What is a tincture?

Medicinal mushroom tinctures

What are they? A medicinal mushroom tincture is simply an extract that dissolves mushrooms in a high-proof alcohol.

An "extract" can be either in liquid or powder form & is made by soaking raw plant or fungal matter in alcohol or water in order to extract the medicinal properties from the starting material.

A tincture is a concentrated liquid that uses alcohol as a solvent to dissolve the desired components from the raw starting material.

All tinctures are extracts, but not all extracts are tinctures!

How are they made?

Alcohol is typically used in the extraction process because it is a suitable solvent for extracting compounds, compared to just water.

Tinctures are made from a single mushroom or a mix of different mushrooms. Most of my tinctures are single mushroom blends, the exception being my IMMORTALITY blend. I finely chop fresh or dried mushrooms (depending on the mushroom - for Lions Mane, I always use freshly harvested mushrooms, for Reishi I use dried) and let them soak in alcohol for 6 weeks.

After the 6 weeks, I strain the mushrooms and set aside that liquid. I take the mushrooms and do a second extraction (this is called a double extraction method) in simmering water for 2 hours. I then let them steep for another 2 hours and strain them. I combine both of those liquids and voila, you got a high potency double-extracted tincture. I use 1:5 ratio - meaning there is an equivalent of 1g of mushrooms to every 5ml of liquid.

Why use tinctures?

Pros:

• Bioavailability: The majority of the medicinal compounds locked up in mushrooms will not be bioavailable for absorption in the body. A double-extraction is the best method to access the most complete range of compounds from the mushroom.

• Absorption: Herbalists state that alcohol increases the absorption of an herb by approximately 30%, so the doses can be much smaller.

• Faster absorption rate: An extract in liquid form is absorbed faster by the body than a powder extract, with absorption starting in the mucous membranes of the mouth.

• Stable quality: The alcohol in a tincture gives it a long shelf life and maintains its potency over time.

• Easy to mix: As a liquid, tinctures are easy to add to other liquids and mix into food dishes without the clumping of powders. Just add to your morning coffee, smoothie or tea!

• Time: Tinctures are the quickest way to reap the benefits at full bioavailability. You can put the tincture right into the mouth or in a water bottle with no need to shake or mix in as you would a powder.

Cons:

• Taste: Because of the high alcohol content, the taste of putting a tincture directly into your mouth can be undesirable for some people. I always recommend adding it to your favorite beverage or just in water if you find the taste of alcohol to be too potent.

• Alcohol: This can be a big limitation for alcohol-based tinctures as they are not suitable for people with alcohol-abuse issues or serious liver disease. As well, pregnant women should avoid using them and some religions also prohibit the use of alcohol. I am working on some non alcohol alternatives!

All of my tinctures are handmade, small batch & made with intention from mushrooms grown myself & herbs grown by me or sourced locally, organically or sunstainably.

My hope is to make plant medicine more available, affordable & convenient to add to your daily routine.

SHOP TINCTURES