Shiitake extract powder with a standardized content of 30% polysaccharides is a product that is obtained by extracting bioactive components from the mushroom Lentinula edodes , also known as shiitake. This mushroom has a long history of use in Asian gastronomy and culture and has been a part of traditional dishes for centuries.

In modern production, selected components are extracted from fresh or dried mushroom fruiting bodies – most often with hot water or alcohol – and the resulting extract is then dried into powder form. This process allows for the production of a concentrated extract that contains a significant amount of polysaccharides, primarily beta-glucans, with 30% of the total powder volume being made up of these complex carbohydrates.

Chemically, polysaccharides are long chains of glucose molecules linked by various bonds. Beta-glucans in mushrooms have a characteristic branched structure that is different from beta-glucans in oats or barley.

Polysaccharides form part of the shiitake mushroom's cell wall and are important for its structure and defense mechanisms.

In concentrated form, polysaccharides behave differently than simple sugars – they are not digested in the human body like glucose or fructose, but travel unchanged to the large intestine, where they can be fermented by intestinal microflora.

When a person decides to include shiitake extract in their diet, they are gaining substances that are only minimally present in the typical Western diet . The importance of this powder lies primarily in the fact that it provides a concentrated form of natural mushroom components that are not regularly found in the classic diet.

After consumption, the extract passes through the digestive tract and its individual components may be of interest to the immune system, intestinal cells, or the microbiota itself - the set of bacteria and other microorganisms that naturally inhabit the human intestine.

Shiitake polysaccharides are not a source of energy for the human body in the classical sense, as is the case with glucose, but they can be part of complex interactions between food and human biology . In some cases, these substances are studied for their effect on physiological processes, but in nutritional supplements they mainly serve as an ingredient enriching the diet with complex carbohydrates of plant origin.

The extract usually has a slightly bitter and earthy taste, which is typical of mushroom extracts. Standardized to 30% polysaccharides, you can be sure that each dose contains the same amount of active ingredient .

Shiitake Extract from Natural Nutrition is a 100% pure powder, so you can be sure you are providing your body with the highest quality. The powder contains no added chemicals, additives or bulking agents.