Glossary · Chemistry
Polysaccharide
A long carbohydrate chain. Includes both beta-glucans (often active) and alpha-glucans (often grain starch).
Plain language
An umbrella term for long sugar chains. Useful for chemistry but easy to manipulate in marketing. Always ask for the beta-glucan number specifically.
Definition
A polysaccharide is a long-chain carbohydrate built from monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds. In supplement chemistry the category includes the beta-glucans (active in many medicinal mushroom claims), alpha-glucans (mostly grain starch), and species-specific polysaccharides like the PSK and PSP fractions in Turkey Tail. A label that reports 'polysaccharides X percent' bundles all of these and is therefore harder to compare across products than a beta-glucan-specific number.