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CreonAntigone
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Registered: 05/30/21
Posts: 2,875
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Extracts and beta-glucan content
#28545311 - 11/16/23 01:36 PM (2 months, 11 days ago) |
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I recently came upon an extract that claimed to be 'six times concentrated' Trametes fruit body extract. But from looking at the beta-glucan content, I wonder if they didn't capture the necessary compounds in this 'extract'. Could the extract actually be worse to use than the fruit body itself if it has a lower beta-glucan content?
The extract is gaia herbs, and there is 400mg in one capsule but 135mg beta-glucans in each one. So it is only about 33% beta glucans.
However, doing my research I find that Trametes fruit bodies have about 60% beta-glucans. (Source that Trametes fruits are 60 grams beta-glucans per 100 grams).
If the beta-glucans are the most relevant part medically and this extract has lost some of them, is it fair to say it is actually less potent than simply Trametes flesh, eg that their extract lost some of the original medical compounds?
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cybork
Stdt mycology


Registered: 07/01/23
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Last seen: 2 hours, 24 minutes
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OK, this intrigued me. And still.
I have no idea (yet) as whether dried or wet fruit (or contents) have more potency compared to each other. And indeed it seems that the capsules have lost some of it's beta-glucan compounds yes, with the 33% compared to the mentioned 61%. I wasn't sure (and still) what the effect is of drying of the Trametes (Turkey tale) regarding % of beta-glucans, but the study you refer to mentions 60.7% (~61%) of 100 gram dry weight. Also see beneath printscreen.
So I say that the nutrional facts of the Gaia capsules are about half of what one might expect based on that research that mention 60.7% for the wild plucked mushrooms.
Unfortunately I don't have access to that mentioned article and other journals. I did see that that article is referred to a lot. I might ask around to get that article for me...
A quick look at some competitors show about the same or less percentages of the beta-glucans. Which might not mean anything. What I do dislike about the Gaia nutrional facts is that it only states the beta-glucans. I might begin to wonder that it is not allowed to state higher values, or something.
I'm very interested what your search further finds out. I'll keep an eye on this thread!

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HappinessStan
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Registered: 10/10/12
Posts: 1,617
Loc: Worcester, UK
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Quote:
CreonAntigone said: I recently came upon an extract that claimed to be 'six times concentrated' Trametes fruit body extract. But from looking at the beta-glucan content, I wonder if they didn't capture the necessary compounds in this 'extract'. Could the extract actually be worse to use than the fruit body itself if it has a lower beta-glucan content?
The extract is gaia herbs, and there is 400mg in one capsule but 135mg beta-glucans in each one. So it is only about 33% beta glucans.
However, doing my research I find that Trametes fruit bodies have about 60% beta-glucans. (Source that Trametes fruits are 60 grams beta-glucans per 100 grams).
If the beta-glucans are the most relevant part medically and this extract has lost some of them, is it fair to say it is actually less potent than simply Trametes flesh, eg that their extract lost some of the original medical compounds?
What's wrong with just getting beta-glucan from oats or oat milk?
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HappinessStan
Fungivore



Registered: 10/10/12
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Last seen: 22 minutes, 38 seconds
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CreonAntigone
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Registered: 05/30/21
Posts: 2,875
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Quote:
HappinessStan said:

I've seen people say the glucans in mushrooms are unique and that each mushroom has their own glucans which mediate the immune response. This is used to argue that the glucans in rice are not as useful medically - hence why some question the glucan content of spawn-based supplements because they say 'that's just the glucan from the rice, and the relative amount of mycelium is less'.
If all glucans are equal, then it would seem to downgrade the relative importance of mushroom supplementation in general - or, it's possible the immune effects are not mediated by glucans, as there are many other components.
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ohkw
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Re: Extracts and beta-glucan content [Re: CreonAntigone] 1
#28570901 - 12/06/23 03:21 AM (1 month, 22 days ago) |
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Cellulose is a beta-glucan... chitine is a beta-glucan, ... beta-glucans is a considerably large group of substances. There are obviously beta-glucans that are recognized by parts of the human immune system, some of which have an "activating" effect, but this also aplies to sportive activities, a tablespoon of dirt or practically any natural food. It is also nowhere said, that this activating effect is generally beneficial. Chances are, that this only unecessarily depletes some effectors of the immune system or even cause harm to the body? As long as there is no or very little understanding of the underlying mechanisms, I would be careful with self-treatments. Also treating perfectly healthy individuals can actually only do no good in the best case, and do harm in the rest of the cases. There is a lot of moneymaking with the wishful thinking of people, trying to sell them that they can "eat themselves" halthy. This can not usually be done, but the opposite can happen very easily. Imho, I don't expect that there can be much harm in eating some of these vital mushrooms everey now an then, but it is not unlikely that constant consumation will have adversary effects. E.g. the oxalates in chaga are stressfull for the kidney. Depending on time span of consumption and dosage, this can lead to fatal kidney failure. What I want to say is mainly that medication of healthy people is not a good idea in conventional medicine, and this also applies to natural healing. Can't hurt to be openminded and try to understand how it works, but it never hurts to be critical.
Sorry, this got a little abroad from the original topic, but it had to get out eventually. Shamans and miracle healers may start preparing the stoning now ^^
Edited by ohkw (12/06/23 03:22 AM)
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