Mushroom Beta-Glucan Testing
How much beta-glucan is in your mushroom supplement?
That's what Light Labs measured in Hippie Farms 5 Mushrooms Reserve Blend, more than any of the 40+ mushroom supplements we checked in October 2026.
Why beta-glucans are the number to look for
Beta-glucans (beta-1,3/1,6-glucans) are polysaccharides in the cell walls of mushrooms. Much of the research on medicinal mushrooms focuses on them, and they're the most widely used marker for telling a real mushroom extract from a diluted one.1 A lot of labels don't list them at all.
Beta-glucans
Listed in milligrams or as a percentage, with the test method named. This is the quality number.
"Polysaccharides"
A broader measurement that also counts starch. A product can show a high polysaccharide figure and still be mostly starch.1
Alpha-glucan
Mostly starch. Fruiting bodies carry very little. One 2025 study found 33 to 68% in fermented-grain products, against about 1% in authentic chaga.2
Beta-glucans per serving, side by side
We checked the beta-glucan figures for more than 40 mushroom supplements in October 2026. These are the highest we found, plus several well-known brands. Under each name you'll see where its number comes from.
Beta-glucans per serving (mg)
Cost per 100 mg of beta-glucan shown beside each valueFigures come from each brand's label or product page, checked October 5, 2026, except where a third party measured them. Cost per 100 mg uses the one-time price for the smallest size on the brand's own site on October 8, 2026: price per serving divided by beta-glucan per serving, times 100. Serving sizes are each brand's own. Prices and labels change, so check the current bottle.
What independent testing has found
Labs and researchers have tested mushroom supplements for years. The results vary a lot from bottle to bottle.
ConsumerLab · reishi · 2019
5.6 to 264.5 mg
Beta-glucan per serving across seven reishi products. Two of the seven failed for low beta-glucan.3
ConsumerLab · lion's mane & chaga · 2022
4 not approved
Four lion's mane products called mycelium "mushroom." Cost per 100 mg of beta-glucan ranged more than 80-fold across the products.4
USP-affiliated researchers · 2017
5 of 19
US reishi products that contained the branched beta-glucan matching authentic reishi. Thirteen contained starch-like polysaccharides.5
Peer-reviewed chaga study · 2025
33 to 68% starch
Alpha-glucan in fermented-grain products, against about 1% in authentic chaga. Their beta-glucan measured 1.0 to 6.9%.2
5 Mushrooms Reserve Blend, tested
We sent finished capsules from lot 2026-32371N to Light Labs, an independent testing lab. The Megazyme K-YBGL method measures total glucan and subtracts the alpha-glucan, so starch can't inflate the result.6
The alpha-glucan result of 7.13% is consistent with a formula that contains no grain. The full panel for this lot, including heavy metals, microbials, pesticides and residual solvents, is public.
View the Light Labs report ↗- Total glucans
- 55.9%
- Alpha-glucans (starch marker)
- 7.13%
- Method
- Megazyme K-YBGL
- Lab
- Light Labs, test 156729
- Completed
- October 5, 2026
- Lot
- 2026-32371N
2,100 mg of organic mushroom extracts in every serving. Four are fruiting-body extracts, and the chaga is an extract of its sclerotia. There's no mycelium and no grain, and every dose is printed on the label.
How to check any mushroom supplement
- Look for beta-glucans in milligrams or as a percentage. "Polysaccharides" alone doesn't tell you the beta-glucan content.
- Look for the method. Megazyme K-YBGL is the enzymatic method built for mushroom beta-glucans, and it keeps starch out of the result.
- Read the ingredient wording. "Mycelium," "myceliated," "mycelial biomass," or a grain like brown rice or oats means the product includes grain-grown mycelium.
- Do the per-serving math. A high percentage on a small dose can deliver fewer milligrams than a moderate percentage on a full dose.
- Ask for the lab report. A brand that tests should be able to show you the result, the lab and the date.
Common questions
How much beta-glucan should a mushroom supplement have?
No daily value has been set for beta-glucans. The useful comparison is milligrams per serving measured by a named method, alongside the dose of each mushroom on the label.
Are polysaccharides the same as beta-glucans?
No. Polysaccharide tests count starch and other carbohydrates too, so a polysaccharide figure can run well above the real beta-glucan content.1
How can I tell if a mushroom supplement contains grain?
Check the ingredient list for mycelium, myceliated or mycelial biomass, or for grains such as brown rice or oats. If the brand publishes an alpha-glucan result, a high number points to starch from grain.2
Is Hippie Farms 5 Mushrooms Reserve Blend fruiting body?
Yes. Lion's mane, reishi, turkey tail and cordyceps are fruiting-body extracts, and chaga is an extract of its sclerotia. There's no mycelium and no grain in the formula.
Is every batch tested?
Yes, every batch is third-party tested. The results for lot 2026-32371N are public on Light Labs' website, and results for all our products are on our testing page.
Five organic mushroom extracts, one bottle
Brain, gut and immune support.* Hippie Farms is USA family-owned and operated, and every bottle is encapsulated in a USA GMP certified facility. The research behind each mushroom is on our 5 Mushrooms research page.
Shop 5 Mushrooms ReserveSources
- McCleary BV, Draga A. Measurement of β-Glucan in Mushrooms and Mycelial Products. Journal of AOAC International. 2016;99(2):364-373. doi:10.5740/jaoacint.15-0289.
- Windsor C, et al. Comparative Study of Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) Dietary Supplements Using Complementary Analytical Techniques. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025;26(7):2970. doi:10.3390/ijms26072970.
- ConsumerLab.com. Reishi Mushroom Supplements Review, 2019. Summary: Nutraceuticals World.
- ConsumerLab.com. Best Lion's Mane and Chaga Supplements, October 6, 2022. ConsumerLab news.
- Wu DT, et al. Evaluation on quality consistency of Ganoderma lucidum dietary supplements collected in the United States. Scientific Reports. 2017;7(1):7792. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06336-3.
- Megazyme. β-Glucan Assay Kit (Yeast & Mushroom), K-YBGL. Assay booklet.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
