10:1 Extract
A highly concentrated extract where approximately 10 kg of raw Black Fungus is reduced to 1 kg of extract. This offers higher levels of key active compounds at a lower dose than standard dried powder.
Fungal name: Auricularia auricula-judae (syn. Auricularia heimuer) / Auricularia polytricha (wood ear / black ear mushrooms)
Family name: Auriculariaceae (Wood ear family)
Other names: Black fungus, Wood ear, Tree ear, Jew’s ear, Black ear mushroom
Origin: Widely distributed across Asia, Europe, and North America; traditionally cultivated on hardwoods
Parts used: Fruiting body and/or mycelium
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Short Description
Black Fungus (Auricularia species) is a gelatinous, mineral-rich medicinal mushroom traditionally used to support circulation, digestion, and longevity. Modern research highlights its polysaccharides and polyphenols for cardiometabolic support (lipids and blood sugar), gut microbiome balance, antioxidant protection, and gentle blood flow support. It acts as a slow, steady restorative rather than a stimulant, making it ideal for daily wellness and long-term metabolic resilience.
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Body Systems Affected
• Cardiovascular/circulatory system – Supports healthy blood flow, lipid balance, and vascular resilience
• Digestive system (gut lining & microbiome) – Promotes bowel regularity and gut-barrier comfort
• Endocrine/metabolic system – Helps regulate post-meal glucose and overall metabolic tone
• Immune system – β-glucans modulate immune signalling and inflammatory balance
• Liver/detox pathways – Experimental evidence supports liver-fat and oxidative protection
• Whole-body antioxidant defence – Polysaccharides, melanin, and phenolics protect tissues from oxidative stress
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Summary of Health Benefits
Black Fungus is best known as a circulatory and metabolic tonic. Traditional use and a growing body of research indicate support for healthier cholesterol and triglyceride levels, improved vascular tone, and protection against diet-driven lipid overload. These effects are linked to Auricularia polysaccharides that bind bile acids in the gut, reduce lipid absorption, and support balanced lipid metabolism in the liver. Human food-based studies also suggest benefits for post-prandial blood sugar control, showing a gentler glucose rise after meals containing Auricularia (wood ear). This aligns with preclinical findings that its polysaccharides modulate glucose-handling enzymes and enhance markers of insulin sensitivity. A second key area is gut health and regularity. In an 8-week randomised trial using functional foods containing A. auricula-judae powder, middle-aged and older adults showed meaningful improvements in intestinal health and constipation-related symptoms. Better bowel function and gut-barrier comfort often translate into broader improvements in immunity, skin clarity, and systemic inflammation. Overall, Black Fungus functions as a slow, nourishing ally for longevity—supporting circulation, digestion, cardiometabolic balance, and antioxidant resilience over time.
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Traditional & Historical Uses
In the kitchens and apothecaries of East Asia, Black Fungus was never only a food. Its dark, ear-shaped folds were simmered into soups for elders with stiff joints, “thick blood,” or sluggish digestion, and served to those recovering from illness to help restore strength without heaviness. Herbal physicians observed that it softened dryness, moved stagnation, and brought quiet steadiness to the body, so they prescribed it for constipation, poor circulation, and fatigue arising from rich diets or long winters. Over generations, it earned a reputation as a humble longevity companion—one that kept the blood flowing smoothly, the bowels regular, and the body resilient, while asking only for patience and consistent use.
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Benefits Breakdown
★★★★★ High-Quality Human Clinical Evidence
• Gut regularity/constipation patterns
How it helps: Improves bowel regularity and intestinal comfort in middle-aged and older adults when taken daily for several weeks.
How it works: Auricularia polysaccharides increase fermentable-fibre effects, support beneficial gut flora, and enhance mucosal resilience, leading to smoother motility and reduced irritation.
https://e-cnr.org/DOIx.php?id=10.7762/cnr.2025.14.1.7
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★★★★ Emerging Human Clinical Evidence
• Post-meal blood-sugar moderation
How it helps: Helps blunt the post-prandial glucose rise after carbohydrate-rich meals in small human food-based studies.
How it works: Polysaccharides slow glucose absorption and improve peripheral glucose handling through enzyme and signalling modulation.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/24/12671
• Cardiometabolic support (lipids)
How it helps: Emerging evidence suggests support for healthier cholesterol and triglyceride patterns, especially alongside dietary change.
How it works: Auricularia polysaccharides bind bile acids and dietary lipids in the gut, reducing absorption and supporting liver lipid metabolism.
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/6/1903
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★★★ Preclinical & Experimental Evidence
• Liver protection / fatty-liver patterns
How it helps: Reduces hepatic fat accumulation and oxidative damage in diet-induced fatty liver models.
How it works: Polysaccharide-peptides improve antioxidant enzymes and regulate lipid-handling pathways in the liver.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49925-0
• Immune modulation & anti-inflammatory balance
How it helps: Supports more balanced immune signalling and reduces chronic inflammatory markers in models.
How it works: β-glucans interact with innate immune receptors to normalise cytokine output.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9455240/
• Blood-flow support / anti-platelet-adjacent effects
How it helps: Experimental studies show reduced platelet aggregation and improved blood rheology.
How it works: Acidic polysaccharides influence coagulation pathways and platelet activation in vitro/animal work.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c05934
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★★★ Traditional & Nutritional Evidence
• “Blood-moving” longevity tonic
How it helps: Traditionally used to keep circulation smooth, support recovery, and maintain vitality with age.
How it works: Gentle fibre-polysaccharide nourishment supports vessels, digestion, and long-term resilience.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224421003915
• Digestive softener & bowel lubricant
How it helps: Used for constipation, dryness, and food-stagnation patterns, especially with rich diets.
How it works: Mucilaginous polysaccharides and soluble fibre increase stool moisture and support microbiome fermentation.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9861292/
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Skin & Topical Care
Therapeutic
• Inflammatory, gut-linked skin patterns (indirect support)
How it helps: By improving gut integrity, bowel regularity, and systemic inflammation, Black Fungus can indirectly support clearer, calmer skin over time, mainly where flare-ups track with digestion or metabolic stress.
How it works: Polysaccharides reduce oxidative and inflammatory load and stabilise immune signalling, which supports healthier dermal repair.
Personal Care/Anti-Ageing
• Skin nourishment & elasticity from within
How it helps: Long-term antioxidant protection and better microcirculation may support firmer tone, healthier hydration, and reduced dullness.
How it works: Phenolics, melanin, and polysaccharides protect collagen structures and reduce inflammation-driven ageing signals.
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Research & Modern Findings
Gut Regularity / Constipation Support
How it helps: Improves intestinal status and constipation-related symptoms after consistent daily intake.
How it works: Enhances fermentable fibre effects, supports beneficial gut flora, and soothes mucosal irritation.
https://e-cnr.org/DOIx.php?id=10.7762/cnr.2025.14.1.7
Post-Prandial Glycemic Control
How it helps: Lowers the rise of blood glucose after meals containing Auricularia in human food trials.
How it works: Polysaccharides slow carbohydrate absorption and improve glucose-metabolism signalling.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/24/12671
Lipid / Cholesterol Balance (Mechanistic + Human-Aligned)
How it helps: Supports healthier lipid profiles in the serum and reduces the risk of diet-driven lipid overload.
How it works: Binds bile acids/lipids in the gut and supports liver lipid handling, lowering absorption and improving clearance.
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/6/1903
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c05934
Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory Activity (General)
How it helps: Protects cells and vessels from oxidative stress, supporting long-term metabolic and immune resilience.
How it works: Phenolics, melanin, and polysaccharides neutralise free radicals and down-regulate inflammatory mediators.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221345302200009X
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Emotional, Mental & Spiritual Influences
• Emotional: Encourages steadiness and ease where heaviness or stagnation fuels irritability or lethargy.
• Mental: Supports grounded clarity through improved circulation and metabolic balance.
• Spiritual: Symbolic of patience and longevity—quiet strength built through consistency.
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Properties
• Cardiometabolic tonic – Supports healthy lipids and circulation.
• Prebiotic-adjacent – Feeds beneficial gut microbes and improves regularity.
• Immunomodulating – Balances immune signalling and inflammatory tone.
• Anti-inflammatory – Helps calm chronic low-grade inflammation.
• Antioxidant – Protects tissues from oxidative damage.
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Actions
• Supports blood-flow resilience – Helps maintain smooth circulation and vessel comfort.
• Promotes lipid balance – Aids healthy cholesterol/triglyceride handling.
• Improves glucose handling – Supports steadier post-meal blood sugar.
• Strengthens gut barrier – Enhances mucosal integrity and bowel regularity.
• Balances immune responses – Normalises cytokine signalling and defence.
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Active Constituents
• Acidic β-glucan polysaccharides – Primary cardiometabolic, gut, and immune actives.
• Polysaccharide-peptides – Liver-protective and antioxidant roles.
• Phenolics & melanin – Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory support.
• Mineral-rich matrix – Supports blood and connective-tissue nourishment.
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Nutritional Profile
• B-vitamins and vitamin-D precursors (ergosterol)
• Rich in minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and trace selenium/zinc
• Moderate protein and essential amino acids
• High soluble fibre and β-glucans for microbiome and metabolic support
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Herbs/Mushrooms It Pairs With
• Reishi – Stress resilience + immune-circulation synergy.
• Turkey Tail / Maitake – β-glucan partners for gut-immune axis strength.
• Cordyceps – Energy and oxygenation to complement circulation.
• Hawthorn / Garlic / Berberine herbs – Traditional cardiometabolic combinations.
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How to Use
Take with water, preferably with food:
• Daily wellness: 1 capsule once daily with breakfast
• Ongoing support: 1 capsule twice daily (morning & late afternoon)
• Intensive support: 2 capsules twice daily for 6–12 weeks, then reduce to Ongoing support
Do not exceed the recommended dose unless advised by a healthcare professional.
Tips for best results
For best results, take Black Fungus consistently every day, as its effects build gradually through improved gut ecology, circulation, and metabolic regulation. Pairing it with a fibre-rich, lower-sugar diet enhances its lipid- and glucose-lowering benefits. Because it supports blood flow, long-term use is usually more meaningful than brief “bursts.” Adequate hydration and consistent meal timing further improve bowel regularity outcomes.
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Contra-Indications & Cautions
Black Fungus is generally well tolerated, though mild bloating or loosened stool may occur initially as gut flora adapts. Avoid use if allergic to mushrooms. Because Auricularia species have antiplatelet/anticoagulant-adjacent activity in experimental studies, people using blood-thinning medication, those with bleeding disorders, or anyone preparing for surgery should use them only under professional guidance. There is insufficient safety data on concentrated extracts during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and in young children. Individuals on diabetes or blood-pressure medication should monitor for changes and consult a healthcare practitioner before sustained use.
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Disclaimer
This product is a natural mushroom-based health supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided is educational and reflects traditional and holistic use. Under the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965, this product may be classified as a complementary medicine/health supplement and has not been evaluated by SAHPRA for quality, safety, or intended use. Consult a healthcare practitioner before use, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children. Store in a cool, dry place.
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Cultivation Snapshot
• Thrives in humid temperate to subtropical climates.
• Cultivated on hardwood logs or sterilised sawdust substrates (oak, beech, maple).
• Requires high humidity and fresh air exchange for proper ear-like formation.
• Harvest when fruiting bodies are fully expanded but still elastic.
• Highly sustainable cultivated crop; wild harvesting should be limited to protect forest ecosystems.
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