To access the full benefits of medicinal mushrooms we must break the cell wall to release the many bioactive compounds, most notably the Beta-glucans. The dual extraction process uses alcohol and hot water to release the Beta-glucans and triterpenoids trapped inside and make them more bioavailable. Not all companies test for Beta-glucans. ALL of Hamilton’s Whole Mushroom Dual Extracts contain verifiable Beta-glucans, tested by reputable third party laboratories. We use Intertek, www.intertek.com
Other companies will add fillers to help the powders dry, or use mycelium on grain making those extracts mostly starch. We only use whole dried fruit bodies (sclerotia for Chaga) and use NO FILLERS, NO GRAIN in our extracts. ONLY PURE ORGANIC WHOLE MUSHROOMS ARE USED IN ALL OF HAMILTON’S DUAL EXTRACTS.
For the mushrooms that require dual extractions like Reishi and Chaga: The first extraction of the whole dried fruit bodies are macerated to crack the cell wall and to pass a 20 micron filter, then we boil in water ten different times to pass the mushroom through a 200 micron filter. This hot water extraction process helps to release the Beta-glucans and a number of other polysaccharides.
In the second extraction we soak the material in food grade ethanol 4 times for 30 min each time. The alcohol extraction releases the other non-water soluble active compounds such as triterpenes, in the case of Reishi, and in the case of Chaga: sterols like inotodiol, trametenolic acid and betulinic acid. The material is then heated to evaporate the ethanol and sterilized. The now double extracted liquid is sprayed dried with no additives, and settles into the fine powder we use.
