Glossary · Physiology
Fruiting body
The mushroom-shaped structure that grows above ground. Where the species-specific actives concentrate in most medicinal mushrooms.
Plain language
The mushroom itself - the cap and stem you can see. The high-quality fraction for most medicinal mushroom claims, with beta-glucan content typically 25 to 35 percent of dry weight.
Definition
The fruiting body is the spore-producing reproductive structure of a fungus, the part most people recognize as 'the mushroom'. In medicinal-mushroom species (Lion's Mane, Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps sinensis, Turkey Tail) the fruiting body is the fraction richest in beta-glucans and species-specific actives like hericenones, triterpenes, and cordycepin. Trial data for cognitive and immune claims is overwhelmingly run on fruiting-body extracts.