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Real Mushrooms Organic Cordyceps-M Extract Capsules

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Real Mushrooms Organic Cordyceps-M Extract Capsules

A Cordyceps militaris extract with a short label, an NSF Certified for Sport listing and an SGS Canada report on the capsules (beta-glucan 17.2%, metals low, no pathogens). It gives no cordycepin figure, and the exercise trials were small.

Best for Active people who want the cordyceps species our page points to, from a maker that posts lab reports, and who do not need a cordycepin figure.

Our rating
Good (3.9 of 5)
Price range
Mid-range
Verified marks
NSF Certified for Sport (capsule, 120 count, lot 012026228), Purity-IQ Certified Authentic (Cordyceps militaris; identity by NMR)
Size
120 capsules, 2 capsules (1,000 mg) a serving (300 capsules is approx. $70)
Made in
Extract of organically cultivated Cordyceps militaris; the maker says its extracts come from organic growers in China. Distributed from Calgary, Canada

approx. $35 for 120 capsules (60 servings)

See it on Real Mushrooms’s site → (opens in a new tab)

We are not affiliated with Real Mushrooms. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.

Also sold at Vitacost ($35 for 120 capsules), Amazon ($35 for 120 capsules), Walmart ($38 for 120 capsules) .

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    Reviews are personal experiences, not research, and they never change our quality ratings. Every review is read by our team before it appears.

    How we evaluated it

    How it scores Our rating, metric by metric Good, 3.9 of 5
    1. What is in it 25% of the rating 4 of 5

      One extract in a vegetable capsule with two flow agents (microcrystalline cellulose and silicon dioxide). Beta-glucan is stated; cordycepin is not.

    2. Independent testing 35% of the rating 4 of 5

      NSF Certified for Sport plus published SGS reports for the capsules and the powder, with beta-glucan, metals and microbes. All are paid for by the maker, and there is no starch or cordycepin result.

    3. Evidence 15% of the rating 3 of 5

      Cordyceps militaris is the species our page prefers, and its exercise trials are double-blind but small. The label dose, 1 g of extract, is at the low end of the 1 to 4 g a day our page gives, and the one C. militaris trial used 4 g.

    4. Trust 10% of the rating 4 of 5

      No recall, FDA warning letter or Prop 65 notice. It pays affiliates 15% and its supplier was founded by a co-founder’s father.

    5. Value 15% of the rating 4 of 5

      About $0.58 a gram of extract ($0.47 in the 300-capsule bottle), the cheapest extract here along with the lion’s mane.

    The rating, 3.9 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank mushroom supplements and our standard.

    Where to buy Stores and the prices we saw 3 stores
    • Vitacost (opens in a new tab) approx. $35 for 120 capsules. Vitacost says it sources directly from brands or authorized distributors, with no third-party resellers. Same price as Real Mushrooms’ own site.
    • Amazon (opens in a new tab) approx. $35 for 120 capsules. The one-time offer is sold by FRONT ROW, a New York company, and shipped by Amazon; Real Mushrooms Inc. also sells on the listing. Listed as “Cordyceps Mushroom Extract with Beta Glucans, 120 ct”, with 8% beta-glucan, as on the Cordyceps-M label.
    • Walmart (opens in a new tab) approx. $38 for 120 capsules. Sold by iHerb through Walmart’s marketplace, at a higher price than the maker’s.

    Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

    What’s in it Every ingredient, in label order 4 ingredients
    1. Organic cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris) mushroom extract, 1,000 mg (beta-(1,3)(1,6)-glucans 80 mg)
    2. Hypromellose (vegetable capsule)
    3. Microcrystalline cellulose (flow agent)
    4. Silicon dioxide
    Who tested it What each test found, and who paid for it 4 tests
    • Paid certification NSF (Certified for Sport) 2026

      Listed as Cordyceps-M (US): capsule, package size 120, two capsules a serving, lot 012026228. NSF says the program verifies the label, safe contaminant levels and the absence of banned substances, and audits the plant. The maker’s own note says the mark applies only to the 120-count capsules, which matches the listing. The listing shows no results. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Maker’s own test SGS Canada (ordered and posted by Real Mushrooms), capsules April 2026

      Report VR26-01821.003 for RM-CM150C, the 300-count capsules (received 24 March 2026, completed 16 April 2026): beta-D-glucan 17.2% (Megazyme K-YBGL); arsenic 0.05, cadmium 0.13, mercury below 0.05 and lead 0.06 ppm; total aerobic count 100 CFU/g; E. coli, Salmonella and S. aureus absent in 10 g; yeast and mold below 20 CFU/g. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Maker’s own test SGS Canada (ordered and posted by Real Mushrooms), powder May 2026

      Report VR26-02726.001 for the 60 g powder pouch (completed 27 May 2026): beta-glucan about 11.7% (the digits are partly overprinted by the table header); arsenic below 0.05, cadmium below 0.01, mercury below 0.05 and lead 0.04 ppm; total aerobic count 800 CFU/g; no E. coli, Salmonella or S. aureus in 10 g. It is a different format from the capsules. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Paid certification Purity-IQ (NMR authentication) 2026

      Lists Cordyceps-M as authenticated Cordyceps militaris by NMR. It checks the species, not purity or potency. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    Who paid, and why it matters
    • Independent The tester took no money from the maker for it: a consumer group, a journalist, a university or a regulator.
    • Paid certification An outside lab or certifier tested or listed it, and the maker paid for that.
    • Maker’s own test A lab report or certificate of analysis the maker commissioned and published.

    A certification is a floor, not a verdict: it checks what its program checks and nothing else. We weigh tests by someone with no stake in the result most.

    What people ask Worries raised online and elsewhere, and what we found 4 questions
    The label says 8% beta-glucan but the lab found 17.2%. Which is right?
    The label gives 80 mg of beta-glucan in each 1,000 mg serving (8%). SGS measured 17.2% in one sample of the capsules and about 11.7% in the powder. More than the label is not a failure, but it shows the label figure is not tightly tied to the measurement, and we do not know why. Real Mushrooms does not say.
    Where is the cordycepin?
    Our cordyceps page names cordycepin and adenosine as the compounds of interest. This product reports neither, so beta-glucan is the only measured marker. Cordyceps militaris contains cordycepin, but the amount in this extract is unknown.
    What does the NSF mark cover?
    NSF’s own page says the program verifies the label, safe contaminant levels and absence of banned substances. Real Mushrooms says the mark applies only to the 120-count U.S. capsules, and NSF’s listing agrees: it shows package size 120 only. The SGS capsule report on the page is for the 300-count. NSF’s listing shows no results, its page does not say it tests freshness, and Real Mushrooms pays for it.
    Who is paid to promote it?
    Real Mushrooms runs an affiliate program (opens in a new tab) that pays 15% of referred sales with no cap, so many online recommendations are paid links. A July 2024 Reddit thread (opens in a new tab) says it once declined to share third-party reports; it now posts SGS reports on this page.
    Why we chose it What put it on our list 5 points
    • It is Cordyceps militaris, the species our cordyceps page prefers: cultivated rather than wild caterpillar fungus, and better studied for exercise than CS-4 mycelium. Purity-IQ lists Cordyceps-M as authenticated Cordyceps militaris by NMR.
    • A short label: the extract, a vegetable capsule, microcrystalline cellulose and silicon dioxide. Beta-glucan is stated, 80 mg in each 1,000 mg serving.
    • An SGS Canada report for the 300-count capsules (completed 16 April 2026) reads beta-glucan 17.2% by the Megazyme method, with arsenic 0.05, cadmium 0.13, mercury below 0.05 and lead 0.06 ppm, and no E. coli, Salmonella or S. aureus in 10 g.
    • NSF’s Certified for Sport database lists the 120-count capsules (lot 012026228), not the 300-count that the SGS report covers. NSF says the mark verifies the label, safe contaminant levels and the absence of banned substances.
    • About $0.58 a gram of extract in the 120-capsule bottle, and about $0.47 in the 300-capsule bottle ($69.95), the cheapest extract here along with the lion’s mane.
    Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy 4 points
    • The label reports beta-glucan, which cordyceps has little of. It does not report cordycepin or adenosine, the compounds our cordyceps page names, so you cannot see how much of either you get. No starch result is posted.
    • The C. militaris trial on our cordyceps page used 4 g a day of powder, and the page gives 1 to 4 g a day as the usual range. The label serving is 1 g of extract with no ratio, so the doses are not directly comparable, and the exercise trials are small. Cordyceps may lower blood sugar a little, so check your glucose if you take diabetes medicine.
    • The label says 8% beta-glucan but SGS measured 17.2%, more than twice as much, in one sample. The measurements and the NSF listing are paid for by Real Mushrooms, and the reports are one sample each.
    • We found no listing for Real Mushrooms in the USDA Organic Integrity Database, so “organic” on the finished capsules rests on the label.
    What to know Details worth knowing first

    Cordyceps is sold for energy and exercise, and our cordyceps page explains why Cordyceps militaris fruiting-body extracts are the form to look for. Real Mushrooms’ Cordyceps-M is that species, as a hot-water extract with a short label: the extract, a vegetable capsule and two flow agents.

    Two kinds of outside checking back it, both paid for by the maker. NSF’s Certified for Sport database lists the capsules, and the maker posts SGS Canada reports for both the capsules and the powder, with beta-glucan by the Megazyme method, metals and microbes. The capsule report reads 17.2% beta-glucan, more than twice the 8% on the label, with low metals and no pathogens.

    Two gaps remain. The label gives beta-glucan, but our page names cordycepin as cordyceps’ signature compound, and no figure is given. And the exercise trials we cite are small, and the C. militaris one used 4 g a day, against 1 g of extract here. Cordyceps may lower blood sugar slightly, so people on diabetes medicine should check their glucose when they start.

    What we checked Each claim, and how sure we are of it 9 checks
    How Real Mushrooms Organic Cordyceps-M Extract Capsules measures up against our mushroom supplements criteria
    What we checked What we found
    Certification (NSF Certified for Sport, paid for by the maker) Verified Listed in NSF’s Certified for Sport database as Cordyceps-M (US), capsule, package size 120, 2 capsules a serving, lot 012026228. The listing shows one lot and no certification date. We could not open NSF’s test reports.
    Fruiting body or mycelium, stated Maker’s claim Fruiting body of organically cultivated Cordyceps militaris. The page says 100% hot-water-extracted mushrooms (fruiting body) and “not myceliated fermented grain.”
    Measured beta-glucans Verified Label: 80 mg beta-(1,3)(1,6)-glucans per 1,000 mg serving (8%). SGS Canada report VR26-01821.003 (capsules, completed 16 April 2026) reads 17.2% by Megazyme K-YBGL; the powder’s report reads about 11.7%.
    Starch or alpha-glucan reported Not verified Not reported. The page says free of added starch and fillers; the label lists microcrystalline cellulose and silicon dioxide as other ingredients (flow agents, per the maker).
    Tested for contaminants Verified The capsule report gives arsenic 0.05, cadmium 0.13, mercury below 0.05 and lead 0.06 ppm; total aerobic count 100 CFU/g; E. coli, Salmonella and S. aureus absent in 10 g; yeast and mold below 20 CFU/g.
    A named species Verified Cordyceps militaris. Purity-IQ’s public listing for Real Mushrooms shows Cordyceps-M as authenticated by NMR.
    Origin and organic certification Maker’s claim The maker says its extracts come from certified organic mushrooms grown in China (supplier Nammex). The page says organic and the label names QAI. No Real Mushrooms listing in the USDA Organic Integrity Database; Nammex Mushrooms Inc. is listed as certified by QAI.
    Extract or powder, stated Maker’s claim Hot-water extract: the label lists 1,000 mg of mushroom extract per 2 capsules. No extract ratio is given.
    Recalls, warning letters and Prop 65 Verified No openFDA recall record, no FDA warning letter naming Real Mushrooms or Nammex, and no Prop 65 notice naming either (searched 2026-10-23).
    What the labels mean
    • Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
    • Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
    • Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
    Sources Where our facts come from 13 sources
    1. Real Mushrooms Organic Cordyceps-M Extract Capsules product page. Maker’s page. Price, sizes, claims and the NSF scope note, read 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    2. Real Mushrooms Cordyceps-M capsule label (back). Maker’s page. Supplement Facts: 1,000 mg extract and 80 mg beta-(1,3)(1,6)-glucans per 2 capsules. Other ingredients: hypromellose, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    3. NSF Certified for Sport listing: Cordyceps-M (US), Real Mushrooms. Certifier or regulator listing. Capsule, package size 120, lot 012026228. Check the lot on your bottle. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    4. NSF Certified for Sport: what the mark means. Certifier or regulator listing. NSF’s own description of what the program verifies. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    5. SGS Canada analysis report VR26-01821.003 (RM-CM150C capsules). Test report. An image of the lab’s report, posted on the product page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    6. SGS Canada analysis report VR26-02726.001 (RM-CM60 powder pouch). Test report. For the powder, posted on the maker’s powder page. The table header prints over the beta-glucan row. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    7. Purity-IQ Certified Authentic listing for Real Mushrooms. Certifier or regulator listing. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    8. USDA Organic Integrity Database: Nammex Mushrooms Inc. (NOP 5520030770). Certifier or regulator listing. The extract supplier, certified by QAI. Real Mushrooms itself is not listed. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    9. Real Mushrooms affiliate program. Maker’s page. 15% commission on referred sales, no cap, a discount code for the creator’s audience. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    10. Real Mushrooms our-story page. Maker’s page. Says Nammex was founded by Jeff Chilton, who co-founded Real Mushrooms with his son Skye. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    11. Reddit r/MushroomSupplements: Real Mushrooms and 3rd party reports (July 2024). Independent source. We read the thread’s title and opening text only; Reddit blocks automated page fetches. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    12. FDA warning letters search for “real mushrooms”. Certifier or regulator listing. No letter names Real Mushrooms or Nammex (searched 2026-10-23). Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    13. California Attorney General: 60-day notice search for “Real Mushrooms”. Certifier or regulator listing. No notice names Real Mushrooms or Nammex (searched 2026-10-23). Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
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