No Products in the Cart
Anyone who takes an interest in natural products and food supplements will sooner or later come across labels such as 10:1, 20:1 or 4:1 extract. But what does that actually mean?
With plant and mushroom products in particular, these figures are not always easy to understand at first glance. That is why we are regularly asked how to interpret them correctly.
At HANOJU, too, you will find products where extracts and their concentration ratios play a role. The topic is especially interesting for our mushroom products, because powders and extracts are not the same thing.
So let us explain, in simple terms, what lies behind these figures.
The notation 10:1 basically describes the ratio between the starting material and the extract obtained from it.
Put simply, a 10:1 extract means that a larger quantity of starting material was processed to make the extract than ends up as extract in the end.
A simple example:
From 10 kg of starting material, roughly speaking, 1 kg of extract can be obtained.
With a 20:1 ratio, the ratio would be correspondingly higher.
The important point, however, is this: the figure does not automatically describe the quality of a product.
This is exactly where a common misunderstanding arises.
If a product says 10:1, you should not simply conclude that it is ten times better or ten times stronger than a regular powder.
The extraction ratio first of all describes the relationship between starting material and extract.
What the product actually contains afterwards depends, among other things, on the starting material and the manufacturing process.
That is why we never look at a single number alone when assessing an extract.
This is particularly easy to explain using mushrooms as an example.
A mushroom powder is essentially made by processing and grinding the starting material.
With an extract, on the other hand, a suitable process is used to obtain certain components from the starting material and provide them in a more concentrated form in the end product.
This is why, for example, 1000 mg of mushroom powder and 1000 mg of mushroom extract cannot simply be treated as equivalent.
The weight alone does not tell you everything about the product.
Extracts make it possible to process certain components of a natural raw material in a more targeted way.
Which components are the focus depends on the raw material and the extraction process used.
In mushrooms, for example, polysaccharides play an important role. Depending on the product, corresponding analytical values may therefore be stated.
At HANOJU, for instance, you will find mushroom extracts from reishi, cordyceps, chaga, hericium and other species.
What matters is always the individual product description, not just the name of the mushroom.
The principle is the same as with 10:1.
A 20:1 extract stands for a ratio of 20 parts starting material to one part extract.
Here, too, the number should not be viewed in isolation.
A higher ratio is not automatically a mark of quality. Much more important is being able to understand what was processed, how it was extracted and which constituents were subsequently analysed in the product.
That is exactly why we consider transparent product information so important.
Not every raw material can be usefully extracted in the same way.
Depending on the plant material or mushroom, different processes may be used.
For many mushroom products, hot water extraction plays an important role, for example, because certain water-soluble components can be obtained this way.
Other constituents, in turn, require other processes.
This is why a figure such as 10:1 on its own does not tell you how an extract was made.
If you want to compare products, it is therefore worth looking at the information on the manufacturing process as well.
For some of our mushroom products, you will also find information on the content of certain components.
Polysaccharides are one example.
For a HANOJU cordyceps product, for instance, the polysaccharide content is stated alongside the amount of extract.
We find this kind of information far more helpful than simply advertising with terms like "highly concentrated" or "extra strong".
After all, concrete figures allow for a better comparison.
Let us take two products:
Product A is labelled with a 10:1 ratio.
Product B is labelled with a 20:1 ratio.
At first glance, product B might seem more appealing.
But this alone does not allow any meaningful statement about quality.
Among other things, you would need to know:
Which raw material was used?
Which part of the plant or mushroom was processed?
Which extraction process was used?
Which constituents were analysed?
How much of the finished extract is actually contained?
Which other ingredients does the product contain?
Only with this information can a product be properly assessed.
With functional mushrooms in particular, it pays to take a close look at the product description.
A mushroom product may, for example, be offered as a powder or as an extract.
The starting materials used can also differ.
If you are interested in reishi, hericium, chaga, maitake or cordyceps, you should therefore not only look at the type of mushroom.
The form of the product and the information on processing are just as much part of the comparison.
This is also one of the reasons why we at HANOJU try to state our product information as concretely as possible.
No.
We want to say that very clearly.
A higher ratio is first and foremost information about the processing. It is not a general seal of quality.
A meaningful comparison should take several factors into account.
These include the raw material, manufacturing process, analytical values, purity and the actual composition of the finished product.
With natural products in particular, we believe it is better to look at verifiable information rather than being guided solely by the biggest possible number on the label.
In short:
10:1 means that ten parts of starting material correspond to one part of extract.
The figure thus describes the concentration, or the ratio of starting material to extract.
However, it does not automatically mean:
that a product is ten times more effective,
that it is ten times better,
that it is more suitable for everyone,
or that a 20:1 product is fundamentally better than a 10:1 product.
Assessing a natural product requires more information.
When comparing two extracts, whether at HANOJU or anywhere else online, it is best not to look only at the big number on the packaging.
Take a moment to read the product description and check:
1. What is the starting material?
For example, a particular mushroom, plant or root.
2. What form is it in?
Powder or extract makes a difference.
3. How was it extracted?
The manufacturing process can be relevant to the composition.
4. Are there concrete analytical values?
Specific information is more helpful than pure advertising claims.
5. What does the ingredients list actually say?
This shows how the product is composed.
This makes it much easier to judge what you are actually buying.
Natural products are diverse – and that is exactly why they should not all be lumped together.
A mushroom extract is something different from a plant powder. A food is something different from a food supplement.
We think it is important that customers have the opportunity to form their own opinion based on the product information.
With extracts in particular, it pays to take a close look at composition and processing.
If you know what figures like 10:1 or 20:1 mean, you can interpret product descriptions much better and compare different products with each other.
And that is exactly what this topic is about for us: it is not the biggest number on the packaging that counts, but what actually lies behind it.
