The Art of Mushroom Sourcing: Why Wood-Grown Medicinal Mushrooms Are Superior

In the realm of holistic wellness, the quality and sourcing of medicinal mushrooms play a crucial role in their efficacy and benefits. At Shoku Iku, we prioritise sourcing medicinal mushrooms like reishi grown on wood. This method aligns with our commitment to quality, sustainability, and authenticity. In this article, we’ll explore why wood-grown medicinal mushrooms stand out and how this sourcing choice enhances the benefits of our products.

What is a growing medium?

It refers to the substrate or material used for cultivating mushrooms. Various substrates like grain, wood, sawdust, straw, and compost can serve this purpose. Each type offers distinct benefits and drawbacks, and the choice of substrate plays a crucial role in determining the quality and potency of the mushrooms produced.

Why Wood is the Superior Medium for Medicinal Mushroom Growth

• Nutrient-Rich Environment: Wood provides a natural, nutrient-dense environment that closely mimics the native habitat of many medicinal mushrooms, including reishi. This allows them to absorb essential nutrients, resulting in a more potent and healthful product.
• Enhanced Medicinal Properties: The natural compounds present in wood contribute to a richer profile of beneficial compounds, such as beta-glucans and triterpenes, which are crucial for the medicinal properties of mushrooms.
• Sustainable and Eco-Friendly: Using wood as a growing medium aligns with sustainable practices. It reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, promoting a more eco-friendly approach to mushroom cultivation.

Wood vs. Grain in Mushroom Cultivation

Grain-based cultivation is a widely used method for growing mushrooms, utilising substrates made from grains like rye, wheat, barley, or corn. This approach is popular for species such as shiitake, oyster, and lion’s mane mushrooms due to its ability to provide precise control over growing conditions and achieve high yields. While this may seem advantageous, it can result in supplements of lesser quality.

Medicinal mushroom supplements grown on grain often consist of mycelium alone or a combination of mycelium and fruiting body. The mycelium is the living network of the fungus, spreading through the ground and wood in nature, while the fruiting body is the reproductive structure most people recognise as the mushroom itself. Although the fruiting body is made of mycelium, they serve different roles, particularly in the context of medicinal mushroom supplements.

Grain-grown medicinal mushroom products can differ nutritionally from those found in nature. Variations in growing conditions, substrate quality, and extraction methods greatly influence the bioactive compounds present in the supplements. While the mycelium’s dense network of hyphae enhances nutrient and bioactive compound absorption, most mycelium-based supplements grown on grain substrates primarily interact with starch. This results in myceliated grain containing up to 60-70% grain, reducing the percentage of active compounds in the final product.

• In contrast, wood-grown mushrooms provide a more natural and nutrient-rich environment, supporting the development of both mycelium and fruiting bodies with higher concentrations of active compounds. This makes wood a superior choice for cultivating medicinal mushrooms, ensuring a more potent and effective supplement.

The Sourcing Process

• Selecting the Right Growers: We partner with growers who share our commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. These growers use hardwoods like oak, maple, and beech, which provide the ideal conditions for medicinal mushroom growth.
• Quality Assurance: Our sourcing process includes rigorous quality checks to ensure that the mushrooms meet our high standards. This includes verifying the growing conditions and ensuring that no harmful chemicals are used.
• Supporting Traditional Methods: By choosing wood-grown mushrooms, we honor traditional cultivation methods that have been used for centuries. This respect for tradition supports local communities and preserves valuable agricultural knowledge.

Benefits for Our Products and Community

• Potency and Efficacy: Wood-grown medicinal mushrooms are rich in beneficial compounds, enhancing the therapeutic value of our products.
• Holistic Wellness: The superior quality of these mushrooms supports our holistic approach, providing customers with effective natural remedies for health and well-being.
• Community and Environmental Impact: Our sourcing practices support sustainable agriculture and help build resilient communities. By choosing wood-grown mushrooms, we contribute to environmental conservation and the well-being of future generations.

Some of our mushrooms, such as Chaga, Coriolus, and Meshima, are wild-harvested.