Vital mushrooms are types of fungi that have numerous highly effective ingredients. Vital mushrooms are firmly anchored in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and belong to the oldest and best-studied natural remedies in the world. In vital mushrooms, beta-glucans, triterpenes and polysaccharide-protein complexes (glycoproteins) are found in abundance. The first use was about 2000 BC in China.
There are about 10,000 large mushrooms in total, about 1000 of which are edible. Meanwhile we know 700 mushrooms with medicinal use. 25 are recognised as vital mushrooms, which are scientifically well researched and already proven in German naturopathy.
Reishi and Chaga have an outstandingly high ORAC value. The ORAC value is a way of classifying the antioxidant content of foods. ORAC stands for "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity", i.e. the ability to scavenge oxygen radicals.
Free radicals are produced around the clock, for example during various metabolic processes, and can be harmful in excessive concentrations. Therefore, it is worthwhile to protect the organism by eating foods with a high ORAC value.
Cinnamon, turmeric, cumin and herbs such as oregano and basil show notable ORAC values of 67,000 to over 267,000 µmol TE/100 g. Blueberries are also among the best antioxidant foods, with an ORAC value of around 6,552 µmol TE/100 g, due to the anthocyanins they contain.
The chaga, also called "slate schillerporling", grows parasitically on birch trees. In addition to numerous valuable nutrients, it has an outstanding ORAC value of over 1,000,000 µmol TE/100 g. This is mainly due to the high content of melanin, which also gives the mushroom its dark brown colour. It is not suitable as an edible mushroom, so Chaga powders offer a good way to benefit from its advantages.
Hericium (Hericium erinaceus) is also known as lion's mane, hedgehog's goatee or monkey head mushroom. It s used in traditional Chinese herbalism. In addition to its high mineral content, it also contains an above-average number of essential amino acids that are relevant for humans.
Cordyceps (Chinese caterpillar fungus) is a vital mushroom and, in addition to numerous vitamins, minerals and trace elements, contains special amino acids such as cordycepin, ergosterol (a precursor of vitamin D) and L-tryptophan, as well as various peptides and glycoproteins. Cordyceps contains many sterols in a steroid backbone, these give good synergistic effects when interacting together with triterpenes.
The endangered mushroom is found only in the high mountains (on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau) in southwest China and Tibet. Fortunately, the mushroom mycelium of Cordyceps sinensis can nowadays be grown excellently on a plant culture substrate such as rice. In TCM, it is known as a rejuvenator, an aphrodisiac and a remedy for strengthening the vital force, kidney and lungs.
Shiitake and Maitake are rich in bitter compounds, ß-glucans and statins. The advantage of mushrooms is that the valuable substances are naturally combined and not present as isolated individual substances.
Vital mushrooms should always be taken with a vitamin C source, as this increases bioavailability by 40%.
NatuGena MykoForte Complex contains buffered vitamin C from magnesium ascorbate (organic salt of ascorbic acid). The best time to take vital mushrooms with vitamin C is just before a meal.
Besides, mushrooms are far closer relatives of us humans than plants are. For example, we share about 30 % of the same basic paired DNA with the yeast fungus. Therefore, mushrooms work at least as well in humans as plants.
As individual vital mushroom preparations you will find in the NatuGena range: HericiumAktiv, ReishiAktiv and ShiitakeAktiv.
