◎ The Mushroom Label Decoder — works on any brand, not just ours.
The 2-minute guide

How to read a mushroom supplement label

Five checks that separate real mushroom extract from expensive grain filler — on any product. Use it on us, too. Especially on us.

1 Fruiting body or "mycelium on grain"?

The single most important line. Fruiting body is the actual mushroom, where the active compounds concentrate. Mycelium on grain is roots grown on rice or oats and milled together — often mostly starch.

Look for"fruiting body," a named extract, an extraction ratio (e.g., 8:1).
Watch out for"mycelium," "myceliated grain/rice," or no form stated at all.

2 Beta-glucans — not "total polysaccharides"

Beta-glucans are the measured active compound. "Total polysaccharides" can include the grain starch — so a big polysaccharide number can actually be a red flag, not a selling point.

Good signA beta-glucan % on the label or COA (e.g., ≥25%).
Red flagOnly "40% polysaccharides" with no beta-glucan number.

3 Is there an actual dose — and is it real?

A "proprietary blend" hides how much of anything you're getting. And "2,000 mg of mushrooms" split across six species can be a token amount of each. Studied doses are often 1 gram or more of a single mushroom — many products deliver a fraction of that.

Good signPer-ingredient milligrams, on the front.
Red flag"Proprietary blend," or a big total with no breakdown.

4 Third-party tested — and can you see it?

Mushrooms bioaccumulate heavy metals, so testing matters for safety as well as potency. Best case: an independent lab report (COA) you can actually read, by lot.

Good sign"Third-party tested," a COA link, or a lot lookup.
Red flag"Tested" with nothing to show, or silence.

5 Does the price make sense?

Real fruiting-body extract at a real dose costs more to make. A suspiciously cheap "mushroom" product is usually cheap because there isn't much mushroom in it. You're allowed to pay fairly for the real thing — just make sure that's what you're getting (checks 1–4).

The 30-second scorecard

Score any product — give it a point for each "yes":

Says fruiting body (not mycelium-on-grain)?☐ yes
Shows a beta-glucan % (not just polysaccharides)?☐ yes
Lists a per-ingredient dose (no proprietary blend)?☐ yes
Has a third-party COA you can see?☐ yes
Price consistent with real extract?☐ yes

4–5: trustworthy. 2–3: ask questions. 0–1: you're probably buying grain.

We built Understory to score a 5 — and prove it.

Fruiting body, doses on the front, beta-glucan published, every lot tested.

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