The cap and stem that you pick and identify as ‘a mushroom’ is just the fruiting body which contains all the nutritional value and active ingredients. On the other hand, the mycelium represents the vegetative part of the fungi which contains simple starches and gluten. Think of it like this: a mushroom is akin to an apple and mycelium is akin to an apple tree. Vital Mushrooms is made from extracts of fruiting bodies only, that’s why the product is of a higher quality, offering a concentrated form of glyconutrients and other constituents. It’s worth mentioning that for centuries our ancestors have exclusively used mushroom fruit bodies on their journey of wellbeing.