Whole Oats vs. Brown Rice as Organic Substrates for Medicinal Mushrooms Many producers of medicinal mushroom mycelial biomass products use brown rice as the substrate. Brown rice with the outer seed hull removed contains mainly starch and other carbohydrates. Mushroom mycelium does not have to “work” very hard to digest this food source and thus may not produce its usual, full “arsenal” of digestive enzymes nor activate all of the metabolic pathways that are required to digest more complex nutrient sources with compounds more resistant to digestion such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Additionally, removal of the outer protective hull covering the rice makes the grain much more subject to oxidation and rancidity. We use 100% Organic Whole Oats with the husk intact. The hull not only protects the grain and inhibits oxidation and rancidity, but also presents the mushroom mycelium with a digestive “challenge” before it can access the more nutritious and easily digested grain. Most medicinal mushroom are wood-decaying species, thus the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in the husk are compounds the mushroom mycelium is well-adapted to utilizing as a food source via powerful, extracellular digestive enzymes. Many health-promoting benefits have been attributed to extracellular mycelial enzymes. Oats are recognized as being a health food with a beta glucan content that has been reported to be useful in cholesterol management and immune system support. Oat beta glucans have different chemical structures and linkages than the beta glucans in mushrooms and thus have different healthpromoting functionalities. Oats are also good sources of silica and silicic acid that have been shown to have significant health promoting properties and that may be deficient in diets comprised of processed foods. Oat grain does not contain gluten and thus is acceptable in most gluten-free diets. Currently, oats have not yet been Genetically Engineered so GMO contamination is not an issue. Additionally, oats are in many ways a very “green” crop. They are a very deep-rooted crop that does not generally require irrigation in the regions where it is cultivated. Oats produce such a dense plant canopy that weeds are generally out-competed and smothered thus eliminating the need for herbicides. Oats have a higher total nutrient value, higher protein content and higher dietary fiber content than brown rice. - SF Rating of the twelve most common grains according to the following nutrients: protein, fiber, iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin E, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and calcium. If you assign one point for each of these nutrients, the ratings come out as follows: Total Nutrient Points Fiber Content Protein (grams per serving) (grams per serving) (highest to lowest) 1. Amaranth 1. Barley 1. Amaranth 2. Rye 2. Amaranth 2. Oats 3. Oats 3. Whole wheat 3. Rye 4. Wild rice 4. Rye 4. Wild rice 5. Millet 5. Buckwheat 5. Millet 6. Barley 6. Millet 6. Quinoa 7. Quinoa 7. Oats 7. Barley 8. Buckwheat 8. Wild Rice 8. Whole wheat 9. Whole wheat 9. Quinoa 9. Buckwheat 10. Brown rice 10. Corn 10. Corn 11. White rice 11. Brown Rice 11. Brown Rice 12. Corn 12. White Rice 12. White Rice
Source: AskDrSears.com