Fruiting Body vs Mycelium: How to Choose Lion's Mane and Cordyceps Supplements

Lion's Mane and Cordyceps supplements are labelled either "fruiting body" or "mycelium". Knowing the difference makes labels much easier to compare.

Short answer

The fruiting body is the part that forms the mushroom itself.
The mycelium is the thread-like root network the mushroom grows from. In supplements it is often grown on grain or another substrate, and some products use it together with that substrate.
Their composition differs, so for a product that only says "Lion's Mane" or "Cordyceps", check which part it uses.

	Fruiting body	Mycelium
What part	The part that forms the mushroom	The thread-like network the mushroom grows from
Raw material	The mushroom itself	Sometimes used together with its grain substrate
What to look for on the label	"100% fruiting body", "no mycelium or grain"	"Mycelium", "mycelium on grain", "cultured"

Part used: does it say fruiting body or mycelium? If not, ask the seller.
Extraction: hot water, alcohol or both, and whether it is a ground powder or a concentrated extract.
Stated compounds: is the beta-glucan content (or similar) given?

Lion's Mane Extract Capsules: 100% fruiting body, no mycelium or grain. Dual-extracted with hot water and alcohol; 30% or more beta-glucan.
Cordyceps Extract Capsules: fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris, grown indoors without insects and hot-water extracted; 30% or more beta-glucan.

Both products are made in China. See Japanese-made vs Chinese-made for how to read origin labels.

Yes, they are different species. Kinkatsudo uses Cordyceps militaris (sanagitake). See Cordyceps sinensis vs militaris.

Yes. An extract has been extracted and concentrated; a powder is the raw material ground up. Check which one the label says.