THE MUSHROOM SOURCE

Hamilton’s organic dual extracts are born in the living heart of ancient mushroom culture.  

Our organic dual extract powders begin in the Yiwu mountains of southern China. These forests have been the epicenter of traditional Chinese cultivation since 609 CE. This area is home to the very first cultivated Shiitake, Tremella, and Lion’s mane; it is the living, beating heart of global mushroom culture. Our cultivated mushrooms are sourced from a distributed network of small family farms. For our wild mushrooms we employ a dedicated team of foragers who hand-select the best fruit bodies to use in our dual extract powders. Over 1,400 years of craftsmanship, expertise, and care go into every batch.

Our greenhouses and shade houses are nestled into the shallow valleys, mimicking the natural canopy of the forest and the rich top soil unique to the region.  In this area, across many different farms, there are 70,000 people cultivating medicinal and gourmet mushrooms for the world’s health and well being. Across Fujian province and Gutian county about 70% of the population is involved in mushroom cultivation, extraction and export. We cultivate the highest quality fruit bodies at our dedicated family farms for use in the traditional extraction process.

Hamilton’s dual extract powders are certified organic. Our products are certified by California Certified Organic Farmers. Our farms meet the strictest standards of European (EC 396) verified Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS) and CERES organic certification process. This includes the USDA and National Organic Program (NOP) organic requirements. We test for over 500 different pesticides/herbicides with Eurofins: A reputable third party laboratory. 

Responsibly sourced, highest quality. 

We provide full transparency, and are proud that our mushrooms are produced by the most capable people, the most talented farmers and extraction chemists. They come from the most accomplished mushroom culture on the planet. Hamilton is hard at work on a special documentary series that explores exactly how our mushrooms are grown and what the Chinese mushroom culture is actually like. From the mycelium to the extract and all the people in between.

Proceeds are used to produce mycology-centered films, develop applied mycology projects and propagate fungi around the world.

THE MUSHROOM EXTRACTION PROCESS

There are differences in quality and use when it comes to extracts and non-extracts, learn more about them here. For the mushrooms that require dual extractions like Reishi Rampart, True Chaga, Lucid Lion's Mane and Crucial Cordyceps: The whole dried fruit bodies are ground to a fine powder to crack the cell wall and to pass a 20 micron filter (1 micron = 1 millionth of a meter). The cell wall is made of difficult-to-digest chitin (learn more about that), which is why we need to break it open with water, heat and pressure to release the Beta-D-glucans. 

In the first extraction we go after the volatile terpenes with an alcohol extraction process. We soak the material in food grade ethanol 4 times for 30 min each time depending on the strain. The alcohol extraction releases non-water soluble, and heat sensitive compounds such as triterpenes, in the case of Reishi, and in the case of Chaga: sterols like inotodiol, trametenolic acid and betulinic acid. In the case of Lion's mane we are targeting the hericenones and erinacines. The material is then slightly heated to evaporate the ethanol and we retain the residue which becomes the pure alcohol extract powder. Solubility varies.

In the second extraction process we take that same material and boil under pressure in water ten different times to pass the mushroom through a 200 micron filter. We separate the material from the liquid.  This hot water extraction process helps to release fungal Beta-D-glucans and a number of other polysaccharides. 

The now double extracted liquid is sprayed dried with no additives (no maltodextrin is used). In order to avoid using maltodextrin we instead do a process called precipitation. This is where we “crash” the solution into alcohol to separate the sticky monosaccharides and settle into the fine powder we use.  For Cordyceps we do a double water extraction at different temperatures to target the cordycepin. We retain the residue which is our pure 100% water soluble extract.

Every Batch is third party laboratory tested by Eurofins for pesticides. We do in house tests for heavy metals, and microbiologicals like mold and salmonella. Every batch contains at least 30% beta-D-glucans and 3-4% triterpenes and 1-2% erinacines and 1% cordycepin, usually more. 

The potency testing is done by HPLC Megazyme kit for Beta-D-glucans.  Other leading brands measure only the polysaccharides which includes the alpha glucans; an inert polysaccharide chain that is also found in myceliated grain extracts in the form of starch. So when you see a high polysaccharide content listed (40%-60%) much of that can be inert/useless alpha glucans.

The consumer needs to know the beta-glucan, triterpene, hericenone, erinacine and cordycepin content to make an informed decision on which mushroom supplement to use.  

The concentration ratio of whole fruit bodies to extracts is between 16:1 - 36:1 depending on the mushroom species and the target compounds. Concentration ratios are not a good metric for quality or potency. You can learn more about that here. If you see 50:1, or 100:1 BEWARE this is just marketing especially if it does not list the percent of active compounds. Many non-extracted mushroom powders are difficult to digest leaving the functional components locked in the chitin shell of the cell wall. Some companies sell these non soluble fruit body “Mushroom Powders” for the same price we sell our highly concentrated organic mushroom extracts.

Our concentrated powders are water soluble, highly bioavailable, and easy to mix into any beverage.

RESPONSIBLY SOURCED, HIGHEST QUALITY

PURE! These are just mushrooms. Other leading brands will add maltodextrin to help the powders dry, or use mycelium on grain which has high amounts of starch.  We use whole dried fruit bodies (sclerotia for Chaga) and use precipitation instead of maltodextrin to make them less sticky.  NO GRAIN and NO FILLERS in our extracts. Our Lucid Lions Mane is 33% mycelium extract so that we can increase the erinacine content.

ABOUT OUR MUSHROOMS

Yes, these are fruit body (mushroom) extracts. Only the Lucid Lions Mane contains 33% mycelium extract in that particular blend. ALL materials used are organic and grown on organic substrates (the “food” we feed the fungi). Our products are certified by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and our farms and facilities are Certified organic by Ceres and tested by DAkkS certified Eurofins labs.

Yes, these are more potent than most of the other products on the market. Potency is measured by target compounds: fungal beta glucans, triterpenes, diterpenes, cordycepin and polysaccharides. These compounds are the functional components of the mushroom, the part we want, the part that helps us and promotes better health. 

Yes, they are water soluble. This makes it easier to use. So you can add them to your daily beverage routine. Add them to your cup, add hot liquid, stir and enjoy.

Yes, they are grown in China. Don't freak out.

Why? Because they are grown at the epicenter of mushroom cultivation in the world. The Yiwu mountains of Fujiyan province are home to the masters of mushroom cultivation. The fruits are harvested from a distributed network of small family farms that are located according to which strain grows best in which climate. All are rural farms, however some are grown indoors like Cordyceps militaris. Some are wild harvested like Chaga, and Turkeytail. 

Nobody does it better.

Getting your mushrooms from the Yiwu mountains is like getting your olive oil from the Mediterranean. 

I chose these masters after vetting 8 different mushroom operations; it took 3 years of research, testing, and discovery.

All products contain a blend of extracts in equal parts and ~10% non-extract powder to prevent clumping.

the father of shiitake cultivation

Wu San Kwung

The Chinese have been cultivating mushrooms for over 1000 years. Many rural Chinese villages celebrate their long symbiotic relationship with mushrooms by displaying a statue of Wu San Kwung.

Visit the "mushroom saint" temple

PRODUCT SPECIFICS

Mind Mix packaging for Hamilton's Mushrooms

MIND MIX

1% Cordycepin, Organic Cordyceps militaris fruit body extract  

30% Beta-glucans Organic Hericium erinaceus extract             

2% Hericenones Organic Hericium erinaceus extract              

2% Erinacines Organic Hericium erinaceus mycelium extract

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Body Blend packaging for Hamilton's Mushrooms

BODY BLEND

20% Beta-glucans + 3% Triterpenes Organic Inonotus obliquus Sclerotia extract 

30% Beta-glucans Organic Trametes versicolor extract 

30% Beta-glucans + 4%  Organic Triterpenes Ganoderma lingzhi extract 

1% Cordycepin Organic Cordyceps militaris extract 

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Reishi Rampart packaging for Hamilton's Mushrooms

REISHI RAMPART

30% Beta-glucans Ganoderma lingzhi fruit body extract 

4% Triterpenes Ganoderma lingzhi fruit body extract    

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Lucid Lions Mane packaging for Hamilton's Mushrooms

LUCID LION'S MANE

30% Beta-glucans Organic Hericium erinaceus extract 

2% Erinacines Organic Hericium erinaceus mycelium extract 

2% Hericenones Organic Hericium erinaceus extract 

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Crucial Cordyceps packaging for Hamilton's Mushrooms

CRUCIAL CORDYCEPS

1% Cordycepin Organic Cordyceps militaris extract 

30% Beta-glucans Organic Cordyceps militaris extract 

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True Chaga packaging for Hamilton's Mushrooms

TRUE CHAGA

20% Beta-glucans Wild Sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus extract 

3% Triterpenes Wild Sclerotia of Inonotus obliquus extract 

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Go for the deep dive below for way more information on each strain, and remember, don't take it from me alone, check the references. This is the internet after all.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS