The older the wine or spirit, the higher the price tag. If you haven’t been directly confronted with this phenomena at your local spirit shop or grocery store, well, hats off to you. Most of us have taken the punch in the gut firsthand and simply accept that “aged” equals “more expensive.”
But if you pause to dig deeper into the layers of WHY age increases value, at least in the case of fermented and extracted products, you might find some magic.
Why Age Anyway?
Simply put, aside from improving the flavor profile, the aging process extracts MORE of the vital, beneficial compounds found in the food or herb we are fermenting or extracting from. Think increased antioxidants, higher bioavailability, easier assimilation/digestion, and increased stability. The longer herbs, mushrooms, grapes, you name it, are extracted in alcohol or water, or fermented, the more their protective cellular structures will be broken down, revealing and releasing their medicinal compounds. On the flip side, the shorter the extraction or ferment time, the less medicinal compounds are released.
You may have noticed that the standard “minimum” amount of time it takes to make an herbal tincture is six weeks. If your extraction time is any less than this, you risk the alcohol not absorbing the beneficial compounds from the herbs.
Time allows for a full unlocking of the mushroom’s layered pharmacopoeia. The first phase—hot water extraction—releases the polysaccharides, especially beta-glucans, which prime and modulate the immune system. The second phase—slow alcohol extraction—pulls the fat-soluble compounds: triterpenes, hericenones, and other adaptogenic alkaloids that sharpen cognition, reduce systemic inflammation, and protect against oxidative stress.
Unfortunately, many mushroom companies on the market today do not even mention the length of their extraction time which makes you wonder; are they extracting the mushrooms at all?
Aging Reduces Aging
We can also see the benefits of the “aging” process in nature. Take chaga mushroom as an example: Most wild chaga visible as a large growth on trees has been growing for 20+ years. “Coincidentally,” chaga is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods on the planet! (IF, of course, it is growing naturally in the wild). The longer the chaga absorbs and extracts compounds from the tree it’s growing on, the richer it is in those compounds.
Longer extraction yields a richer spectrum of compounds that work on multiple levels: cellular repair, telomere protection, enhanced mitochondrial function. These are the cornerstones of anti-aging—not cosmetic quick wins, but deep metabolic resilience.
When we forage chaga for our elixir and teas, we purposefully choose to harvest older chaga. Why? Because its antioxidant profile is so much higher than that of the “young” chaga. Plus, its also more sustainable and respectful of the tree and mushroom.
What is the benefit of these increased antioxidants and other beneficial compounds? Well, for one, you’re actually getting what you’re paying for when it comes to mushroom supplements. The last thing you want is to purchase an expensive tincture that hasn’t even been extracted long enough to have an effect.
Secondly, antioxidants play a key role in fighting signs of aging. The antioxidants found in chaga, reishi, and lion's mane—such as polyphenols, melanin, ergothioneine, and superoxide dismutase—neutralize free radicals, the unstable molecules that cause oxidative stress and DNA damage. By reducing this stress, mushrooms help preserve cellular integrity, protect mitochondria, and slow the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. Over time, this leads to enhanced cellular repair, improved brain function, and a more resilient immune system—core foundations of longevity.
So, if you want to age gracefully, you’ll want to keep the idea of “aging reduces aging” in your mind when you shop for tinctures.
We can refer to these medicinal mushrooms as “mushrooms of immortality” all we want … the truth is, they only offer us “immortality” if they are allowed to grow old in their extraction base.
This is why our chaga is aged for a minimum of three months after harvesting. Some of our reishi tinctures are even aged for six to twelve months.
We’ve come to realize that some of the most powerful truths in life are paradoxes. Darkness is needed for light to appear. Muscles have to be broken down in order to become stronger. And aging helps with … aging.
Cheers to youthful bodies and souls, and old mushrooms.
