Capsules, powder or fresh mushroom: how the forms of lion’s mane differ
You can fry lion’s mane, stir its powder into soup or take a capsule. How these forms differ, how to store them and how to compare the price.
You can buy lion’s mane fresh, dried, ground into powder, as an extract or in capsules. It is the same mushroom, but these are different products: they differ in taste, in storage, in how much mushroom or extract you actually get, and in price. Below is a short comparison of all the forms, to make it easier to pick the one that suits you.
Fresh mushroom
Fresh lion’s mane is food. It needs cleaning and cooking, and in a paper bag in the fridge it keeps for up to a week. Fresh ones are not always available, and you usually have to find them through mushroom growers or grow your own from an inoculated log or a grow bag.
Most of a fresh mushroom’s weight is water: boiled white mushrooms, for example, are about 91% water. So 100 g of fresh mushroom and 100 g of dried powder are not the same amount of mushroom. For how to cook it, see How to cook lion’s mane.
Dried mushroom and powder
Dried lion’s mane keeps for a long time in a sealed jar. You can soak it and cook it like fresh, or grind it into powder and add it to soups, sauces or smoothies. The taste is earthy and mushroomy, so the powder is easiest to hide in soups, stews or sauces.
Mushroom powder is the whole ground mushroom, not an extract, so its label gives no extract ratio. Measuring it with a spoon is handy in the kitchen, but not very precise if you want the same amount every day.
Extract powder
An extract is made from dried mushroom with hot water, sometimes alcohol too. The liquid is then reduced and dried into a powder. It is no longer the whole mushroom but a selected, reduced fraction of it. Some producers state the extract ratio on the label, for example 10:1, and the beta glucan content.
Extract powder can be stirred into drinks, but it usually goes into capsules. How an extract is made and what the numbers on the label mean is explained in Fruiting body or mycelium: how mushroom extracts differ.
Capsules
A capsule can hold ground mushroom powder, an extract or a blend of both. The advantages are practical: the amount is already measured, there is no taste, and capsules are easy to fit into a daily ritual and to carry with you.
When choosing capsules, check three things. First, how much extract the daily dose contains, not one capsule. Second, what the shell is made of: plant based capsules are usually hypromellose (E 464), others are gelatin of animal origin. Third, which other substances are in the ingredients. All of this must be on the label, and How to read a food supplement label shows how to read it.
Tinctures
A tincture is a liquid extract, usually in a mix of alcohol and water, measured in drops or millilitres. It is harder to compare with capsules or powder, so look on the label for how much mushroom or dry extract one millilitre corresponds to. Tinctures contain alcohol, so they do not suit everyone, for example people who drive or do not drink alcohol.
How to compare the price
Comparing prices across forms is tricky, because you are buying different things: fresh mushroom full of water, dry mushroom or a reduced extract. The simplest approach is to compare like with like and work out the price per day: the price divided by the number of days the pack lasts. For extracts, also compare how much extract you get: divide the price per day by the amount of extract in the daily dose.
Common mistakes when comparing
- Comparing grams across forms. A gram of extract and a gram of ground mushroom are not the same, because an extract is a reduced fraction of the mushroom.
- Looking at one capsule. Compare the amount in the daily dose, because some producers recommend one capsule and others several.
- Forgetting the grain. If a powder is made from mycelium grown on grain, the stated grams include the grain.
- Storing it in the wrong place. Damp and heat are bad for powders and capsules alike, so the bathroom or a sunny windowsill are poor choices.
How to store each form
- Fresh mushroom: in the fridge in a paper bag, used within a week.
- Dried mushroom and powder: in a sealed jar in a dry, dark place.
- Capsules: in the original, tightly closed bottle in a cool, dry place, not in the bathroom and not by the stove.
- All food supplements: out of reach of children.
Which form suits you
If you like to cook, choose fresh lion’s mane: fried, it makes a good dish, especially in autumn. If you want to add it to drinks or meals, choose dried powder. If you want a simple daily habit with no pan and no taste, capsules are the most convenient. Whichever you choose, take food supplements at the daily dose stated on the label.
In short
- Fresh lion’s mane is food: cook it and eat it within a week.
- Mushroom powder is the whole mushroom ground up; an extract is a reduced fraction of it.
- In capsules the amount is already measured and there is no taste.
- Compare prices per day, and only between products of the same form.
Cerebro is lion’s mane extract in capsules. The ingredients, full label and price are on the product page. Choose your set
