Science + Processes

There’s a lot of science, research and quality ingredients which go into the TAKe Bioactive range. Find out more about the amazing natural ingredients we use as well as all of the processes involved.

Benefits of Full Spectrum mushroom powders

To understand the difference in TAKe Bioactives products and why they stand out, we wanted to explain each of the processes used in creating our products and how we ensured that our formulations are of the highest quality and potency.

Before we get into the details, here are some quick definitions:

Fruitbody

Fruitbodies are the parts of mushrooms most people are familiar with. They’re the parts that you see growing out of the ground, on trees or organic debris and matter. Just like the flower of a plant, these are the reproductive part of each fungus and like flowers, they only bloom in response to environmental stressors which force them to reproduce, typically only lasting for a few days.

Mycelium

Mycelium is the growth form of the fungal organism and where all of the biological processes, other than reproduction, occur – including growth, feeding and survival, which involves the production of antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral compounds. Many studies have been conducted on the health benefits of mycelium and the specific bio-active compounds that are produced through this stage of the life cycle.

Primordia

This is the baby mushroom or “pinning” stage where many beneficial compounds and nutrients are optimised.

If you know a little about medicinal mushrooms you may have heard about the debate over extracts versus products containing mycelium. In our research we certainly did, and we want to explain how and why our premium full spectrum mushrooms are better.

During our extensive product research and development phase we came to learn that full spectrum mushroom powder is the most potent and effective way to deliver each ingredient’s benefits, more so than dual extracts. This is why we chose to include full spectrum mushroom powder, grown via a specialised fermentation process, in all our products.

So why are our full spectrum mushroom powders better?

Before we jump into why we love and choose to use full spectrum mushroom powder, first we’ll explain a little about liquid extracts compared with the use of formulations containing mycelium.

Liquid Extracts

With any form of nutrition, generally the best way to receive and metabolise the bioactive compounds is via eating the wholefood version of the product. The issue with the liquid extraction process is that not all of the beneficial extracellular compounds are present in the fruiting bodies (from which extracts are taken), so they are missing some of the key, important health benefits resulting in a low potency formulation. The extraction process used also impacts the availability of the compounds. Hot water extraction for example is one of the traditional methods of obtaining mushroom extracts, however this way means that only water-soluble compounds are included in the final product.

Mycelium formulations

Some formulations only use mycelium. As the growth part of the fungus, mycelium needs something to feed on, known as a substrate, from which to absorb nutrients and develop. As the mycelium grows, it bio converts the substrate from its original form into fungal tissue. This is known as the fermentation phase (see below for fermentation benefits).

The issue here is that they may not be processed in the correct, sterile tissue culture standards and some final products can also contain up to 70% of the unconverted substrate, like wheat and rice. This is because the fermentation phase can take a long time for the mycelium to fully develop and bio-convert the substrate, so a lot of products try and cut this process short to allow for greater, but much lower quality, production output.

Full Spectrum Mushroom Powders

Full spectrum mushroom powders, on the other hand, contain all of the complete fungal material and biologically active components including the fruitbodies, mycelium, primordia and most importantly all of the extracellular compounds which are produced throughout the organism’s entire life cycle. The extracellular compounds (compounds which are excreted outside of the cell into the surrounding environment) are responsible for key health benefits and properties found in medicinal mushrooms.

This includes antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-fungal and all other compounds which help give the fungus an advantage to survive in the competitive environment it grows in and have also helped us humans to achieve amazing medical breakthroughs such as antibiotics and cholesterol lowering drugs.

In short, with full spectrum mushroom powders you can have your cake and eat it too!

Our full spectrum mushroom powder formulation process

For the production of the mushroom powders used in our products, extensive research was first conducted on wild fruit bodies, the mycelia, primordia and extra-cellular compounds as well as the bio-activity of each within the human body. From there, specialised growing methods were created, including custom growing chambers, strictly defined growth substrates (no straw, sawdust or compost) as well as full year-round climate control for optimal growing conditions incorporating temperature, light cycle, air quality and composition, to all maximise the production and ensure the best quality and highest potency medicinal mushroom products. We also only use organic, gluten free millet and sorghum for our substrate material.

One of the most noteworthy parts in the production cycle of our mushrooms is that we can guarantee that our mycelium contains less than 5% of the original substrate. The mycelium is grown for as long as it takes to ensure that it has completely or almost completely bio-converted so there is minimal residual substrate material in the finished product. This is also the phase when a lot of extracellular compounds are secreted to aid the mycelial survival and are included in our final product. You can read more about our processes below under Fermentation Benefits.

So, our full spectrum mushroom powder combines the benefits from all stages of the mushroom life cycle, without any residual material or nasties. After all, we not only want to provide a high quality, potent product and we want to ensure that you will feel the benefits.

Fermented foods are a great way to introduce good bacteria and beneficial enzymes into your gut microbiome, which increases the health of your digestive system and supercharge your immune system. As science progresses, we are becoming more aware of how a healthy gut microbiome can positively affect our overall health.

The full spectrum mushroom powder used in our products is grown via a specialised substrate fermentation process which utilises only certified organic raw materials (gluten free millet and sorghum). As the mycelium grows it digests and metabolises the original substrate bio-converting it into fungal tissue. This is the fermentation process. Much like how yoghurt is milk that has been fermented by the introduction of healthy bacteria and giving it time to ferment.

This phase of the mushroom life cycle is responsible for an array of enzymatic activity producing a wide range of beneficial bioactive compounds including prebiotic fibres, polysaccharides, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant peptides that support immune and gut health.

Along with careful strain selection, this process ensures consistent product quality as well as ensuring a minimum of 50% total polysaccharides and no less than 15% 1,3-1,6 Beta D Glucans. Our process also ensures that less than 5% of residual substrate material is contained in the final product, versus the high levels sometimes found in others. We also ensure that there is no contamination from heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides or insect residue.

There are so many products on the market. How do you choose which is best? It’s your money you’re investing into your health so you deserve to know where your product is coming from.

We want to give you complete transparency and certainty that you are getting the best quality ingredients from the most reputable sources to give you reassurance on what you are putting into your body.

Organic mushroom powders are grown and processed in the USA
Organic Cacao powder is from PERU
Organic Acerola Cherry Powder BRAZIL
Organic biologically active Vitamin B complex from Quinoa sprouts GERMANY
Kakadu Plum AUSTRALIA

These raw materials have been expertly blended in our Queensland, ACO and TGA approved, GMP certified manufacturing facility.

Australian Certified Organic

We are proud to be Australian Certified Organic.

What does this mean?

It shows that we are compliant with the strictest organic standards not just in Australia but the world. It aligns with our values to have such a highly regarded third party specialist guarantee the integrity and purity of our product.

The ACO are rigorous in checking that the products are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, GMOs, or fertilisers.

Our raw materials have been sourced from reputable sources that have had their own independent quality testing before they arrive at our manufacturer in Queensland, Australia. For example, our USA-based mushroom supplier guarantees each species is:

100% DNA certified through independent testing
100% USDA certified organic
100% American grown in FDA registered biotech facility

We still wanted to have our own independent testing done here in Australia. We have had our products tested with one of Australia’s leading testing facilities just to confirm what we already knew. National Measurement Institute is a highly respected organisation whose standards are recognised internationally.

We back our ingredients and want you to feel assured about what you are putting into your body.

Beta Glucans are a polysaccharide and form of soluble dietary fibre which play an important role in our health. Beta Glucans are found in natural, whole foods such as whole grains, oats, bran, wheat and you guessed it – medicinal mushrooms.

What are the health benefits of Beta Glucans?

Boosts heart health:

There’s a lot of scientific evidence which shows that Beta Glucans are great for our heart health. They help to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, with one study showing that at least 3g of Beta Glucans daily can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by up to 7%.

Stimulates Immune System:

Studies have shown potentially positive effects of Beta Glucan’s role in being able to help stimulate the immune system to fight off disease and infection more effectively.

Aids Digestion and Balances Blood Sugar:

There are two types of fibre, soluble fibre (like Beta Glucan) and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre, as the name suggests, dissolves in water, whereas insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve at all.

As a soluble fibre, Beta Glucans attract water and turn it into a thick gel slowing down food transit time in the intestines thus slowing down digestion, keeping us fuller for longer. Slower digestion also means that our bodies don’t absorb sugar as quickly and can help to keep our blood sugar levels stable.

As it’s indigestible, Beta Glucans must travel through the entire digestive system, sweeping up cholesterol and excreting it, lowering cholesterol levels.

Beta Glucans also assist in metabolism, providing a source of fibre for good gut bacteria to ferment in the colon. This fermentation process results in the production of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA), which aids in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats.

Beta Glucans are present in all of our mushrooms so you will find these in all of our products.