Are mushrooms a plant or animal?

Are mushrooms a plant or animal?

Of course, they are neither…

But they do share similarities with both and that actually matters for how mushrooms are able to support our immune system.

HOW MUSHROOMS BREATH

Believe it or not, in a metabolic sense, mushrooms are actually more similar to humans than to plants.⁣
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Unlike plants (which take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen) mushrooms take in oxygen and give off CO2.⁣
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In other words, they breathe, much like humans do.⁣

Structurally, however, mushrooms are more similar to plants than to animals, in that they have rigid cell walls made from “long chain poly-saccharides”. (a fancy word for sugars)

These polysaccharides can be quite complex, and there are lots of different ways that the parts of the chain can be connected together.

BETA-GLUCANS IN MUSHROOMS

The cell walls in mushrooms are made up of something called “beta-linked” polysaccharides, otherwise known as beta-glucans.

These beta-glucans are a special type of polysaccharide that have a significant impact on the immune system.*

The fact that they form an integral part of mushroom cell walls explains the broad immunomodulatory effect that mushrooms have on our bodies*.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Beta-glucans are one of the key active ingredients in medicinal mushrooms, which is why it is important to use mushroom supplements that:

Are made from whole mushroom fruiting body (as opposed to just mycelium on grain)

1. List the beta-glucan percentage on the supplement facts panel.
2. This is how you can ensure you’ll get mushrooms that actually make a difference!

Looking for a powerful mushroom supplement made from whole fruiting body? Check out Thrive 6, the original mushroom blend with 29% Beta-glucan.

Posted by

Tony Shields

Hi' I'm Tony. I've dedicated a ton of time to learn all about the amazing world of mushrooms- and would love to share that information with you! I am particularily passionate about growing mushrooms, and teaching others how to do the same.