FAQ
About Shumi & functional mushrooms
What are functional mushrooms?
Functional mushrooms, sometimes called medicinal mushrooms, are a remarkable group of fungi prized for their bioactive compounds rather than their place on the plate. Species such as Lion's Mane, Shiitake, Reishi and Chaga are rich in beta-glucans, triterpenes and hericenones, compounds long honoured in traditional practice and increasingly explored by modern science.
What is an adaptogen?
Adaptogens are botanicals and mushrooms that help support the body's natural response to stress. They work quietly and cumulatively, encouraging balance and resilience rather than a sudden lift.
What does “extract” mean?
An extract is the mushroom's beneficial compounds, concentrated. We use ultrasonic-assisted dual extraction, purified spring water alongside 22% ethanol, to draw both the water- and alcohol-soluble compounds from the fruiting body into a potent, highly bioavailable liquid.
What types of extracts does Shumi offer?
Four single extracts, each with its own purpose: Lion's Mane for focus and clarity, Shiitake for immune support, Reishi for calm and restful sleep, and Chaga for antioxidant resilience. Each is also offered in our curated sets.
What makes Shumi different?
Three things, each held to the highest standard: we extract from the fruiting body alone, never mycelium-on-grain; we use ultrasonic-assisted dual extraction in Finland for exceptional bioavailability; and every batch is verified by an independent laboratory. The full story lives on our science page.
Are Shumi extracts a medication?
No. Shumi extracts are food supplements, not medicines, crafted to complement a balanced diet and a considered, healthy lifestyle.
Should I talk to my doctor first?
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking prescription medication or managing a medical condition, please speak with your healthcare provider before introducing any new supplement.
Who is behind Shumi?
Shumi Biotech is an independent EU company based in Tallinn, Estonia, working with a specialist extraction partner in Finland. We are small and single-minded by choice, with every claim we make backed by a published laboratory result.
Lion's Mane
What is Lion's Mane known for?
Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is studied for its support of cognitive function, focus and memory. Its signature compounds, hericenones and erinacines, are linked to nerve growth factor (NGF) signalling.
When should I take Lion's Mane?
Most people reach for it in the morning, alone or stirred into coffee, tea or a smoothie. Its effect is subtle and builds over time rather than spiking, so the timing is yours to choose.
How long until I notice anything?
Functional mushrooms work cumulatively. Most people notice gentle shifts after two to four weeks of daily use; with Lion's Mane, consistency matters more than dose.
Can I take it with coffee?
Beautifully, yes. Caffeine brings the immediate spark, Lion's Mane the steady clarity beneath it, a pairing many of our customers fold into their morning ritual.
Is it safe with medication?
Always check with your prescribing doctor. Lion's Mane has a strong safety profile in healthy adults, though supplement-medication interactions remain highly individual.
Does it have any side effects?
Lion's Mane is well tolerated. A small number of people notice mild digestive sensitivity in the first few days, which typically settles with continued use.
Is Lion's Mane a stimulant like caffeine?
No. Lion's Mane does not stimulate the nervous system. It supports cognition through a quieter pathway, its NGF-related compounds, so there is no jitteriness, no crash and no tolerance to build.
Can I take Lion's Mane in the evening?
You can. It is not a stimulant, so it will not keep you awake. Most simply prefer the morning, when focus and clarity are worth the most.
Does it help with studying or work?
Lion's Mane is the mushroom most closely associated with focus, memory and mental stamina, which is why students and knowledge workers count among its most devoted users. It supports, rather than replaces, good sleep and good habits.
What do hericenones and erinacines do?
They are compounds unique to Lion's Mane, studied for their role in nerve growth factor (NGF) signalling, the process by which the body maintains and supports its neurons. This is the mechanism behind Lion's Mane's association with cognitive support.
Should I cycle Lion's Mane?
There is no need. Lion's Mane suits continuous daily use, and no tolerance or dependence has been observed. Some take an occasional week off every few months, simply as good supplement hygiene.
What does Lion's Mane taste like?
Mild and gently earthy, far softer than Reishi. Most take it straight under the tongue, or into coffee, where the taste disappears entirely.
How is a liquid extract different from capsules or powders?
A liquid dual extract arrives with its compounds already drawn out and bioavailable, so absorption begins at once, fastest sublingually. Powders and many capsules carry unextracted or water-only material, missing much of the alcohol-soluble richness.
Shiitake
What is Shiitake known for?
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is studied for immune support and for its contribution to cardiovascular and metabolic wellbeing. It carries eritadenine, beta-glucans and ergosterol, a natural vitamin D2 precursor.
Why an extract instead of cooking with Shiitake?
A culinary Shiitake offers some nourishment, but its most valuable compounds, eritadenine and beta-glucans, only reach meaningful levels through concentrated extraction. Our 10:1 fruiting-body extract delivers far more than a serving on the plate ever could.
Is it a good source of vitamin D?
Shiitake contains ergosterol, which converts to vitamin D2 under UV light. The amount in any supplement is modest; Shumi Shiitake gently supports vitamin D intake, but is not a replacement for dedicated supplementation if you are deficient.
When should I take Shiitake?
Mornings suit it best. Shiitake is gently energising and sits naturally alongside a daily breakfast routine.
Is it suitable for vegans?
Yes. Every Shumi extract is vegan, kosher, gluten-free and non-GMO.
What is eritadenine and why does it matter?
Eritadenine is a compound found almost nowhere but Shiitake, studied for its contribution to normal cardiovascular and cholesterol metabolism. It is a large part of what sets Shiitake apart from the other functional mushrooms.
Is it only for winter, or all year round?
All year. Shiitake's beta-glucans support normal immune function in every season; many simply appreciate it most through the colder months.
Can I combine Shiitake with Lion's Mane?
Yes, and it is precisely the pairing behind our Morning Mastery Set: Lion's Mane for focus, Shiitake for immune and metabolic support. They complement rather than overlap.
Does Shiitake have side effects?
The extract is well tolerated at the recommended dose. The skin reaction occasionally reported from eating large amounts of raw Shiitake belongs to the uncooked mushroom, not to an extract taken at supplement doses.
What does Shiitake extract taste like?
Mildly savoury and earthy, noticeably gentler than Reishi. It disappears into coffee, broth or a smoothie, and many take it straight under the tongue.
I already cook with Shiitake. Do I still benefit?
Culinary Shiitake is a wonderful food, but the concentration of eritadenine and beta-glucans in a 10:1 fruiting-body extract is of another order entirely. Think of the two as companions, not substitutes.
Reishi
What is Reishi known for?
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), long revered as the mushroom of calm, is associated with relaxation and restful sleep. It is rich in triterpenes, including ganoderic acids, alongside beta-glucans.
Will it make me drowsy during the day?
No. Reishi is not a sedative. It supports the body's natural wind-down in the evening and the quality of your rest, without dulling your day.
How does it compare to melatonin?
They are quite different. Melatonin is a hormone that signals the sleep-wake cycle; Reishi is a botanical extract that supports your broader balance of stress and recovery. Many choose it nightly as a gentler, non-hormonal companion to sleep.
When should I take Reishi?
Most enjoy Reishi in the evening, an hour or two before bed, stirred into herbal tea or warm water as part of the wind-down.
Does it taste bitter?
Reishi is naturally bitter, and our liquid extract honours that character. Warm tea, a little honey or juice softens it; taken sublingually, it offers the fastest absorption for those who welcome the depth of flavour.
Is it safe with sleep medication?
Please consult your prescribing doctor before combining any supplement with prescription sleep medication.
Can Reishi help with daytime stress, not just sleep?
Yes. As an adaptogen, Reishi is associated with supporting the body's broader response to stress. Some split the dose: half in the late afternoon to unwind, half before bed.
How long until I notice Reishi?
Reishi builds quietly. Many notice a gentler wind-down and better-quality rest within one to three weeks of nightly use; it is not a knock-out effect on night one.
Can I take it with magnesium or other evening supplements?
Generally yes. Reishi sits comfortably alongside magnesium, glycine or herbal tea in an evening ritual. If you take prescription medication, confirm combinations with your doctor.
Will I feel groggy the next morning?
No. Because Reishi is not a sedative, it carries none of the morning heaviness some experience with sleep medication or high-dose melatonin.
What are ganoderic acids?
Ganoderic acids are triterpenes found in Reishi's fruiting body, the compounds most studied in connection with its calming, adaptogenic character. They are alcohol-soluble, which is exactly why our dual extraction matters so much for this mushroom.
Can I take Reishi every night, long-term?
Yes. Reishi is made to be a nightly ritual. Its traditional use spans centuries of continuous enjoyment, and modern research has found no tolerance concerns at normal supplement doses.
Chaga
What is Chaga known for?
Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is studied for its remarkable antioxidant capacity and immune support. It is exceptionally rich in triterpenoids, betulinic acid, beta-glucans and melanin.
Where does Shumi's Chaga come from?
It is sustainably wild-harvested from above the Arctic Circle in Finland, where the purity of the untouched landscape is associated with mushrooms of unusual adaptogenic strength.
Does it contain caffeine?
No. For all its dark colour and tea-like character, Chaga is naturally caffeine-free.
Can I take it long-term?
Chaga is made for daily use within a considered wellness routine. As with any supplement, an occasional pause, a week off every few months, is a sensible habit.
Is it safe with blood thinners?
Chaga may have a mild effect on platelet function. If you take anticoagulants or blood-thinning medication, please consult your doctor before beginning.
Why wild-harvested rather than cultivated?
Chaga earns its signature compounds, betulinic acid and melanin among them, by growing slowly on living birch over many years. Cultivated Chaga, raised on substrate, misses that birch relationship and carries far less of the birch-derived triterpenoids. This is why ours comes only from the wild forests of Arctic Finland.
Is wild harvesting hard on the forests?
Not as we practise it. Our harvesters follow Finnish sustainable-foraging tradition: only mature conks are taken, a portion is always left on the tree, and harvest zones are rotated so populations regenerate.
When should I take Chaga?
Chaga is flexible. Most take it in the morning or early afternoon as daily antioxidant and immune support; in our Day to Dusk Set it holds the daytime while Reishi keeps the evening.
Can I mix Chaga with coffee or tea?
Beautifully. Its mild, slightly woody character blends naturally with coffee and black tea, and it adds no caffeine of its own.
What is betulinic acid?
Betulinic acid is a triterpenoid that Chaga concentrates from the bark of the birch it grows on. It is among the most-studied of Chaga's compounds, and part of why the birch relationship matters so deeply for quality.
Does Chaga interact with diabetes medication?
Chaga may influence blood sugar. If you take insulin or other glucose-lowering medication, please consult your doctor first and monitor as advised.
What does Chaga taste like?
Mild, earthy and softly woody, with a faint natural note of vanilla from its birch-derived compounds. It is the gentlest of our four extracts and easy to take straight.
Sets & combinations
Which set should I start with?
- Morning Mastery (Lion's Mane and Shiitake): clarity, energy and immune support to set the tone of your day.
- Day to Dusk (Chaga and Reishi): resilience through the day, recovery into the night.
- Holistic Wellness (all four): the complete daily ritual, morning through evening.
Can I take all four mushrooms together?
Yes. They are complementary by nature and have long been used in concert. Our Holistic Wellness Set is built around exactly this, each mushroom timed to the moment it serves best.
Will combining them reduce each one's effect?
Not at all. Each species carries its own distinct compounds, and they work alongside one another rather than against.
Is a set cheaper than individual bottles?
Yes. A set is thoughtfully priced below the same bottles bought separately; the exact saving appears at checkout.
How to use & dosing
What is the recommended daily dose?
Two half-pipettes a day, around 2 ml, which is roughly 1000 mg of extract per mushroom.
Sublingual or in a drink?
Either is excellent. Held under the tongue, absorption is fastest; stirred into coffee, tea, a smoothie or any drink, it is just as effective through normal digestion.
What is the best time of day for each extract?
Lion's Mane and Shiitake belong to the morning, for focus and energy; Chaga to the daytime, for steady resilience; Reishi to the evening, for wind-down and rest.
Can I take more than the recommended dose?
The recommended amount is the studied, tested daily dose. More offers no greater benefit and may invite mild digestive sensitivity, so we would gently suggest staying with it unless your healthcare provider advises otherwise.
Can I add it to a hot drink?
Yes. Unlike raw powders, the active compounds in a liquid extract hold up well to heat, so coffee, hot tea or warm milk are all welcome.
Subscriptions
How do subscriptions work?
Choose your rhythm at checkout, most often every 30 or 60 days. We bill and deliver on that schedule, and you stay fully in control, free to adjust, skip or cancel at any time. Everything is explained on the How subscriptions work page.
Can I change the interval after subscribing?
Of course. Sign in to your account to adjust the interval, skip a delivery or cancel, with no fees and no commitment.
Do I save money with a subscription?
Yes. A subscription carries a recurring saving over one-off orders; the exact amount is shown at checkout.
Can I pause my subscription?
At any time, from your account. Pause for as long as you need; it resumes the moment you do.
Shipping, returns & taxes
Where do you ship?
Worldwide. Within Europe, 2-4 days via FedEx or up to 14 days via Asendia (UK up to 21). To the USA and Canada, 2-5 days via FedEx or 14-30 days via Asendia. To the rest of the world, 3-7 days via FedEx or 14-30 days via Asendia.
How much does shipping cost?
Shipping is calculated at checkout by destination and method. Orders leave us the same day wherever possible, and by the next day at the latest.
Are taxes included?
Within the EU, every price includes VAT. Beyond the EU, import duties or taxes may apply on arrival, in line with your local customs authority.
Can I return my order if I change my mind?
Because these are consumable wellness products, we cannot accept returns or refunds once an order has left our facility. It is how we guarantee the integrity and freshness of every bottle.
What if my order arrives damaged?
We are sorry, and we will put it right. Write to us at hello@shumi.bio within 7 days with a photo, and we will work with the carrier on a resolution.
When should I expect a reply from customer service?
Within 24 to 48 hours. If your message is urgent, do say so, and we will move it to the front.
Storage, shelf life & safety
How should I store Shumi extracts?
Somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sunlight. Refrigeration is not required, though it does extend freshness, and the cap is best replaced snugly after each use.
How long does an open bottle last?
Six months once opened, stored as above. Sealed, it keeps for up to two years from production; you will find the date on the base of the bottle.
Why does Shumi use violet glass bottles?
We bottle in Miron violet glass, not for the look, though we do love it, but because it filters out the visible light that gradually degrades sensitive botanical compounds. It is a quiet, more expensive choice in service of one thing: the extract inside staying as potent on the last day as on the first.
Are your bottles recyclable?
Yes. Our glass bottles are recyclable through most local programmes, and they take beautifully to a second life at home.
Can I take Shumi if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
Please speak with your healthcare provider before taking any supplement during pregnancy or breastfeeding. While these mushrooms have a long history of traditional use, the specific research is not yet there for us to advise.
Are there allergens in Shumi?
The only ingredients are mushroom fruiting body, ethanol (22%) and purified spring water: no gluten, dairy, soy, nuts or animal products. If you have a known mushroom allergy, please do not use it.
Is there alcohol in the extract?
Yes. Ethanol (22%) is essential to dual extraction, drawing out the alcohol-soluble compounds, especially triterpenes, that water alone cannot reach. The amount per dose is small, roughly the alcohol in a ripe banana, though worth noting if you are sensitive to it.
Are Shumi extracts safe and legal?
Yes. They meet food-supplement regulations and are produced in a certified Finnish facility, with every batch verified by an independent laboratory.
Sourcing, quality & certification
Where is Shumi made?
Every extract is made in Finland, where our partner facility works with ultrasonic-assisted dual-extraction technology developed specifically for functional mushrooms.
Are Shumi extracts organic?
Yes. Every Shumi extract is certified to both EU Organic and USDA Organic standards.
Do you test every batch?
Every single batch. An independent third-party laboratory verifies purity, screening for heavy metals, pesticides and microbials, and confirms the content of the target bioactive compounds. Each product's certificate of analysis is linked on its page.
What exactly does the certificate of analysis show?
More than most brands will ever publish. Each certificate, issued by an independent Finnish laboratory (Metropolilab Oy), reports the measured beta-glucan content, our Lion's Mane, for example, is verified at no less than 18% beta-glucans by the Megazyme assay, alongside heavy metals by ICP-MS (arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead), a full microbiological panel including Salmonella, and the ethanol level. It is linked openly on each product page, because quality you cannot verify is only a claim.
Why fruiting body and not mycelium?
The fruiting body holds the richest concentration of the studied compounds, beta-glucans, triterpenes, hericenones and more. Mycelium-on-grain products, common elsewhere, are largely grain by weight and carry only a fraction of the bioactives.
What does “10:1 extract” mean?
It means ten grams of dried fruiting body are concentrated into a single gram of finished extract, a measure of strength and a useful way to compare against ordinary supplements.
Why ultrasonic extraction?
Ultrasonic-assisted dual extraction uses high-frequency sound waves to gently open the cell walls of the fruiting body, releasing more of the water- and alcohol-soluble compounds at lower temperatures while preserving their integrity. There is more on our science page.
Why is everything made in Finland?
Finland offers what functional mushrooms deserve: some of the cleanest air, water and soil in Europe, a deep national tradition of forest foraging, and the specialist facility whose ultrasonic-assisted dual extraction underpins everything we make. Purity here is not a marketing word, it is geography.
What is not in a Shumi extract?
No fillers, no grain, no starch, no sweeteners, no flavourings, no preservatives, nothing artificial. Three ingredients only: organic mushroom fruiting body, ethanol (22%) and purified spring water. The shortest ingredient list in the category is entirely deliberate.
Why are Shumi extracts priced above ordinary mushroom supplements?
Because almost everything that makes a mushroom supplement cheap is something we decline to do. Mycelium-on-grain in place of fruiting body, hot-water-only extraction, no independent testing, starch counted as “polysaccharides”: these are the shortcuts we refuse. Organic fruiting body, dual extraction and per-batch laboratory verification cost more, and the difference lives in the bottle.
How can I tell a quality mushroom supplement from a poor one?
Four questions tell you almost everything. Fruiting body or mycelium? A concentrated extract or a raw powder? Are beta-glucans stated openly, or hidden inside a vague “polysaccharides” figure that is often mostly starch? And is there an independent certificate of analysis, or nothing at all? Shumi answers all four in the open, and we would encourage you to hold any brand to the same standard.
Why 22% ethanol rather than an alcohol-free extract?
Ethanol is what genuinely draws out the alcohol-soluble triterpenes that define Reishi and Chaga. Glycerin-based “alcohol-free” extracts skip these compounds almost entirely. We chose what works over what merely reads well on a label. The amount per dose remains small, roughly the alcohol in a ripe banana.