Mushrooms on My Mind, Ergothionine , Erinacines, Hericenones, etc

#81

We found that mice fed a HF-SHM (high fact-shiitake) diet had ∼86% smaller aortic lesion area than mice in both HF-C (P < 0.01) and MIX-C (P < 0.01) groups and also expressed 31-48% lower vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 levels (P < 0.05) than all other groups. Similarly, HF-PBM- (high fat-portobello) fed mice displayed a 70% reduction in aortic lesion area in the tricuspid valve only (P < 0.05). Both mushroom-fed groups had lower weight gain and fat mass (P < 0.05) than the control groups.

Full article below.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622166897?via%3Dihub

Human equivalent dosage is huge.

According to Wu et al. (12), 10% wt:wt mushroom powder in mice will translate to ∼11 g fresh mushroom/kg body weight, which is ∼750 g mushroom/d (10 servings/d) for a person with an average weight of 65–70 kg.

Assuming the powder is one tenth of fresh mushrooms, that is still 75g (five tablespoons) of powder per day. If the effects scale down linearly, then two tablespoons of powder would produce 40% of the benefit. That is a big if.

The full study has a pic of the lesion area.

LF-C low fat control
HF-C high fat control
HF-PBM high fat portobello
HF-SHM high fat shiitake
MIX-C mixed control

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#82

Almost 3 inches of rain this week here and high temp and humidity. Mushrooms are blooming like crazy. Embarrassed to say after all the whining I’ve done that most of my cornucopia oysters are blooming. Small so far, but I’m thrilled. This means the mycelium is in there working away. I should get these for years here because these are big logs:

cornucopia oyster
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We’ll eat a few fresh, but most will be dried, ground up and frozen for later.

And of course the Golden Oysters are having their 3rd bloom of the year:

Golden Oyster
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#83

The golden oysters are STUNNING! I’ve never seen anything like it.

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#84

Very nice specimens there! Looks like ideal weather conditions for our little fungus friends.

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#85

Golden oyster - highest source of ergotheioneine.

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#86

Mushroom coffee now af Costco San Francisco, and no more expensive than regular Peet’s, etc. So had to try it…

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#87

Short take: there are a few 7-mushroom blends that aren’t pure fairy dust, but most are kitchen-sink marketing. If you want “legit,” you either pick a brand that proves potency or you assemble your own stack like a competent adult.

Blends that clear a basic bar

  • Naturealm Sacred 7 — uses 100% fruiting bodies and says they 3rd-party test for microbes, heavy metals, and pesticides. They don’t publish lot COAs or beta-glucan %, which is… convenient. Still better than most premixes.
  • Host Defense Stamets 7 — widely available and respected, but built on mycelium + myceliated grain, not just fruiting bodies. If you’re avoiding grain/starch carryover or want quantified beta-glucans, this isn’t your huckleberry.
  • Bluebonnet Myco-7 — explicitly a full-cycle combo of mycelial biomass + fruit bodies. Fine if you like that approach; not fine if you want fruiting-body-only extracts.

The cleaner approach

Use a vetted base blend, then add the missing species:

  • Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders (reishi, chaga, turkey tail, shiitake, maitake; fruiting bodies; beta-glucans lab-verified) + Lion’s Mane + Cordyceps from the same line. That gives you a transparent “7” with posted beta-glucan testing.

“Do any act on aging?”

Some compounds hit classic longevity pathways in animals and cells; humans, not so much yet.

  • Reishi polysaccharides extend lifespan in C. elegans via DAF-16/FOXO signaling. Neat, but worms are not you.
  • Cordycepin can activate AMPK and temper mTOR signaling; protects against cell senescence in vitro and extends worm lifespan in new work. Mechanistically promising, clinically unproven.
  • Lion’s mane has small RCTs with mixed cognitive effects; nothing showing slower human aging.
  • Turkey tail PSK/PSP improves survival as an adjunct in some cancers, which is great medicine but not a general “anti-aging” pill. Bottom line: you can plausibly help immune tone or cognition; you cannot supplement your way to immortality with a latte powder. Yet.

How to ensure purity and potency (non-negotiables)

Ask the brand for a lot-specific COA showing:

  1. Identity (DNA/HPTLC),
  2. β-glucans quantified by the Megazyme/McCleary method (not vague “polysaccharides”),
  3. Heavy metals to USP <233>, microbials to USP <61>/<62>, plus a pesticide panel. If they won’t provide it, that’s your answer.If you want external validation, look for finished products with NSF/USP-style certifications; sparse for mushrooms, but real and verifiable.

Safety footnotes you shouldn’t skip

  • Chaga is high-oxalate; overuse has caused oxalate nephropathy in case reports. People with stone history or CKD should be cautious or skip.
  • Reishi can affect bleeding risk; mind anticoagulants and surgery windows. (Standard clinical caution.)

If you forced me to choose today

  • Premix: Naturealm Sacred 7 if they’ll send a COA; otherwise pass.
  • DIY “real” seven: Real Mushrooms 5 Defenders + Lion’s Mane + Cordyceps for fruiting-body extracts with beta-glucan numbers you can actually read. Add water, smugness optional.

You get the idea: blends can be fine, but transparency beats mystical branding every time.