Mushroom Extraction Methods: Water Extraction vs Alcohol Extraction

Water extraction pulls out polysaccharides and beta-glucans. Alcohol extraction captures triterpenes. The extraction method you use determines which beneficial compounds actually end up in your supplement—and which ones get left behind or destroyed. This fundamental difference explains why two mushroom supplements from the same species can have completely different effects on your body.

Understanding extraction methods isn’t just academic. It’s the key to knowing whether your Lion’s Mane supplement actually contains the nerve-supporting compounds you’re paying for, or whether your Reishi extract has the triterpenes that support immune function. Most supplement labels won’t tell you this. We will.

What Water Extraction Captures

Hot water extraction is the traditional method used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. When you simmer mushrooms in water, you’re doing exactly what ancient practitioners did—pulling water-soluble compounds out of the tough fungal cell walls.

The primary compounds extracted by water include:

Beta-glucans are the most studied compounds in medicinal mushrooms. These long-chain polysaccharides are responsible for much of the immune-modulating activity attributed to mushrooms like Reishi, Turkey Tail, and Maitake.

Polysaccharides beyond beta-glucans also emerge during water extraction. These include various complex carbohydrates that serve as prebiotics and may support gut health.

What Alcohol Extraction Captures

Alcohol (ethanol) extraction works on a completely different principle. Alcohol dissolves fat-soluble compounds that water cannot touch.

Triterpenes are the headline compounds in alcohol extracts. In Reishi mushroom, over 140 different triterpenoids have been identified. These compounds are responsible for Reishi’s bitter taste and contribute to its adaptogenic reputation.

The Damage Alcohol Does to Other Compounds

Here’s what most brands won’t tell you: alcohol doesn’t just extract different compounds—it actively damages some of the most beneficial ones.

Ethanol denatures proteins, including the glycoproteins found in mushroom extracts. It can degrade certain polysaccharides, particularly the more delicate branched structures that may be biologically important.

The Bottom Line

The extraction method determines what you’re actually getting, regardless of what the label claims. A supplement labeled “Reishi mushroom extract” could contain primarily polysaccharides, primarily triterpenes, or some ratio of both—entirely depending on how it was extracted.

Before purchasing any mushroom supplement, ask: What extraction method was used? What is the ratio of water to alcohol extraction? What compounds does the COA actually verify?

If a brand can’t or won’t answer these questions, they’re selling you a mystery, not a supplement.