Walk into any supplement aisle and you’ll find dozens of mushroom products claiming to support your health. But look closely — and you’ll start to notice something missing.
Most don’t use the actual mushroom.
They use the roots.
That’s the difference between fruiting body and mycelium on grain. And it matters — a lot — for your health, your money, and your results.
🍄 What Is the Fruiting Body?
The fruiting body is the part of the mushroom you recognize: the cap, the stem, the part that grows above ground and gets harvested. It’s where the real action happens — where mushrooms concentrate their active compounds, like:
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Beta-glucans (support immune response)
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Hericenones & erinacines (support cognitive function in Lion’s Mane)
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Cordycepin (energy-supporting compound in Cordyceps)
It’s the part used in traditional medicine for centuries — and the part that delivers real, research-backed benefits.
🧪 What’s Mycelium on Grain (and Why Is It Used)?
Mycelium is the root-like structure of the mushroom — a web of threads that grows inside a substrate like rice, oats, or sorghum.
In mass production, companies grow mushrooms indoors on sterilized grain, then grind up the entire block of mycelium and grain. That’s what ends up in many capsules and powders. It's cheap, fast, and requires less space — but it's not potent.
Why it matters:
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The grain dilutes the product (often 60–70% grain by weight)
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Mycelium has lower beta-glucan levels
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The process avoids the actual mushroom altogether
You wouldn’t buy a bottle of orange juice made from peel and pulp. So why settle for a mushroom supplement made from roots and grain?
🧠 The Fruiting Body Difference
At Arbor Spring Farms, we only use 100% fruiting body mushrooms. Here’s why:
✅ Higher Potency
Fruiting bodies contain significantly more active compounds per gram than mycelium.
✅ Backed by Research
Most of the clinical studies on Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, and other functional mushrooms use fruiting body — not mycelium.
✅ Cleaner Product
No hidden grains. No mystery fillers. Just real mushrooms, grown and harvested by us.
✅ Full Transparency
You’ll always know what’s in your bottle — and what isn’t.
🌱 Why We’ll Never Use Mycelium on Grain
There’s a reason we grow our own mushrooms, extract them ourselves, and label every batch with a born-on date: because you deserve more than a label that says “mushroom” while delivering mostly grain.
Our mushrooms are:
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Grown in Michigan
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Harvested at peak potency
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Dual-extracted for full-spectrum compounds
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Lab-verified for beta-glucans and purity
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Bottled with transparency you can verify
We don’t outsource. We don’t shortcut. We don’t cut corners to save cost at your expense.
🔍 What to Look For On a Label
Not sure if your supplement is fruiting body or filler? Here's what to watch for:
| Label Says | What It Likely Means |
|---|---|
| "Mycelium on grain" or "mycelial biomass" | Mostly grain + low active compounds |
| "Mushroom powder" (vague) | Could be either (check for clarity) |
| "100% Fruiting Body" | Real mushrooms, real benefits |
| "Beta-glucans listed" | Transparent, tested product |
| "Polysaccharides only" | May include starch from grains |
If the label doesn’t say fruiting body, it probably isn’t.
🧭 The Bottom Line
Fruiting body matters — because it’s what your body actually needs.
At Arbor Spring Farms, we’re committed to giving you supplements with integrity. That means growing every mushroom ourselves, extracting for potency, and using only the part of the mushroom that makes a difference.
No mycelium. No grain.
Just results — rooted in truth.
