functional mushrooms are not edible, the extract powders generally offer an umami taste which makes them an excellent option to be added to soups and broths. Organic Mushrooms supplements have been created to seamlessly integrate into your daily diet regime. Following is a recipe that can be used to add Organic Mushrooms extract powders into a soup.

Organic Mushrooms soup:

This soup can be made with Shiitake mushrooms and your choice of meat. You can add more than one variety of mushrooms to this soup for flavour and nutrition.

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 ounces dried mushrooms
• 3 grams Organic Mushrooms extract powder
• 12 large, dried shiitake mushrooms
• 3 quarts meat stock (beef, pork, chicken)
• 5 medium ribs of celery, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup small cut pasta, preferably Risoni

Step 1. Rinse the dried mushrooms and place them in 2 cups of cold water, letting them soak overnight.

Step 2. In a large pot, bring the meat stock to a simmer, then add celery, onions, and carrots.

Step 3. Strain the dried mushrooms, saving the soaking liquid. Add the strained soaking liquid to the soup. Chop the hydrated mushrooms into 1/4-inch pieces, slightly larger than the diced vegetables, and add them to the soup along with the sliced white button mushrooms.

Step 4. Cover and cook the soup until the vegetables are tender, about an hour. Bring the soup to a boil, then add the small cut pasta, stirring constantly. Add the mushroom extract powder to the pot as you reduce the heat and stir gently for the extract powder to mix in well and the pasta is cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until smooth, for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove 1 cup of broth from the soup and add it to the roux, whisking constantly until slightly thickened and free of lumps. Stir the thickened liquid into the soup and add the chopped parsley and dill.

Step 6. To finish the soup, mix 1/4 cup of the thickened soup with sour cream, whisking until smooth. Then add the sour cream mixture to the soup, whisking constantly until well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Finally, season with taste with salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe is inspired by Martha Stewart’s Polish Mushroom soup.

Your body is fuelled by the nutrition you consume every day. The regular food we eat is devoid of many important nutrients which are critical to your mind and body development and maintenance. Supplements are not medication and are optional for people looking to fill specific gaps in their nutrition intake which can otherwise lead to health issues.

Functional mushrooms, also known as medicinal mushrooms, have been used around the world by different civilizations for centuries for their intended health benefits. Functional mushrooms have been used as medicine for generations, even before modern medicine was introduced. Thanks to advancements in research and science, we have learnt about the beneficial bioactive compounds in these mushrooms, such as polysaccharides, beta-glucans, triterpenes, and antioxidants, which are believed to contribute to health and wellbeing of an individual.

There are diverse ways functional mushrooms work on our body and support our health and well-being. Bioactive compounds such as Polysaccharides specifically Beta-glucans in revered functional mushrooms like Reishi, Turkey tail and Shiitake are known to have immunomodulatory effects on the human body boosting your immunity. The anti-inflammatory properties of functional mushrooms with their bio-active compounds such as triterpenoids, polysaccharides, phenolic and indolic compounds, fatty acids, carotenoids, and vitamins can help lower the rate of expression of the genes of different inflammatory mediators. There are multiple noted benefits such as supporting cardiovascular health, lowering cholesterol levels, reducing blood pressure, and improving blood circulation, improving memory, supporting liver function, improving focus, boosting overall cognition, improving overall energy and multiple other functions that the body and mind need to do on a daily basis.

At Organic Mushrooms, our supplements are intended to seamlessly integrate with your diet regime. All our supplements are made from functional mushrooms naturally grown in Canada and the extracts are received through a patented double hot water extraction process. Our supplements are available in the form of 100% natural extract powder, capsules, supplement gummies and tinctures.

Our Organic Mushrooms Extract Powders are made from natural functional mushrooms and are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and free from fillers. You can add extract powder to your daily diet by using it in curries, soups, baked items, or smoothies. 1/3 teaspoon equals 1 gram of mushroom extracts.

Our Organic Mushrooms Tinctures are created by mixing extract powder with food-grade cane alcohol and hot water in a 33:33:33 ratio of mushroom extracts, hot water, and food-grade cane alcohol. Tinctures offer fast solubility and can be consumed directly or mixed with juices. 1 tincture dropper equals 1 gram of mushroom extracts.

Our Organic Mushrooms Capsules contain mushroom extract powder filled in vegetarian hypromellose caps that are easily digested. Each capsule contains 500mg of mushroom extracts.

Our Organic Mushrooms Supplement Gummies are made by mixing the extract powder with gelatin and organic cane sugar. Each gummy equals 1 gram of mushroom extracts.

It is recommended to have 2-3 grams of mushroom extracts per day. The potency of all our supplements is the same, the only difference is the way of consumption. You can choose the easiest type to incorporate into your daily routine. You should always consult with your general physician about making considerable changes to your diet.

What’s good for your body may not taste the best and this holds true in the case of functional mushrooms. Functional mushrooms generally grow on wood logs uninterrupted by humans and they start with extracting the goodness of nature around them. Lion’s Mane can be found growing on hardwood trees such as birch, maple, oak, walnut and sycamore. ​​Cordyceps mushrooms can be found in grasslands and on woodland edges, also occasionally pushing up through bare soil. Ganoderma Lucidum or Reishi mushrooms can be found growing on the logs of deciduous trees such as maple, oak, plum, elm and even conifers. Lentinus edodes or Shiitake mushrooms can be seen growing on the hardwood surfaces of oak, maple, and ironwood trees. Inonotus Obliquus commonly known as Chaga grows as a black, charcoal-like mass with a woody, rusty-brown interior generally protruding out of the bark of birch trees. Trametes versicolor or Turkey Tail Mushroom grows on decomposing trees of oak, white birch and maple trees.

Each of these functional mushrooms has been revered for centuries for their adaptogenic properties and their beneficial bioactive compounds. It is difficult to consume these mushrooms directly because of their taste and hence it is better to extract the beneficial bioactive compounds through a patented double hot-water extraction process.

At Organic Mushrooms, our mushrooms are grown at Pemberton, BC. The process involves colonizing natural gluten-free grains and then added to hardwood substrate upon completion of colonization. The fruiting bodies are grown in hardwood substrate fruiting blocks and upon colonizing the blocks are introduced to fruiting conditions which involves the temperature management, managing air flow and humidity for the fruiting bodies.

Each fruiting body depending upon the type of mushroom strain can take between 2 weeks to 8 weeks before reaching maturity. The fruiting bodies are then harvested along with the mycelium. Upon harvesting, the fruiting bodies are dried and prepared for the extraction process. The extraction process is dual, and we use a double hot water extraction process which involves running the fruiting bodies through hot water. The residue left after the first extraction is then introduced to steam extraction. The nutrients left after both the extractions are then put through an air-drying system to remove the water, leaving behind the final mushroom extracts in the form of powder.

Extract Powders: Organic Mushroom Extract Powders are 100% natural extracts of functional mushrooms extracted using a patented double extraction method using hot water and steam. Our extract powders are 100% organic, gluten-free, non-GMO and without any fillers. There are multiple ways to incorporate extract powder into your daily diet either by using it for making curries, soups, baked items or adding them into smoothies. 1/3 teaspoon is 1 gram of mushroom extracts.

Organic Mushrooms Tinctures are created by mixing extract powder into food grade cane alcohol and hot water. Our tinctures have a 33:33:33 ratio of mushroom extracts, hot water and food grade cane alcohol. Tinctures offer the fastest solubility and can be consumed directly or easily mixed with juices. 1 tincture dropper equals 1 gram of mushroom extracts.

Organic Mushrooms Capsules have the mushroom extract powder filled in vegetarian hypromellose caps which are easily digested when consumed. Capsules are convenient to have on the go. Each capsule is 500mg of mushroom extracts.

Organic Mushrooms Supplement Gummies are made by mixing the extract powder with gelatine and organic cane sugar. Each gummy equals 1 gram of mushroom extracts.

It is recommended to have 2-3 grams of mushroom extracts per day. The potency for all our supplements is the same, the only difference is the way of consumption. You can choose the type that’s easiest to incorporate in your daily routine.

Functional mushrooms are amazing for enhancing your body and mind; however, they don’t really taste that well. There are ways to incorporate them into our daily diet by adding them to some of your favourite foods and beverages. We are happy to bring you some nutritious ways to incorporate the goodness of functional mushrooms into your daily diet by adding Organic Mushrooms natural extracts to your daily consumables.

Soups – Extract powders are a perfect addition to soups. Their umami taste can hide well inside the creamy and nutritious soups. We have a Classic Korean soup recipe for you.

Tea – Mushroom teas are the new trend. Although it’s not as fancy as it sounds, it is healthier for your mind and body. Just add some of the extracts into your tea or boil the dried mushroom chunks in the water before you pour yourself a hot cup of goodness.

Coffee and hot chocolates – The umami flavours of mushroom extracts can work very well in a cup of hot coffee with milk or hot chocolate. We have shared a full recipe here.

Chili – Are you fond of Mexican chili? Mushroom extract powders can be easily mixed into a spicy Mexican stew along with chili peppers, your choice of meat, tomatoes, and beans with seasoning like garlic, onions, and cumin.

Organic Mushroom Chocolate Balls – These little treats are delicious while they are soft, sweet, and loaded with flavour and powers from functional mushroom extracts. This snack is particularly packed with nutrients and bioactive compounds that is super beneficial for your mind and body and helps incorporate functional mushroom extracts in your diet regime in a simple but tasty way.

Pasta Sauces – You can stir mushroom powders into pasta sauces. If you are planning to indulge in some pasta or gnocchi soon, mushroom extract powders are a fantastic addition to the sauces and can also enhance the savoury taste.

Breaded pork chops – you can add functional mushroom extract powder in with your breadcrumb mixture while you are making breaded pork chops or chicken parmesan or chicken cutlets.

Chicken Pot Pie – Mushroom extract powders can be a great addition to the pot as you mix it with the meat and other ingredients like carrots and peas topped with pie crust.

Mushroom Powder Brownies – you can add mushroom powder into desserts, and it works wonders with baked brownies. The sweet chocolate makes the umami taste almost unnoticeable.

Donuts – Similar to brownies, mushroom extracts can be a powerful addition to donuts, and you can garnish the same with any topping of your choice from cream to chocolate to frosting.

Juices – Tinctures have a strong taste due to the 1/3rd portion of food-grade cane alcohol in them. You can dilute the tinctures by adding them into juices of your choice. Fresh citrus juices make a great combination.

Incorporating functional mushrooms into your daily diet is an amazing and seamless way for your body and mind to receive important nutrition. These healthy habits go a long way in helping you achieve your health and wellness goals. It is recommended to have 2-3 grams of mushroom extracts in a day. While mushroom extracts have no side effects, we recommend you speak to your physician in case you are making substantial changes to your diet regime.

We hope the ideas mentioned above help you incorporate functional mushrooms into your daily diet. If you have any great creative recipes that go well with functional mushroom extracts, let us know and we might have a gift for you. Share your recipes with us at info@organicmushrooms.ca

Diabetes is a long-lasting illness that happens when the pancreas does not make enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces to control blood glucose. In simple terms, diabetes occurs when the level of glucose in the blood, also known as blood sugar, is too high. Glucose is the main source of energy in the human body and the body can produce its glucose and get it from the food we eat. Diabetes is a persistent metabolic condition characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which can cause serious harm to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves over time.

The cause of diabetes can vary and depends upon many factors such as weight, diet, inactivity, family history etc. There are two main types of chronic diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Additionally, there are potentially reversible conditions like prediabetes and gestational diabetes. Prediabetes is when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes, while Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and may resolve after childbirth. The symptoms can vary depending on blood sugar levels. Some people, especially those with prediabetes, gestational diabetes, or type 2 diabetes, may not experience symptoms whereas type 1 diabetes symptoms typically appear suddenly and are more severe. Some common symptoms of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes include:

• Increased thirst.
• Frequent urination.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Presence of ketones in urine, a sign of insufficient insulin.
• Fatigue and weakness.
• Mood changes, like irritability.
• Blurry vision.
• Slow-healing sores.
• Recurrent infections, such as gum, skin, or vaginal infections.

Type 1 diabetes can start at any age but often begins in childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes, more prevalent, can develop at any age, with a higher occurrence in people over 40. However, there is a rising trend of type 2 diabetes in children.

Functional mushrooms possess medicinal bioactive components such as polysaccharides, lectins, lactones, terpenoids, alkaloids, antibiotics, and metal-chelating agents which can help lower blood sugar levels through various mechanisms such as slowing glucose absorption and improving hyperglycemia. The polysaccharides in functional mushrooms, particularly Beta-glucans, help modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation by inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines and preventing oxidative damage. Terpenoids help lower blood sugar levels by inhibiting enzymes like α-glucosidase and α-amylase, which break down complex sugars into simple sugars, thus raising blood glucose levels. Vitamin D in most functional mushrooms plays a crucial role in maintaining glucose balance and protecting pancreatic ß-cells from immune attacks as it also regulates insulin secretion by controlling intracellular calcium levels.

Reishi mushrooms contain natural compounds that can help lower blood sugar levels. If you take reishi mushrooms along with diabetes medications, it can further lower your blood sugar. Regularly including reishi mushrooms in your diet can help strengthen your immune system, reduce inflammation, promote relaxation, improve sleep, and manage stress and anxiety. Additionally, reishi mushrooms can contribute to heart health and provide antioxidant benefits.

Cordyceps may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels by acting like insulin. Cordyceps extracts have been shown to significantly reduce blood glucose levels by improving glucose metabolism and effectively lowering total cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

High in antioxidants, Chaga has been known to help control blood sugar. Researchers show that bioactive compounds in Chaga mushroom extract can potentially lower blood sugar. However, for patients on diabetic medication, it is important to discuss the medicines with your doctor before introducing Chaga into your diet as it can drop the blood sugar too low.

It must be noted that while functional mushrooms can help lower blood sugar levels and help your body fight and manage diabetes, they are in no way a replacement for diabetes medicine. We recommend all diabetes patients consult their physicians or a qualified medical professional before incorporating functional mushrooms into their daily diet.