There is a lot of talk about this issue. Let us explain why Full Spectrum mushroom powder is better.
What is an Extract?
A Mushroom extract is a concentrated substance derived from mushrooms via hot water or alcohol extraction(alcohol for tinctures typically). The leftover liquid is then spray or freeze-dried and turned into powder. So there is very little, or no actual mushroom tissue in the final powder or liquid tincture.
What is Full-Spectrum Powder?
Full Spectrum mushroom powder is the entire mushroom mass milled down into powder and spray or freeze dried. It's comprised of all parts. The entire grown mass includes mycelium, fruit bodies and all other related components, typically including some spores as well.
Why is Full Spectrum mushroom powder better?
Lets look at Lemon balm. You wouldn't want to eat Lemon balm leaves, you just steep them in hot water to extract the active chemicals (making tea). But mushrooms are food! You do want to eat them! They have nutritional benefits in addition their health benefits.
So why even make an extract? Usually the concern is potency. Typically, mushroom extracts are standardized to 30% polysaccharides as a 10:1 extract because the mushrooms themselves, as a whole mass, contain less polysaccharides or beta-glucans than desired.
However, our mushrooms, without extraction, typically produce 50-70%+ polysaccharides naturally. No extract necessary.
Our mushrooms beta-glucan level is also high, generally ranging between 22%-30%+.
So in most cases, our mushrooms are significantly stronger than extracts by this measure, and Brain Forza®'s mushroom products are real, complete full spectrum mushroom tissue.