Product Description
ServingSize: 1g / half a teaspoon
Servings Per Container: 100
Reishi Paragon - The History
Reishi Paragon has been one of the highest calibre Reishi extracts on the market for a number of years already. The superior quality and therapeutic efficacy have made it one of our best selling products since its release half a decade ago. Yet despite its elevated status, we saw that there were still some facets of this medicine that could be tweaked and improved upon... Reishi Paragon has now transcended itself - it is our strongest and richest Reishi extract ever.
Regenerative Cultivation Methods
Firstly we have evolved the cultivation process - initially Reishi Paragon was created from organic, wood-grown fruiting bodies which underwent a multi-step dual-extraction process to yield the resulting high potency extract powder. However, the mushrooms are now wild-simulated - from the finest quality wild strains and cultivated according to Di Tao principles.
'Di Tao’ literally means ‘authentic method’ or ‘from the source’. Di Tao cannot be imitated, simply because it is unique to its geographical location, grown in conditions that simulate its native, wild environment. This means cultivating the mushrooms in the same pristine mountain forests that wild Reishi grows in. This way, the fungi are grown on the same wood from the same forest, immersed in exactly the same soil, the same symbiotic micro-organisms are present, the weather is the same, the same water irrigates the cultivated mushrooms as it does the wild specimens etc.
The fruiting bodies are grown on sections of tree trunk from species of fir trees that Reishi grows on in the wild. The trees should be at least three decades old before harvesting for Reishi cultivation, and they must have come from mountain elevations of at least 1500 meters. The logs should be approximately 30cm in diameter, inoculated with wild Reishi spawn and then immersed within humus-rich soil. This way the mushroom mycelium will have an abundance of nutrients to feed upon, and produce larger, therapeutically more potent fruiting bodies. As the mushrooms mature and their medicinal potency is climaxing they are harvested, and the finest quality fruiting bodies are selected to sporulate the subsequent generation. Crop rotation is also important – Reishi should not be grown in the same place for more than two years, after which point the area needs to be naturally replenished with nutritious mulch and allowed to recover. In Di Tao cultivation there a number of growing locations so that when one of them is allowed to rest and regenerate, it can do so for many years before hosting another generation of Reishi cultivation. Not only does this ensure the richest possible growing environment, but it also promotes local biodiversity – the whole process should not take more from the land than it gives back.
Dual-Extraction
Once the mature fruiting body has been harvested it is washed to clear any residual impurities, then dried, and finally pulverised into a fine grain powder. This creates maximum surface area, making the extraction process exponentially more effective.
The mushroom powder is then added to purified water - the hot water decoction is completed inside a pressurised container, simmering below 100°c. The pressurised environment is necessary in order to inhibit the denaturing of the water-soluble compounds. Once completed, the water extract is filtered from the powder and more water added for another decoction. In total, this process is carried out three separate times and finally combined. Next, with the filtrate from the hot water extraction removed, the powder is macerated in ethanol and again, this process is repeated three times before completion. Once all alcohol-soluble compounds have been captured by the ethanol, the filtrate is once again separated from the mushroom material. The liquids (water and ethanol) are both precipitated from the extracts so that all of the nutrients and beneficial compounds are contained within the rich, concentrated solid substance that remains, with no water or alcohol residue whatsoever.
Next, this concentrate is transformed into a very fine, dry powder, which requires spray-freeze-drying. Low temperature drying is ideal because it preserves the structural integrity and potency of the extract. Once totally dry, the extract is again filtered through a very fine mesh sieve.
Before the extract is sealed in airtight containers ready for sale, a sample should be taken for testing; testing firstly to ensure there are no contaminants, and secondly for the presence of the biologically active compounds that should have been captured via the extraction procedures.
Bio-active Compounds
To verify the medicinal potency, Reishi Paragon has been third party lab tested for both of the primary groups of therapeutic compounds in this fungus - beta-D-glucans & triterpenoids. Currently more than 100 fungal polysaccharides have been isolated from the fruiting body, many of which are beta-D-glucans. These constituents are significantly responsible for the beneficial influence this mushroom has on immune cells such as macrophages, lymphocytes and cytokines.
Likewise, more than 130 different triterpenoid compounds have been discovered within Reishi fruiting bodies, spores and mycelia, with over 140 triterpene subtypes as well, which include a large assortment of unique Ganoderic acids. These triterpenes have shown remarkable therapeutic properties; antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-allergy, cytotoxic towards malignant cells, hepato-protective and regulatory towards many cardiovascular functions.
Beta-D-glucans are captured via the hot water extraction phase, while triterpenes are soluble in ethanol and are collected during that second phase of the extraction. This is why multi-step dual-extraction is necessary - to harvest everything of medicinal value from the fruiting body. This is also why beta-D-glucans and triterpenes cannot both be very high in a single extract, because they are the result of separate extractions. Most products will advertise high percentages of polysaccharides, but this simply means the extract is predominantly (or solely) a hot water extract, containing little (or no) triterpenes.
Previously, Reishi Paragon contained about 30% beta-D-glucans but only 5% triterpenes. While this was already an exceptional product, we have worked at narrowing that divide so that the end result reflects the finest specimens of wild Reishi, with a naturally strong triterpene content. The latest batch of Reishi Paragon contains 10.56% beta-D-glucans and a whopping 8.7% triterpenes! This is our most potent and well balanced Reishi extract yet! Take a look at the authorised 'Supplement Facts' label for this product in the image gallery at the top of this page.
Finally, this extract is bottled in Miron Violet Glass – the best quality glass in the world – in order to protect and preserve the integrity of this outstanding medicine from ultraviolet degradation.
Understanding Reishi Supplements
Most mushroom extracts are either hot water extracts only and contain no triterpenes at all, or they are dual-extracts (hot water & ethanol) but the dual-extraction is performed in a single step (water & ethanol combined). This produces an impure, low potency dual-extract that is low in the bio-active markers we are looking for.
In regards to Reishi, a thorough multi-step extraction of high quality fruiting bodies should yield an end product that is rich in bioactive markers such as Reishi-specific beta-glucans 1>3 and 1>6 as well as triterpenes (ganoderic acids, lucidenic acids etc). There are hundreds of medicinally active compounds in Reishi, but these are some of the bioactive constituents that are naturally present in the highest quantities, are the most researched and are fundamentally involved in the health benefits we expect from a Reishi supplement. Therefore it is important that we can test for these as markers for a high quality Reishi extract.
Beneficial effects are of course the result of an interdependent relationship between numerous compounds - some of which are in minute quantities - but if a Reishi product contains a negligible amount of beta-glucans & triterpenes then we cannot expect it to be medicinally viable.
The overwhelming majority of products will not specify the exact presence of these compounds, simply because they are not present in any significant quantity, if at all. A high percentage of polysaccharides is not a reliable marker either as many producers are using dextrin, maltodextrin or corn starch as additives to increase the overall percentage of polysaccharides, even though they are not from Reishi and contain no medicinal value.
Therefore, analysing for specific beta-glucans gives us a clear picture of just how potent a Reishi supplement is, and the percentage of triterpenes will show us that a dual-extraction has indeed taken place and many important sterols & triterpenoids are present. The higher the percentages will indicate that a multi-step extraction process been performed and the product is optimally potent, as well as free from therapeutically useless fillers & additives.
Reishi Paragon exemplifies the true power of Reishi mushroom because it has been created for the sole purpose of delivering reliable quality & potency, without cutting any corners whatsoever.
Nyishar products and the claims made about them on or through this site have not been evaluated by the MHRA or United States Food and DrugAdministration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your doctor/physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or as a substitute for medication or other treatment prescribed by your doctor/physician or health care provider.
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