Why is extract so special?
Bottom Line:
Stomach cramping generally goes away.
Consume less product to get more psilocybin.
Better tasting products.
Get all the psilocybin you consume.
Products may feel stronger without being more potent.
Let’s recap from last time.
In the last blog entry, we talked about where psilocybin is in the mushroom and how it gets into your body. Psilocybin is located in all parts of the fungus, and is highly concentrated in the fruiting bodies (what we commonly refer to as “mushrooms”). Psilocybin is one of the many, many chemicals that is produced within the cells of the fungus, including minor alkaloids like psilocin, baocystin, norbaocystin, norpsilocin, aeruginascin, and beta-carbolines. These chemicals are all present in the cytoplasm of the cell (below). Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Mushroom cell structure.
How do we get the psilocybin out of the cell?
To get at the psilocybin, you have to get past the cell walls (below). The cell walls of fungus contains very tightly knit and dense fibers called “chitin” (pronounced “ky-ten”). To get past the chitin you have to either physically break it apart (digestion or pulverization) or move through it in liquid forms that can bypass it (extraction).
Mushroom cell wall structure.
Source: Aroso, Rafael & Schaberle, Fábio & Arnaut, Luis & Pereira, Mariette. (2021). Photodynamic disinfection and its role in controlling infectious diseases. Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences. 20. 10.1007/s43630-021-00102-1.
Penetrating the cell wall.
Without going too much into the science, certain liquids (water, alcohols, glycerin, etc.) can pass through the chitin and lipid bilayer to enter the cell. Psilocybin bonds with these liquids (meaning it dissolves in the liquid) while in the cell. When the liquid is removed, the psilocybin remains dissolved in the liquid and is pulled through the cell wall. Psilocybin dissolves better in some liquids (alcohols) as opposed to others (water and glycerin) and the resulting extract is more concentrated.
The liquids are then separated from the solids, removing all of the unnecessary cell material and leaving the chemicals that dissolved in the liquid. This liquid can then be distilled and even dried to make a more concentrated solution — extract.
Of course, psilocybin isn’t the only thing that bonds with these liquids. You’ll naturally bring along a whole host of other chemicals. The types of chemicals that you’ll bring along with the psilocybin depend on the types of liquid used. Generally, you’ll bring along the other alkaloids present, including psilocin, baocystin, norbaocystin, norpsilocin, aeruginascin, and beta-carbolines. This process of extracting all alkaloids is what is known as full spectrum extraction.
Why go to the trouble?
If you recall from previous entries, digesting chitin is what causes stomach cramping and gastrointestinal distress when consuming mushrooms. Chitin is very difficult to digest and your body has to work hard at it. Any method of consuming mushrooms that does not remove the chitin will result in gastrointestinal distress and pain. Extraction removes all of the chitin so stomach cramping generally goes away. (Note: metabolizing psilocybin to psilocin typically causes very minor queasiness — of course, every body is different, this is not a guarantee, this is a general principle).
Better products.
Because the psilocybin is concentrated in the extract, you can use it to make products that you’d never be able to with dried mushrooms, including gummies, drinks, tinctures, sprays, transdermal patches, etc. This also means that you have to consume less to get more psilocybin. Gone are the days of consuming fistfuls of dried mushrooms for your experience. Additionally, these products taste better than any other products containing whole mushrooms. No more consuming slimy mushroom tea sludge or barely edible mushroom yogurt.
Many of these innovations are important for consumers with medical needs that prevent them from consuming normal mushroom products. You can’t cram 6 grams of mushrooms into a feeding tube! These benefits extend to all consumers, though. Everyone’s experience gets better.
Get what you pay for.
Finally, one of the benefits of extract is its bioavailability. When you consume extract, you are getting all of the available psilocybin. 5mg means 5mg.
In a previous blog post we discussed how your body only takes so long to process food. Well, that process may not be long enough to break down all of the cells to get at all of the psilocybin you ate. So while your mushrooms may test at 5mg (the testing process uses extraction to determine the amount of psilocybin in a mushroom), you may not be processing the mushroom long enough to get all 5mg of psilocybin!
This means that, while extracted products are not more potent, they may feel stronger because you’re actually getting all of what’s available. This means that you may be able to get more bang for your buck with lower doses. It’s also all available at once. You only have to process whatever product is holding the extract (like gummy candy), which is far easier and faster to digest than mushroom material. (Naturally, every body is different, your experience will be unique, and activation times for psilocybin products are variable and cannot be accurately predicted).
We’re excited to be pioneering this space, developing efficient extraction techniques, and providing products that will give you the best experience possible. We hope you’re excited to come on this journey with us into new horizons!
