We personally prefer mushroom tinctures when delivering mushroom medicine.
We prefer mushroom tinctures because:
- Mushroom tinctures have a long and significant history supporting its effectiveness.
- The dual-extraction process of crafting mushroom tinctures ensures a higher concentration of mushroom health benefits.
- If you put mushroom tincture drops under your tongue (sublingually) you’ll get the benefits of the mushroom faster.
Let us explain each reason a bit further, starting with the history of mushroom tinctures.
We believe by the end of the blog you'll love the benefits of mushroom tinctures even more than you do now!
The concept of tinctures as we know them today began to take shape during the Renaissance period.
The Renaissance era (14th to 17th centuries) marked a resurgence in the study of alchemy, herbalism, and medicine. During this time, the use of alcohol extraction methods gained prominence.
Herbalists and alchemists discovered that alcohol acted as an excellent solvent to extract and preserve the medicinal compounds from various plants and fungi, including mushrooms.
This realization paved the way for the development of tinctures as a reliable method of harnessing the therapeutic potential of mushrooms.
What they didn’t know in the Renaissance Era that we do know now is that mushrooms possess a unique cell wall structure composed of chitin, a tough and resistant substance also found in the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans.
The chitin wall serves to protect the delicate cellular components within the mushroom and can hinder the release of its valuable bioactive compounds.
This is why the dual-extraction process for preparing mushroom tinctures is so important, because it breaks down this chitin wall, allowing the health benefits to be accessed.
This is how the dual-extraction process for mushroom tinctures works:
Alcohol, especially ethanol, has a remarkable ability to dissolve chitin effectively. When mushrooms are soaked or macerated in alcohol, the solvent penetrates the chitin structure and weakens its bonds.
As a result, the valuable constituents within the mushroom cells are freed from their confinement, making them more accessible for extraction.
Using alcohol to create mushroom tinctures not only ensures efficient extraction but also acts as a natural preservative. The high alcohol content prevents microbial growth and spoilage, allowing for a longer shelf life and retaining the potency of the tincture.
While alcohol is effective in breaking down chitin, some mushroom compounds are not entirely soluble in alcohol alone.
This limitation led to the incorporation of hot water extraction methods on top of the alcohol extraction, thus the name dual-extraction.
Hot water acts as a complementary extraction medium by targeting compounds that are water-soluble but not efficiently extracted by alcohol.
Substances like beta-glucans, which are polysaccharides found in many medicinal mushrooms, can be released and concentrated through hot water extraction.
By combining alcohol and hot water extraction methods, mushroom tinctures can achieve a broader spectrum of bioactive compounds.
This synergy captures the full potential of medicinal mushrooms, providing a comprehensive and powerful health-supporting elixir.
Post dual-extraction we have this powerful mushroom medicine tincture and the most effective way to receive the benefits is sublingually.
Why is putting mushroom tinctures under your tongue so effective?
When consuming mushroom tinctures sublingually (under the tongue), the compounds in the tincture can enter the bodily systems faster due to the highly permeable nature of the sublingual mucosa and the avoidance of first-pass metabolism.
The sublingual mucosa, the tissue under the tongue, is highly permeable and rich in blood vessels. When you hold the mushroom tincture under your tongue, the active compounds present in the tincture are directly absorbed into the bloodstream through these blood vessels.
Unlike swallowing, which involves passing through the digestive system, sublingual absorption bypasses the digestive process, leading to faster entry into the bloodstream.
When you consume substances orally (swallowing), like you do with capsules, they travel through the gastrointestinal tract and are metabolized by the liver before entering the systemic circulation. This process is known as first-pass metabolism and can significantly reduce the concentration of active compounds in the bloodstream.
However, when you take mushroom tinctures sublingually, they bypass the liver, avoiding the first-pass metabolism. As a result, a higher concentration of the active compounds reaches the bloodstream, leading to faster and more potent effects.
Users often report feeling the effects within minutes, as opposed to the longer onset time experienced with oral consumption.
To summarize mushroom tinctures sublingually is the most effect way to take mushrooms because:
- Sublingual absorption enhances the bioavailability of the active compounds in mushroom tinctures because they are not subject to degradation or alteration by stomach acids or enzymes during digestion.
- Sublingual consumption is more efficient in terms of absorption and utilization of the active compounds.
- Since the compounds enter the bloodstream directly and avoid degradation during digestion, a lower dose of the tincture can produce similar or even stronger effects compared to a higher dose taken orally.
So when asked: What’s better mushroom tincture or capsules?
We say mushroom tinctures every time!
From ancient civilizations' reverence for these fungi to the Renaissance's alchemical discoveries, mushroom tinctures have evolved into potent remedies utilized in modern times.
The use of alcohol and hot water in the extraction process, each targeting specific compounds within the mushroom, ensures that these tinctures capture the full breadth of their therapeutic potential.
And taking mushroom tinctures sublingually allows for faster and more efficient absorption of the active compounds into the bloodstream.
As we continue to explore and understand the fascinating world of medicinal mushrooms, their tinctures remain a testament to the enduring relationship between humanity and the natural world.
We are beyond blessed to be offering dual-extracted tinctures of mushroom medicine to continue its history of effectiveness.
If you’ve never had a mushroom tincture before, we recommend you check out our Best Selling Tinctures now 15% OFF: Use Code Tincture15
If you’re familiar with some of our mushroom tinctures, we recommend you try one you’ve never tried before! - each has its own unique health benefits:
Watch a video of me preparing our 7 Species Blend mushroom tincture HERE
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
Written by Katherine Stanier from growit.agency