Unfortunately, a persistent myth is misleading consumers and product formulators alike: the claim that only the mushroom organism’s fruiting body, not the mycelium, has functional value. This is biologically inaccurate and scientifically unfounded.
Dismissing the mushroom’s mycelium disregards decades of peer-reviewed science. Both the mushroom fruiting body and its mycelium are essential, metabolically active stages of the mushroom lifecycle, each producing unique and beneficial compounds.
Debunking the plant analogy: a word from the mycological front lines
In a widely circulated comparison, some have likened the mushroom mycelium to plant roots and fruiting bodies to fruit — arguing that only the latter is worth consuming.
As Steve Farrar, founder of M2 Ingredients and one of North America’s most respected mushroom pioneers, explains: this analogy simply doesn’t hold true.
“Mushrooms belong to the Fungi kingdom. Plants belong to the Plant kingdom. The biological differences between a mushroom’s mycelium and fruiting body are minor compared with the massive distinctions between plant roots, leaves, stems and fruit,” says Farrar.
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