As a Registered Dietitian, I’m pretty picky about what I put into my body—and supplements are certainly no exception. I’m always looking for high-quality, transparent, and evidence-backed supplements to support my health—and Brain Wave Superfood Mushroom Gummies fit the bill. 

But it’s not just about the superior ingredients—it’s also important to look at how functional mushrooms are grown and where they’re sourced from. All mushroom supplements are not created equal—let’s take a closer look at how Brain Wave beats out the rest. 

The Facts on Functional Fungi

First things first: why would someone take functional or medicinal mushrooms, anyway? (And before you ask, no, we’re not talking psychedelics here—although the benefits of these mushrooms are pretty mind-blowing on their own). Functional mushrooms have unique compounds that have been shown to impart health benefits above and beyond those found in regular mushrooms that you might find at the grocery store. With culinary and medicinal uses dating back thousands of years to Indigenous and East Asian cultures, functional mushrooms are finally getting their rightful place in the modern-day spotlight. 

As a Registered Dietitian, I’d recommend functional mushrooms for anyone looking to support their brain health and memory (both today and in the long run), energy and athletic performance, stress management, immune function, and overall cellular health and function.

Briefly, here’s what each of the six medicinal mushrooms in Brain Wave Superfood Gummies is best known for: 

• Lion’s Mane: A top-tier mushroom for supporting cognitive function, neuron health, memory, and focus. 

• Reishi: She’s known as the “Queen of Mushrooms,” so you know she’s beneficial! Reishi is thought to support stress management and physical and mental well-being.

• Turkey Tail: This mushroom resembling a colorful turkey’s tail benefits gut health and immune function and has potent anti-tumor activity. 

• Cordyceps: We love cordyceps mushrooms to boost exercise performance, athletic abilities, and cellular energy. 

• Chaga: He’s the “King of Mushrooms,” offering benefits to immune system health, cognitive function, and anti-tumor activity. 

• Maitake: Maitake mushrooms are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and potential management of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. 

  
  

The Basics and Benefits of Brain Wave, From an R.D. 

If you’re well-versed in the wellness world, you’ve undoubtedly come across chaga, lion’s mane, or other functional mushrooms in coffees, teas, energy drinks, powders, and more. So, what makes Brain Wave gummies a step above the rest (Other than their exceptional taste, that is)? Two specific areas stand out to me: the mushroom sourcing and their substrate. Let’s get into why these are so important. 

Single Farm Sourcing Is Superior 

Brain Wave uniquely sources all of their functional mushrooms—yep, all six—from one single organic and regenerative farm in the United States. This is essential for quality control. While many other brands source their multi-mushroom products from all over the globe, Brain Wave keeps it to one farm, making quality assurance and product control processes simple, efficient, and under one roof. As you can imagine, if the six mushrooms were coming from across the world, some things might slip through the cracks. Rather, Brain Wave puts all of their efforts into overseeing every step of the process from a single source and ensuring that the highest standards of quality and purity are achieved. This organic and regenerative farm emphasizes sustainability and environmentally friendly practices. Plus, all products are tested in a third-party lab, which is vital to verifying the purity and potency of any supplement. 

Superfood Substrates Boost Nutrient Levels

Now, let’s talk substrates. Also known as the medium on which the mushrooms are grown, substrates are essential to impart additional nutrients to the mushrooms. Many other mushroom companies grow their products using oats, rice, or even sawdust, which don’t provide high amounts of nutrients (or none at all, in the case of sawdust). Brain Wave supercharges their mushrooms' nutrient and antioxidant profiles by growing them on a superfood mix of Peruvian purple corn, chia seeds, quinoa, cumin, canuhua (an Andean grain similar to quinoa), and flax seed.

Compared to traditional substrates, this supercharged nutrient substrate increases the mushrooms' nutritional and medicinal value and preserves important compounds like polysaccharides, micronutrients, and bioactive molecules. For example, Peruvian purple corn contains anthocyanins—a type of powerful antioxidant found in purple and blue-colored plants like blueberries and blackberries—that are imparted to the mushrooms. 

I love the meticulous care that Brain Wave has placed into their substrate optimization, mushroom incubation, and cultivation process. One area that really stands out is their proprietary harvesting and drying method that preserves fragile compounds. 

Brain Wave uses optimal temperatures and airflow to prevent polysaccharide burning, which is a common occurrence in facilities that use too-high temperatures to speed up the process. As polysaccharides like beta-glucan and PSK are some of the most health-promoting compounds found in functional mushrooms, burning them would significantly reduce the mushroom's benefits. As anyone who has ever gardened or grown anything knows, you can’t rush nature. And Brain Wave is keeping their mushroom growing processes as close to nature as possible, leading to maximum nutrient concentrations, low microbial contamination risk, and reduced energy expenditure.

The Nitty-Gritty: Ingredients, Dosage, and What To Expect 

Last but certainly not least, the ingredients and dosing of any supplement—gummy or otherwise—are critical. 

Many gummies use large amounts of sugar, artificial sweeteners, or artificial food dyes, which I wouldn’t recommend in my practice. Most also use gelatin, which is not appropriate for vegans or vegetarians. 

Each 2-gummy serving of Brain Wave contains:

• 15 calories

• 4 grams of carbohydrates

• 4 grams of added organic cane sugar 

• 400 milligrams of fermented mushroom powder (a blend of the six functional mushrooms)

  
  

Brain Wave uses organic sugar and organic tapioca syrup as sweeteners, which I prefer over artificial sweeteners. They also contain natural coloring from sweet potato and carrot and use pectin instead of gelatin, so vegans and carnivores alike can enjoy them. 

When it comes to expectations, you may wonder what exactly you’ll feel when taking Brain Wave and how much to take. While the serving size is 2 gummies, you can take 3 to 4 for heightened performance. Conversely, some people are more sensitive and prefer to take just 1 gummy at a time.

Oh, and did I mention they are absolutely delicious? Trust me, you won’t want to stop at just one! While some customers may not acutely feel a major difference right away, as many of the mushrooms work on a deeper cellular level, plenty of folks do experience an acute boost in mental clarity or focus upon their first dose. As with all supplements, everyone reacts differently, so start with just one if you’re unsure and move up from there.

The Bottom Line

As a Registered Dietitian, I spend my days talking about food, nutrition, and supplements and how people can use them to optimize their health and well-being. I don’t recommend supplements lightly, but Brain Wave Superfood Mushroom Gummies have proven themselves as an up-and-coming leader in the functional mushroom gummy space. With their exceptional ingredients, single-farm organic sourcing, superfood-grown substrate, meticulous cultivation practices, and proprietary drying processes that preserve nutrients, I couldn’t dream up a better-tasting or better-for-you functional mushroom gummy. 

By: Cambria Glosz, MS, RD 

Cambria is a Registered Dietitian with over 10 years of experience in the nutrition and wellness world. She regularly contributes to online health and wellness publications and specializes in gut health and functional nutrition.

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