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FAQ
 Agaricus blazel Murrill Agaricus Power  
 
Q: Why are mushrooms so important?
    A: Mushrooms play a very important role in nature. They are vital in the recycling of life by providing essential substances for other plants. They have been used for thousands of years worldwide for both their nutritional and medicinal values. They are considered to be a higher plant also know as Third Kingdom. There are over 1.5 million species of mushrooms, however not all are considered medicinal. Many clinically important drugs have been directly or indirectly derived from mushrooms, i.e. Antibiotics, Penicillin, steroids and hormones, pain medications, among others.
 
 
Q: What is the difference between Agaricus and other medicinal mushrooms ?
    A: Research shows that compared to other medicinal mushrooms, ABM contain the highest concentration of Beta-D-Glucan and are rich in, Ergosterol, Linoleic Acid, Palmitorenic Acid and Vitamins B6 and B12. They are the strongest of all medicinal mushrooms.
 
 
Q: Does it matter how they are grown?
    A: Yes it does. Since mushrooms absorb everything from the soil, mushrooms grown using contaminated water or soil will absorb these impurities and will also be contaminated. This is why mushrooms grown organically under strict quality controls are extremely important. Mushrooms grown in soil or water contaminated with heavy metals for example may have serious health implications for those who consume them. In many industrialized countries soil contamination can be a problem.
 
 
Q: What types of grades of ABM are available?
 
 
 A: There are basically 3 grades of ABM mushrooms available: silver, gold and ultra gold. The lower the grade the lower the amount of polysaccharides they will contain. The higher the grade the more effective they will be. Climatic conditions play a critical role in the final product. Brazilian mushrooms are usually graded gold or ultra gold while mushrooms grown outside of Brazil are usually graded silver. Since ABM only grows under very special conditions, attempts to achieve constant yields in laboratories proved unsuccessful until the 1990's. It took the Japanese over 30 years to be able to grow the ABM artificially.
 
 
Q: Are your agaricus blazei Murrill mushrooms from Brazil?
    A: Yes, our mushrooms are grown organically in Brazil on a farm adjacent to the environmentally protected Atlantic Rain Forest. We cultivate our own mushrooms. We are not a co-op of growers as is common in Brazil. Quality control can be more difficult if you have many different growers and qualities mixed together.
 
 
Q: What is ANVISA?
    A: ANVISA (National Health Surveillance Agency) was established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health in 1998 to regulate and enforce Good Manufacturing Practices according to the World Health Organization and Mercosul guidelines. ANVISA regulates the installation of equipment, technologies, environment and the manufacturing procedures for medical devices and equipment, pharmaceuticals, food and supplements, cosmetics and tobacco. Products must be registered with ANVISA prior to sale in Brazil. ANVISA also supervises and inspects the above-mentioned products prior to exportation to other countries. ANVISA requires that all products from foreign countries have a representative in Brazil, similar to the regulations established in 2002 by the FDA in the U.S. For more information on ANVISA please visit: http://www.anvisa.gov.br/eng/index.htm
 
 
Q: Are Desert Forest Nutritionals Products tested?
    A: Yes, We test EVERY single lot. Third party internationally recognized laboratories test our products. A permanent technical team specializing in edible mushroom cultivation supervises the entire cultivation process from the production of the mycelium to the final packaged product. The entire cultivation process is also inspected by ANVISA as well as inspected again before being exported from Brazil. The FDA upon arrival also inspects our products. Our company is registered with the FDA and is in compliance with the new regulations for Food Importation Bioterrorism Act of 2002.
 
 
Q: Is your product FDA approved?
    A: The FDA regulates medical drugs. Food products do not need FDA approval. Our product is a whole food product.
 
 
Q: Who is the largest consumer of ABM mushrooms?
    A: The Japanese market is still the largest consumer of ABM mushrooms, importing 90% of the available ABM grown in Brazil. Why is that? Brazilian ABM have a reputation for being of the best quality in the world. The bottom line is that you can copy technology but you can't copy the natural resources, especially the soil and climatic conditions. Also, the Brazilian AbM have shown to have higher levels of polysaccharides, which make them more effective.
 
 
Q: How does one tell the difference between Agaricus blazei Murrill grown in Brazil and in other countries?
    A: Price. Mushrooms from Brazil are usually of a higher grade and quality and thus more expensive while ABM from other markets, especially Southeast Asia, are usually very inexpensive. This is also true with lower grade mushrooms grown in Brazil. Japan, which in the past purchased mushrooms from Southeast Asia, is currently purchasing about 90% of the mushrooms cultivated in Brazil because of its international reputation for quality and safety. This has prompted the Southeast Asian producers to seek alternate markets. Presently the U.S., Canadian and European markets are experiencing an influx of AbM mushrooms grown in southeast Asia. The true AbM mushroom product should state "Product of Brazil" on the label. Our mushrooms ARE 100% authentic Brazilian.
 
 
Q: What to look for before you buy Agaricus?
    A: ABM mushrooms from reputable companies with strict quality controls, which test each lot for vitamin and nutritional values, heavy metals, purity and toxins. The mushrooms are more expensive but you can be assured that they are not contaminated with heavy metals or other contaminants. Ask for a copy of their certificate of analysis. It is the best way to see if they are really tested and reputable.
 
 
Q: Is your product standardized?
    A: No, our product is a whole food product, which means it maintains all of its original nutritional composition. When you standardize a product you extract only one ingredient or constituent but you lose all of its nutritional value in the process. The ABM mushroom has 192 nutrients, including anti-oxidants, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, dietary fibers, Heteroglucans, SOD, Triterpenes, natural sterols and Saponins. AbM mushrooms contain the highest levels of beta-D-glucan and Ergosterol. Studies show that both of these nutrients together make ABM so effective.
 
 
Q: How much Beta-D-Glucan does ABM contain?
    A: It depends on the quality and grade of the mushroom. Most ABM mushrooms grown outside of Brazil range from 3 to 4 %. It is important to note that it took the Japanese around 30 years, after considerable investments, to be able to market and cultivate the ABM mushroom artificially, something which grows naturally in Brazil. This is mainly due to the harsh climatic conditions. In its natural environment, the ABM mushroom can contain up to 7% on average. The Japanese have the highest Beta-D-Glucan requirements of at least 4.8%. Ultra Gold quality ranges above these levels. Companies selling ABM mushrooms claiming to contain 45% or more beta-D-Glucan are selling a standardized product, where Beta-D-Glucan has been added because 45% in nature does not exist. The beta-D-glucan levels are tested using a special method of analysis, which is expensive.