Understanding Mushroom Ingredients
A plain guide to the words on mushroom product labels: fruiting body, mycelium, grain, beta-glucans, hericenones, triterpenes, extracts and testing, with links to a page on each.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
Mushroom labels use technical words. This page explains the main ones and sends you to a longer page on each. A compound found in a laboratory is not the same as a benefit shown in people, and nothing here says one form is always better than another. This is information only, not advice about what to take.
The terms at a glance
| Term | What it means in plain words | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Fruiting body | The visible mushroom (cap and stem, or a conk). | More about Fruiting body → |
| Mycelium | The thread-like network that supports the fruiting body. | Same page as fruiting body, above |
| Mycelium on grain | Mycelium grown on a grain base, sometimes sold with the grain still in it. | More about Mycelium on grain → |
| Beta-glucans and polysaccharides | Sugar-chain compounds; label numbers for them can mean different things. | More about Beta-glucans and polysaccharides → |
| Hericenones and erinacines | Compounds studied in lion's mane. | More about Hericenones and erinacines → |
| Triterpenes | A compound family studied in reishi, including ganoderic acids. | More about Triterpenes → |
| Cordycepin | A compound studied in Cordyceps species. | More about Cordycepin → |
| Extraction and ratios | How a concentrate was made and how a "ratio" or "standardized" claim is used. | Extraction Methods and Extract Ratios |
Fruiting body vs mycelium
A fruiting body is the part of a mushroom that people usually eat. The mycelium supports it. One lab study describes the fruiting body as the stalk and cap and the mycelium as the part that supports it. [5] A cancer center says lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) contains bioactive compounds in both mycelia and fruiting bodies. [6] Human trials of lion's mane have used each material, so a result for one should not be carried over to the other. See Fruiting Body vs Mycelium.
Mycelium grown on grain
Some products are mycelium grown on grain and sold with the grain. In a comparison of chaga (Inonotus obliquus) products, fermented-grain products were starch-rich, and starch was absent from authentic chaga conk. [7] That is a chemistry finding and says nothing about harm, but it shows why the label matters. See Mycelium Grown on Grain.
Beta-glucans and polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are long sugar chains. Beta-glucans are one type found in mushrooms. A 2026 methods paper says the older way of measuring beta-glucan is increasingly challenged by supplements that contain resistant starches, trehalose and sweeteners such as maltitol. [8] Two labels with the same percentage may not have been measured the same way. See Beta-Glucans vs Total Polysaccharides.
Compounds named on labels
- Hericenones and erinacines (lion's mane). A cancer center says preclinical studies found both cross the blood-brain barrier and promote nerve growth factor synthesis. [6] Preclinical means cells or animals.
- Triterpenes (reishi). Ganoderic acids are described as one of the most abundant triterpenoids in Ganoderma lucidum. [9] A percentage on a label is a laboratory measurement, not proof of a benefit.
- **Cordycepin (Cordyceps).** See Cordycepin.
Testing
A certificate of analysis is a lab report for one batch; check what was actually tested. DNA barcoding has been used to check the species of powdered mycelium, grocery mushrooms and supplement capsules, though the study's title asks whether it is only a partial solution for product certification. [10] Tests describe what is in a product. They do not show that it works. See Quality Testing and Certificates of Analysis and How to Read a Mushroom Supplement Label.
Not covered here
Wild mushrooms are not supplements, and this page gives no guidance for identifying or eating them. After a possible poisoning, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US) and see Plant and Mushroom Poisoning. Psilocybin mushrooms are a different subject; see Medicinal vs Psychedelic Mushrooms.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fruiting body and mycelium?
The fruiting body is the visible mushroom; the mycelium is the network that supports it. [5] They can differ in composition, so check which one a product uses.
Is a higher beta-glucan number always better?
Not necessarily. Methods for measuring beta-glucan are being refined because modern formulations can interfere with the older approach. [8] Proper evidence not found that a label percentage predicts a health outcome; we searched PubMed for beta-glucan label and supplement terms and found methods and laboratory papers.
Do hericenones or erinacines on a label prove a product works?
No. The findings a cancer center describes for these compounds are preclinical. [6]
Does FDA check mushroom supplements before they are sold?
In the US, FDA is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. [2]
Who should ask a clinician first?
Anyone taking medicines, planning surgery, pregnant or breastfeeding, giving a product to a child, or with liver or kidney disease. [1] Reishi in particular carries liver and bleeding cautions. [4]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Read this first: safety and quality
Supplements can interact with medicines or carry risks for people with certain medical problems or who are about to have surgery, so tell your health care providers about every supplement you take. [1] Natural does not always mean safe. [1] In the US, FDA is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed. [2] A review of "immune health" products reported that popular botanical and functional mushroom products can be adulterated, with inaccurate labeling. [3]
A cancer center lists liver injury as a reported side effect of reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) and says reishi can increase bleeding risk; it advises talking to a provider if you take blood thinners such as warfarin or immunosuppressants. [4] See How Interactions Work, Supplements Before Surgery and Quality Testing and Certifications. Ask a pharmacist or clinician before using any mushroom product, especially in pregnancy, breastfeeding, childhood, or with liver or kidney conditions.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Read 2026-10-23.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements. Read 2026-10-23.
- You H, Abraham EJ, Mulligan J, et al. Label compliance for ingredient verification: regulations, approaches, and trends for testing botanical products marketed for "immune health" in the United States. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2024. PubMed 36123797. Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Reishi Mushroom: Purported Benefits, Side Effects & More. Read 2026-10-23.
- Chien RC, Chen SY, Mishchuk DO, Slupsky CM. Hydrophilic metabolite composition of fruiting bodies and mycelia of edible mushroom species. Int J Med Mushrooms. 2023. PubMed 37831510. Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Lion's Mane Mushroom: Purported Benefits, Side Effects & More. Read 2026-10-23.
- Windsor C, Kreynes AE, Chilton JS, et al. Comparative study of chaga (Inonotus obliquus) dietary supplements using complementary analytical techniques. Int J Mol Sci. 2025. Authors are employed by a company that sells chaga supplements and a testing laboratory, as the paper states. PubMed 40243601. Read 2026-10-23.
- Sweeney LC, Walsh C, O'Cochlain A, Ivory R, Mangan D. Advances in enzymatic measurement of beta-glucan in mushrooms, yeast, algae, and dietary supplements. J AOAC Int. 2026. PubMed 42152188. Read 2026-10-23.
- Wang S, Wang L, Shangguan J, Jiang A, Ren A. Research progress on the biological activity of ganoderic acids in Ganoderma lucidum over the last five years. Life. 2024. PubMed 39459639. Read 2026-10-23.
- Raja HA, Baker TR, Little JG, Oberlies NH. DNA barcoding for identification of consumer-relevant mushrooms: a partial solution for product certification? Food Chem. 2017. PubMed 27507489. Read 2026-10-23.