SNS Multi-Mushroom - Ideas & Discussion Thread

sns8778

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Mushrooms have come up in several threads and we are going to be doing a mushroom product later in the year, so I wanted to create a thread for discussion on it and get people’s input and opinions; and also to hopefully generate some excitement for the product itself.

My thought for the product, and I’m open to ideas and changes at this point, is:
  • A multi-mushroom product that contains 10 different mushrooms.
  • That there will be a capsule and powder version of the product.
  • The powder version will basically be a higher dosed version of the capsule product.
  • I think that its important to offer a capsule and a powder version because I know that some people will absolutely just not drink a mushroom product.
At this time, my thoughts are leaning towards these being the 10 that we will include, but I’m open to suggestions and ideas.
  • Lion’s Mane
  • Turkey Tail
  • Cordyceps
  • Chaga
  • Reishi
  • Maitake
  • Shiitake
  • Royal Agaricus/Agaricus Blazei
  • King Trumpet
  • Tremella
I look forward to hearing everyone’s ideas, thoughts, and suggestions.

My goal is to move this idea forward into the beginning phases of the production process within the next couple of weeks.
 
sns8778

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One thing I wanted to mention at the beginning of this thread is that I’ve researched mushrooms a lot over the last couple of years and the more I’ve looked into them, the more I am convinced of 2 things:
  1. That they hold a wide variety of potential health, performance, and beauty benefits.
  2. That they are possibly one of the top 5 supplement categories in terms of companies of where disinformation is incredibly common and where many companies and suppliers sales pitches are blindly believed as facts.
^^^ That is one of the reasons we hadn’t already done a mushroom product like this, because I feel like there is so much misinformation in this category that I feel like almost nothing we do is going to be viewed as right or good enough by some, and I haven’t wanted to spend the time debating, defending, or being argued with over the intentional disinformation that seems to affect this particular category.

That’s another reason I thought this thread would be a good idea – to serve as a discussion thread for people that wanted to discuss and debate the different mushrooms, forms, etc.

I'm going to tag some people that I think may be interested in mushroom ingredients based off of them mentioning them in other threads and/or their overall enjoyment of liking discussions like this. If I forget to tag you, nothing personal, I'm sleep deprived and feel like I'm about to fall out haha.

Also, not trying to put anyone on the spot - I don't expect anyone to post, but appreciate anyone that does - it was more that I was thinking of some people that I thought may enjoy conversations like this in general.

@aaronuconn @jh1 @Resolve10 @Stachio @Ziyo @N2ofusion @GQdaLEGEND @Rocket3015 @Segansational @TheMrMuscle @Rocket3015 @Dustin07 @Hyde @NattyJuicer @BOSSMAN @SSJ4GOD @Jeremyk1 @tenorguy33 @Airmaniac @BillD @BigGame84 @akboom87 @big_jewels @composner
 
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sns8778

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Last thing I wanted to mention to start the thread off.

We already do and will have more products containing mushrooms.

We already offer PEAK02 capsules, which are a great choice for people looking to improve endurance and VO2 max. This is a fantastic ingredient that has great clinical studies and great real-world feedback.


We also have a product coming up under CEL that will contain PEAK02 and possibly other mushrooms and a variety of other endurance and fat burning ingredients and the goal is for the product to be the closest possible natural, safe, and legal supplement to Cardarine. (Note: I’m not comparing it to Cardarine, I’m explaining that the goal of the product is to be the closest legal, safe, natural alternative to that).
 
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lionking999

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I have never looked into mushrooms as of yet. Could you possibly list a couple benefits? Thanks
 
sns8778

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I have never looked into mushrooms as of yet. Could you possibly list a couple benefits? Thanks
Mushrooms are very interesting in that there are so many of them, and many of them offer different potential benefits.

When we do the product, I plan to do a very comprehensive write up and then a mini article series on the different ones.

PEAK02 that we have now is a clinically researched blend of mushrooms and the combination is specifically designed to be for improved cardiovascular endurance and improved VO2 max in order to let people train harder, longer, and more intensely.

For the multi-mushroom idea, the goal is to provide the best multi-mushroom product on the market and for it to have a variety of benefits. The most common benefits associated with the idea we're looking to do would be mental focus and clarity, immune system support, digestive support, skin health, athletic performance benefits, and a lot more.

There's so much info on this that I'm just trying to answer you and give an overview, but I also just made a note to let you know as soon as I finish up the write up and the mini-article series too.

Thank you for posting and participating in this thread.
 
sns8778

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Great idea Steve. I've always been skeptical of mushroom products for the same reasons you hinted at: the research often seems less reliable and specific than other supplement ingredients, and there's no way in hell I'm drinking mushroom powder lol. I don't know enough to advocate for particular ingredients, but if the research you're backing your decisions with is promising, I'd definitely try the capsule form. I'm also curious about the cel product and so maybe I'll have some feedback about that once it comes out.
Thanks. I'm glad you see my point and agree on that.

I have to admit - I'm not looking forward to flavor sampling this one. This is one where I'm going to let other staff here that like mushrooms try them first and then maybe try myself after they do if they like them. And me trying the Unflavored one is not happening haha.

Flavor wise, I'm thinking Vanilla Bean or French Vanilla, Chocolate Salted Caramel, and Unflavored.

I'm excited about the CEL product myself. The formula for it is fantastic.
 
KvanH

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Last thing I wanted to mention to start the thread off.

We already do and will have more products containing mushrooms.

We already offer PEAK02 capsules, which are a great choice for people looking to improve endurance and VO2 max. This is a fantastic ingredient that has great clinical studies and great real-world feedback.


We also have a product coming up under CEL that will contain PEAK02 and possibly other mushrooms and a variety of other endurance and fat burning ingredients and the goal is for the product to be the closest possible natural, safe, and legal supplement to Cardarine. (Note: I’m not comparing it to Cardarine, I’m explaining that the goal of the product is to be the closest legal, safe, natural alternative to that).
I've been taking Peak02 for 5-6 weeks now 2 g a day and cardio WO's have been going pretty damn well. Tough to gauge how much is due to the addition of Peak02, as I've also increased the amount of cardio WO's quite a bit, but I'm guesstimating it's not a coincidence.
 
big_jewels

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I love me some mushrooms, very interested to learn the benefits others have had with their experience and research with the different types.
 
aaronuconn

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Would love to see a Nammex sourced blend if possible. I’m not sure what the current landscape is for mushroom suppliers, but they tend to pop up as one the most reliable.

The blend is a cool idea, as capsules or as powder. Capsules will probably be better for the wider customer base who don’t enjoy the taste.

If you ever decided to do solo ingredients, I think a cordyceps and a lions mane would be two great choices.
 
aaronuconn

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Dosage wise, are you leaning towards an even distribution for each ingredient? Such as 100mg of each, yielding 1000mg serving size? I think that part is tricky personally
 
aaronuconn

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I’m also really interested in the educational portion of the product release. So much out there debating the merits of fruiting body vs mycelium, beta glucan content, ratio of how much of each ingredient in a blend, etc
 
aaronuconn

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I’m also really interested in the educational portion of the product release. So much out there debating the merits of fruiting body vs mycelium, beta glucan content, ratio of how much of each ingredient in a blend, etc
And the whole country of origin discussion
 
TheMrMuscle

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Peak02 and Cordyceps are the two im most familiar with and really feel do something. I did try the first edition of Glaxon Super Greens that had their super shroom blend in it (which included a number of the ones you listed) and i did feel more energized and fresh. But i didnt run it long enough to see if it was pacebo or not.

I for one am really excited for this. Vanilla flavour would go perfect in my morning "health" coctail.
 
Segansational

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I'm interested. I've been around long enough that Millenium (when they were a thing) really brought Cordyceps to the forefront back in the BB com heydays. So was always interested, but then there was debate over which type of cordyceps was most beneficial - sinensis vs militaris.

Now it seems like Peak02 is all anyone uses. I also think a powder is perfectly fine, that's what I just finished using a tub of (Axe & Sledge). Doesnt taste all that bad when you throw it into another flavored powder. So as long as the volume with 10 mushrooms is still small, I wouldn't be too concerned.
 
Rocket3015

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I know nothing about Mushrooms, but they sound like something I should learn about.
 

ironkill

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Count me in for sure.. Hoping for a chocolate or vanilla powder as I love starting the day off with mushroom blends in my coffee.
 

Stachio

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The multi 10 mushroom formula looks great. Like @aaronuconn Im courious about how each mushroom will be dosed.

If enough people are interested, I would like to see a single ingredient lions mane product and a cordycep product.
 
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hercules_22

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What about a coffee or mocha flavored blend? Cinnamon Swirl would be good as well. Even with PeakO2 the aftertaste is rough very earthy. I have to eat tic tacs or life savers to cover it.
 
Oliver Kween

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Great idea Steve. I've always been skeptical of mushroom products for the same reasons you hinted at: the research often seems less reliable and specific than other supplement ingredients, and there's no way in hell I'm drinking mushroom powder lol. I don't know enough to advocate for particular ingredients, but if the research you're backing your decisions with is promising, I'd definitely try the capsule form. I'm also curious about the cel product and so maybe I'll have some feedback about that once it comes out.

@sns



bandaged wood ?
Ashitaba ?
 
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GQdaLEGEND

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I've been taking Peak02 for 5-6 weeks now 2 g a day and cardio WO's have been going pretty damn well. Tough to gauge how much is due to the addition of Peak02, as I've also increased the amount of cardio WO's quite a bit, but I'm guesstimating it's not a coincidence.
nope not a coincidence .. thats what it does, great stuff.
i increase my sports activity by 20-30+mins when on peak02
i should take this year around maybe next sale will load up.
 
poison

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Would love to see a Nammex sourced blend if possible. I’m not sure what the current landscape is for mushroom suppliers, but they tend to pop up as one the most reliable.

The blend is a cool idea, as capsules or as powder. Capsules will probably be better for the wider customer base who don’t enjoy the taste.

If you ever decided to do solo ingredients, I think a cordyceps and a lions mane would be two great choices.
I'd like to see the same supplier as MST uses, because no one's cordyceps touches theirs. I'd also prefer to see a general blend of shrooms, instead of solo; there are so many kinds with so many benefits, getting a wider range in a daily usage product would be amazing. If it's something I could dump in my morning whey it would be amazing.
 

kisaj

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I'd like to see the same supplier as MST uses, because no one's cordyceps touches theirs. I'd also prefer to see a general blend of shrooms, instead of solo; there are so many kinds with so many benefits, getting a wider range in a daily usage product would be amazing. If it's something I could dump in my morning whey it would be amazing.
MSTs extracts are untouchable. No idea what they are doing with the Cordyceps, but I've used at least 5-6 other brands and specific for performance, nothing comes close.

Regarding multiple mushroom blends, I am not a fan. I started this way because I wasn't sure what I wanted and was learning about the benefits, but I quickly found that some just don't work for me, namely LM. I simply cannot take it and won't buy anything with it included. Reishi is okay, but I feel that it actually reduces peak output in my experience. It seems better for recovery post workout.

Not to mention, there are so many out there, not sure how it would be possible to stand out and make it noticeable. I personally believe that extracts are the way to go- especially with Cordyceps.

Just my .02.
 
sns8778

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Would love to see a Nammex sourced blend if possible. I’m not sure what the current landscape is for mushroom suppliers, but they tend to pop up as one the most reliable.
No comment.

That's directed at what you said about Nammex, not at you. ;)
 
sns8778

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I'm interested. I've been around long enough that Millenium (when they were a thing) really brought Cordyceps to the forefront back in the BB com heydays. So was always interested, but then there was debate over which type of cordyceps was most beneficial - sinensis vs militaris.

Now it seems like Peak02 is all anyone uses. I also think a powder is perfectly fine, that's what I just finished using a tub of (Axe & Sledge). Doesnt taste all that bad when you throw it into another flavored powder. So as long as the volume with 10 mushrooms is still small, I wouldn't be too concerned.
There seems to be a debate over everything related to mushrooms, which I think is in large part to intentional disinformation by suppliers and brands.

PEAK02 is the one that most people use for endurance because it works great for most people that use it and has real world clinical studies on it, one of which was done on actual athletes at UNC Chapel Hill - which is really cool if you think about it because most studies are done on non-training or non-elite individuals, so them doing one on actual UNC athletes is really cool.
 

jiu jitsu

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MSTs extracts are untouchable. No idea what they are doing with the Cordyceps, but I've used at least 5-6 other brands and specific for performance, nothing comes close.

Regarding multiple mushroom blends, I am not a fan. I started this way because I wasn't sure what I wanted and was learning about the benefits, but I quickly found that some just don't work for me, namely LM. I simply cannot take it and won't buy anything with it included. Reishi is okay, but I feel that it actually reduces peak output in my experience. It seems better for recovery post workout.

Not to mention, there are so many out there, not sure how it would be possible to stand out and make it noticeable. I personally believe that extracts are the way to go- especially with Cordyceps.

Just my .02.
Lions Mane has been great for me. Also Chaga. Thinking about trying Coryceps and Reishi. thoughts?
 
sns8778

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What about a coffee or mocha flavored blend? Cinnamon Swirl would be good as well. Even with PeakO2 the aftertaste is rough very earthy. I have to eat tic tacs or life savers to cover it.
This is going to be hard to flavor so I'm open to suggestions as to flavors because some may simply not work.

I like the cinnamon swirl and the coffee/mocha flavored ideas. Thank you.

And that's exactly why we do PEAK02 in capsules rather than powder, because most people would much rather pop 3 capsules than have to taste it haha.
 
sns8778

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sns8778

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Dosage wise, are you leaning towards an even distribution for each ingredient? Such as 100mg of each, yielding 1000mg serving size? I think that part is tricky personally
It is tricky and it would be close to evenly distributed, but may not be exactly evenly distributed.

I’m also really interested in the educational portion of the product release. So much out there debating the merits of fruiting body vs mycelium, beta glucan content, ratio of how much of each ingredient in a blend, etc
There's debate on almost everything mushroom related - and a lot of it is marketing BS.

And I think its crazy how some places reduce it all to beta glucan content - seriously, if that's all someone wants, just go buy a Beta Glucan supplement. It's like there's a crowd of people that everything with mushrooms comes down to Beta Glucan content, and its like they don't realize if that's all they want, Beta Glucan supplements exist lol.

And the whole country of origin discussion
That is honestly a ridiculous argument - I've seen it, I've asked suppliers - and no one can answer the why part of that without it being a sales pitch. In today's age of science and large scale commercial cultivation, there's very little that can be grown somewhere that cannot be grown somewhere else if the conditions are replicated perfectly.

I swear, some people literally really seem to believe there are sherpa's or whatever hiking up a mountain and picking the mushrooms and running back to the supplier to have it made into raw powder.

Mushrooms are a huge market and it requires commercialized cultivation to make it happen.


I know nothing about Mushrooms, but they sound like something I should learn about.
I'm glad to have you following along.

The multi 10 mushroom formula looks great. Like @aaronuconn Im courious about how each mushroom will be dosed.

If enough people are interested, I would like to see a single ingredient lions mane product and a cordycep product.
I used to be interested in doing some single ingredient extracts, but I'm not longer interested in that because it would be a full time job debating and trying to set the record straight on all the BS involved in mushrooms; and at the end of the day, the marketing companies always win because they have the money.

I'm not saying I'll never do any, just saying there are probably seriously at least 50 project ideas that would be in front of it before I'd even consider it.

I'm open to hearing how people would like to see it dosed, but I'm not going to post my dosage ideas yet.
 
jh1

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You know I'm definitely in on the endurance product when it drops. I'd be interested in a multi mushroom blend too. Honestly not up on my mushrooms beyond cordyceps, peak O2 and lions mane, but I'd definitely be interested in seeing what you come up with. A general health mix with immune boosting and cognitive boosting properties would be interesting. I'd be fine with a unflavored powder. Just toss it in with my cissus powder 🤣Having a capped version would probably be a good call from a sales perspective though
 
sns8778

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You know I'm definitely in on the endurance product when it drops. I'd be interested in a multi mushroom blend too. Honestly not up on my mushrooms beyond cordyceps, peak O2 and lions mane, but I'd definitely be interested in seeing what you come up with. A general health mix with immune boosting and cognitive boosting properties would be interesting. I'd be fine with a unflavored powder. Just toss it in with my cissus powder 🤣Having a capped version would probably be a good call from a sales perspective though
Yeah, I think a capped version is a must for some people - its kind of like pizza - some people love mushrooms on their pizza but other people won't even eat a slice if a mushroom touched it haha
 
Rocket3015

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Yeah, I think a capped version is a must for some people - its kind of like pizza - some people love mushrooms on their pizza but other people won't even eat a slice if a mushroom touched it haha
I'm not a big fan of Mushrooms, but I'm never turning down pizza !!
 
Ziyo

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This is going to be hard to flavor so I'm open to suggestions as to flavors because some may simply not work.

I like the cinnamon swirl and the coffee/mocha flavored ideas. Thank you.

And that's exactly why we do PEAK02 in capsules rather than powder, because most people would much rather pop 3 capsules than have to taste it haha.
I feel like the taste is not so bad,
It kinda grows on you..
I take cordyceps and lions mane extracts on a daily base(from a reputable brand in Australia) and I mix mine with a coffee.
So i like your idea of the powder being flavoured in coffee or cinnamon because it goes well with the mushroom taste.
 
rowz4broz

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Use cordyceps currently, I’ve steered away from lions mane due to what I’ve read about it’s interaction with testosterone/dht.

I would be very interested in a multi shroom blend but without the addition of lions mane
 

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Use cordyceps currently, I’ve steered away from lions mane due to what I’ve read about it’s interaction with testosterone/dht.

I would be very interested in a multi shroom blend but without the addition of lions mane
Do you have any actual sources that back up these claims? Anecdotal reports can be helpful, but I feel like I can never find any good actual research on why people feel so strongly on this.
 
rowz4broz

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Do you have any actual sources that back up these claims? Anecdotal reports can be helpful, but I feel like I can never find any good actual research on why people feel so strongly on this.
to my knowledge there is no actual “true” documentation/studies to support this but the anecdotal support is 100% out there. In various mycology threads in Reddit there are discussion posts for this. Given that I am pretty active in these types of threads I see posts of this nature circulate quite often.
 

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Resolve10

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Ok that’s what I figured. That’s fine I guess, but Reddit users in those subreddits always seem to be suffering from something regardless of what they use so I’d just prefer something a little more concrete for why.

In general if someone uses something and it makes them feel bad that’s plenty reason to avoid. Just not sure it’s worth basing firm conclusions off of, for myself personally, when there’s anecdotal reports of the opposite as well and no actual hard evidence.

But I understand everyone will use different methods to arrive at how they decide what to use, I was just wondering if I’d missed anything in particular.
 
rowz4broz

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Totally hear you, would I prefer for the conclusion to be arrived at in a data driven manner, 100%

however i also work in marketing, and am aware that perception is reality. We actually use Reddit as a form of market research in developing ad copy due to people having the ability to speak truly about their pain points for X,Y,Z product and do so in an anonymous way (typically allowing for more free expression)

as a more educated consumer I would be able to see through the noise if there was in fact a study that said there was no impact to DHT but that I am also unable to source
 
KvanH

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I don't know about Reddit's nootropic section, but the PED section is a farce.
 
aaronuconn

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I’ll add my 100% anecdotal, n=1, completely non-scientific thoughts:

I was using a blend of fruiting body mushrooms, which included Lion’s Mane, at around 2-3g in total. After a few weeks, I did feel what I thought was fatigue and low energy levels set in. After lowering the dose to ~1g (maybe 1.5g), the issues went away.

In contrast, I’ve used Peak02 at 4g a day for an extended period and never experienced these issues.

Now, can the fruiting body mushroom blend explain my low energy and fatigue due to Lions Mane lowering DHT? Ehh, maybe, but I kinda doubt it. I think it was diet/training/personal-life stress-related. So many factors can drive energy levels.

Basically, without blood work, I wouldn’t feel confident saying Lions Mane lowered my DHT to the point it was impacting energy/vitality.

Don’t get me wrong, studies are great, but we tend to hone in on group level statistics. For example, if you and I are in an N=2 study and Lions Mane lowered your DHT by 20%, and mine didn’t change, you might see it reported out that participants saw on average a 10% decrease in DHT. This is clearly a very made up, and egregious example, but just wanted to add that
 
Smont

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to my knowledge there is no actual “true” documentation/studies to support this but the anecdotal support is 100% out there. In various mycology threads in Reddit there are discussion posts for this. Given that I am pretty active in these types of threads I see posts of this nature circulate quite often.
But there are studies showing that lions mane raises testosterone and enhances libido......
 

Resolve10

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Ya sorry I don't want to push the thread too far off topic, I just know pretty much any sub on reddit is always more full of negative experiences people have with everything (games, electronics, food, etc.). I don't want to be too negative because plenty of people on even this forum have some pretty dumb opinions and takes too though.

Everyone's personal experience is worth evaluating, but if people really want to go out of the way min maxing their DHT I bet there are plenty of other supplements with even less benefits we could look at.

FWIW I'd like Lions Mane as at least an option in something, whether that is part of the 10 mushroom blend, something else, or idk. Maybe something that includes it and another type of blend that doesn't.

My anecdotal experience is I've never had an issue even at up to 3g per day.

I think personally I'd love a performance oriented blend (maybe like the CEL offering coming up?) and something more "health" oriented for daily use as well.
 
sns8778

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I want to start this multi-quote off by saying that I appreciate everyone's opinions on the subject. My reply here isn't to make light of anyone's, because I truly appreciate the varying points of view. I'm just replying with an overall take on it and my own opinions based off of a couple of years of research on mushrooms.

For context, I've researched them since pre-Covid and anyone that knows me knows that I read and research this type of stuff not just because its my job, but also because its one of my most passionate hobbies.

Use cordyceps currently, I’ve steered away from lions mane due to what I’ve read about it’s interaction with testosterone/dht.

I would be very interested in a multi shroom blend but without the addition of lions mane
I appreciate your insight and opinion on this.

Any multi-mushroom product that we do would include Lion's Mane because overall that's one of the main mushrooms that people are looking for.

As for the possible issues that you're talking about, as you said yourself, its not scientifically validated but more of people's opinions from personal experience on the subject.

This is where I feel context is very important - in that most of the people (actually all) that I've ever seen say that happened with them were doing what I would consider to be high doses of Lion's Mane. (2 to 3 grams per day).

The dosage that I have planned for this product would be 500 to 1,000 mg. per day; so it wouldn't be in the range where people commonly report those issues anyway.

But my reason for the dosage being lower isn't even that, its to be able to give a good efficient dose of the different mushrooms without overdoing it and also I worry more about the potential lethargy with Lion's Mane at higher dosages.

Do you have any actual sources that back up these claims? Anecdotal reports can be helpful, but I feel like I can never find any good actual research on why people feel so strongly on this.
I've never seen any actual studies showing that Lion's Mane can have a negative impact on testosterone. I've seen studies showing that it can potentially have positive benefits on testosterone, but honestly I'm not sold on the idea that it will increase or decrease it.

Even the few anecdotal things I've seen where people posted bloodwork saying that their testosterone was low from Lion's Mane (they were all dosing very high), I've never seen a fair and accurate comparison. Like if someone gets their test levels checked and they are low and they don't have a baseline from before they started, they really have no way of knowing if any ingredient did that. And I think the symptoms some attribute to Lion's Mane in that sense may not be coming from low test as much as other methods of action.

I've said for years - back when Lion's Mane was being promoted as the end all be all greatest thing in the world - that mega dosing wasn't a good idea for a lot of people because some people (myself included) feel like crap at too high of a dosing on it. And bc of my endocrine condition, I probably get bloodwork done more than 99.9% of the population and it never affected those numbers, but at 2 grams+ per day, it makes me feel like a lethargic zombie.

Ok that’s what I figured. That’s fine I guess, but Reddit users in those subreddits always seem to be suffering from something regardless of what they use so I’d just prefer something a little more concrete for why.

In general if someone uses something and it makes them feel bad that’s plenty reason to avoid. Just not sure it’s worth basing firm conclusions off of, for myself personally, when there’s anecdotal reports of the opposite as well and no actual hard evidence.

But I understand everyone will use different methods to arrive at how they decide what to use, I was just wondering if I’d missed anything in particular.
I agree on your overall thoughts on Reddit. So many things on there get blown out of proportion and I sense that a lot of people just agree and go with whatever other people are saying.

I was replying post by post before I read this one from you, and I agree - its like I posted above, some people I do think LM makes them feel like crap at higher doses, but that doesn't necessarily mean its from affecting test levels.

Totally hear you, would I prefer for the conclusion to be arrived at in a data driven manner, 100%

however i also work in marketing, and am aware that perception is reality. We actually use Reddit as a form of market research in developing ad copy due to people having the ability to speak truly about their pain points for X,Y,Z product and do so in an anonymous way (typically allowing for more free expression)

as a more educated consumer I would be able to see through the noise if there was in fact a study that said there was no impact to DHT but that I am also unable to source
That's kind of one of those tricky situations - because there's no logical reasoning that I know of that it would cause a negative impact on DHT so therefore, its something that I'm not sure has been researched extensively.

I think that Lion's Mane really is one of those that works differently for different people; and that people got too carried away in trying to mega dose it to begin with.

The different response for people is why we never used it in Focus XT. When it first got popular, everyone was asking if we were going to put it in Focus XT and I never would.

I don't know about Reddit's nootropic section, but the PED section is a farce.
There is so much misinformation and agenda posting in that section on there that I honestly cannot even make myself read it. I've seriously tried and a lot of it is almost like a cult in the sense that if a well-known member says it, it becomes like a blind truth that many believe no matter what.

I’ll add my 100% anecdotal, n=1, completely non-scientific thoughts:

I was using a blend of fruiting body mushrooms, which included Lion’s Mane, at around 2-3g in total. After a few weeks, I did feel what I thought was fatigue and low energy levels set in. After lowering the dose to ~1g (maybe 1.5g), the issues went away.

In contrast, I’ve used Peak02 at 4g a day for an extended period and never experienced these issues.

Now, can the fruiting body mushroom blend explain my low energy and fatigue due to Lions Mane lowering DHT? Ehh, maybe, but I kinda doubt it. I think it was diet/training/personal-life stress-related. So many factors can drive energy levels.

Basically, without blood work, I wouldn’t feel confident saying Lions Mane lowered my DHT to the point it was impacting energy/vitality.

Don’t get me wrong, studies are great, but we tend to hone in on group level statistics. For example, if you and I are in an N=2 study and Lions Mane lowered your DHT by 20%, and mine didn’t change, you might see it reported out that participants saw on average a 10% decrease in DHT. This is clearly a very made up, and egregious example, but just wanted to add that
What you wrote about dosing lines up with what I mentioned above and what I've been saying for years - that some people get way too carried away with what they think the dose on Lion's Mane needs to be.

And same, I love PEAK02.

I think that the method of action by which it makes some feel lethargic at high doses isn't related to test/DHT imo.

But there are studies showing that lions mane raises testosterone and enhances libido......
I think its one of those things where a lot of people jump to a conclusion that because high doses makes them lethargic that it must be hormonal when its a good chance it could be a different moa completely.
 
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Ya sorry I don't want to push the thread too far off topic, I just know pretty much any sub on reddit is always more full of negative experiences people have with everything (games, electronics, food, etc.). I don't want to be too negative because plenty of people on even this forum have some pretty dumb opinions and takes too though.
That's always been a problem I've had with Reddit - the amount of negativity.

I struggle with anxiety and depression and I try my best to avoid negativity in general, and like you said, whether its about supplements, cars, or almost anything else - its like there are so many people that go on Reddit to be negative, troll, or complain, that it can be mentally draining to even read.

A good example - I drive a hyper green Jeep. I did a google search looking for some accent pieces and it brought up a Reddit thread dedicated to hyper green jeeps (they were only made in 2016 and 2017). The thread had only one or two discussion posts on accent pieces but seriously probably a dozen posts from people saying negative stuff about the color. I get compliments on the color of mine and the way I have it fixed up all the time, but if someone doesn't like it, cool, no worries. But why in the world would someone seek out a Reddit thread about a certain vehicle and certain color of vehicle just to complain about the color of the vehicle - that's the type of thing that drives me nuts about Reddit.

To me, that's the equivalent to a few of the posters we have here that the only time they ever post about supplements is to b***h about supplements. It's like - why even bother to post stuff like that.
 

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