Choosing a mushroom supplement is more complicated than it appears. Fortunately, Nutritional Therapist Sarah Brereton is here to help…

There are many mushroom supplements on the Irish market, so how do you decide which one is right for you? There are many factors to consider such as testing, therapeutic doses and the
experience of the team behind the brand.

Irish Botanica, which is based in Co. Wicklow, works with Herbalist and Irish Botanica Co-Founder, David Foley to provide the customer with the best quality high strength natural herbal and botanical products. David has trained in both Western Medicine and Chinese herbs and has over 35 years’ experience with herbs.

Irish Botanica work with raw ingredients of the highest quality and test before and after manufacturing. Ingredients are minimally processed so you can experience their natural
goodness as nature intended, pure and potent. We test rigorously both the raw
ingredients and final product to ensure the final product is as wonderful as the plants and herbs they originate from. Irish Botanica only use mushrooms grown in remote, mountainous areas
away from pollution.

Third-party testing is crucial to check for quality, active components, heavy metals, moulds, and bacteria and contaminates. This is a very important step, and key in choosing which
company you purchase mushrooms and botanical products from to obtain the purest and best quality product for your body and hard-earned money.

While there are many species of mushrooms growing in the wild in Ireland, up to 4,000 in fact, many can be dangerous and we need to know what we are picking. Only 25 species are safe for culinary use. Buying safe, therapeutic levels of specific mushrooms is important for health. Look at the amount of the mushroom ingredient per dose to ensure it is a therapeutic dose. If in doubt, ask.

What makes mushrooms so exciting is that they all have active components such as polysaccharides called β-glucans and secondary metabolites, which are compounds unique to each mushroom and therefore gives each unique properties.

Some popular mushrooms in the Irish Botanica range include:
• Lion’s Mane which gets its name from its appearance, a cascade of white strands which looks
like a mane. It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine as a brain tonic.
• Cordyceps is another mushroom found at high altitudes of over 4,500m in the Himalayas and other high altitude countries.
• Reishi also known as ‘lingzhi’ in Chinese, which translates literally to ‘mushroom of
immortality.’
• Chaga typically grows on the outside of birch trees in very cold climates like Siberia and
Alaska.
• Maitake also know as ‘Hen of the woods-dancing mushroom,’ it is traditionally used in
Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

Find the entire range of Irish Botanica Mushrooms in your local health food store and pharmacy