Brand Spotlight: Mālama Mushrooms

This year, at Newtopia in Denver, Colorado, the Nutrition Insider team had the great pleasure of meeting Ben Lillibridge, CEO and founder of Mālama Mushrooms and self-described “enthusiastic mushroom guy. “

In our conversation with him, we learned all about the power of ‘shrooms (nope, not the psychoactive kind!) and why Mālama is so passionate about bringing these superfoods into the daily wellness routines of people everywhere. Here’s what we learned.

What does Mālama mean?

The word Mālama is Hawaiian for protect, preserve, and nurture, and forms the basis of what the company, Mālama Mushrooms, is all about. 

Yes, their main goal is to bring the best and most effective functional mushrooms to kitchens everywhere, helping nourish people’s bodies and minds, but that’s not all. Ben and his team also contribute to a non-profit he formed, the Hawaii Fungi Project. This non-profit catalogs rare, native mushrooms of Hawaii that are at risk of disappearing due to climate change and invasive species. 

This work is invaluable to the mushroom world, especially since we only know a measley 7% of all fungi species! While we know a lot about popular mushrooms like Reishi, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane, there is quite literally a whole world of mushrooms with potential benefits that have yet to be discovered.

The Face Behind the Name: Ben Lillibridge

But who actually runs Mālama Mushrooms? Well, we had the opportunity to speak with Ben Lillibridge directly to learn more about why and how he started this company.

Like many an aspiring mycologist, he started cultivating and experimenting with mushrooms at college—which, for some reason, he doesn’t want his mom to know about… don’t worry, Ben, your secret is safe with us!

After this experience, Ben, originally an agriculturist and environmental scientist, decided to devote his life to mushrooms and share the amazing benefits of fungi with the world. 

But, as he told us, no one was hiring for the “enthusiastic mushroom guy.” So, he started a home-grown operation out of a lava tube cave on the island of Kona in Hawaii, which turned out to be the perfect place to cultivate mushrooms.

From there, the rest is history. Mālama Mushrooms was founded in 2015.

The Mālama Mushrooms Line-up: From 8-Mushroom Blends to Tinctures and Much More

Mālama Mushrooms uses only fruiting bodies grown on a natural wood substrate with no added mycelium, grain, starches, or fillers.

This decision may be based on evidence showing that the fruiting body contains more beneficial compounds than the mycelium (the mushroom’s ‘root system’), as seen in Reishi mushrooms.

However, this is not to say there’s anything wrong with consuming mushroom supplements that only contain mycelium, as many do. There is even some evidence—like with Lion’s Mane—that consuming both the fruiting bodies and mycelium together could provide more benefits overall. That said, it is a point many consumers consider when purchasing functional mushrooms, so we felt it important to share.

Finally, all of their mushrooms are third-party tested by an accredited lab for heavy metals, pesticides, and additives to ensure their products are 100% safe for you and your family.

Now, onto the line-up. Mālama Mushrooms offers a wide range of product formats, giving customers more options for how they might prefer to consume mushrooms. 

Mushroom Coffee

As with many mushroom supplement companies, Mālama offers several mushroom-coffee blends, including an 8-mushroom mix, and single mushroom blends, including lion’s mane and cordyceps. 

Each of these coffees is a blend of organic Kona coffee and Fair-Trade organic beans sourced from South and Central America. However, they also have a mushroom coffee (Lion’s Mane) made with 100% Kona beans!

Mushroom Powder Extract

For those looking to buy mushroom supplements in their pure form, this is where Mālama Mushrooms shines. They offer a powder extract form of mushrooms which you can mix directly into your favorite coffee, tea, smoothies, and even baked goods.

Their powder extracts include:

• 8 Mushroom Powder Extract Mix
• Lion’s Mane Tail Powder Extract
• Turkey Tail Powder Extract
• Reishi Powder Extract
• Chaga Powder Extract
• Cordyceps Powder Extract

Mushroom Cacao Mix

Name a better duo than mushrooms and chocolate… I’ll wait. In all seriousness, chocolate is one of the best ways to consume just about anything, but especially mushrooms. 

Not only does the chocolate make the mushrooms a bit more palatable, but cacao is also considered a superfood since it contains high levels of antioxidants and other beneficial micronutrients. 

• 8 Mushroom Cacao Mix
• Lion’s Mane Cacao Mix
• Reishi Cacao Mix
• Chaga Cacao Mix
• Cordyceps Cacao Mix

In addition to the Cacao Mix, Mālama also makes several chocolate bars with their 8-mushroom blend:

• Spicy Hawaiian Habanero
• Original Dark
• Goldenmylk

Mushroom Tincture

According to Mālama, their tinctures are one of the most potent ways to consume functional mushrooms. They use a dual-extract process, which involves a two to four-week cold alcohol extraction followed by a hot water extraction followed again by alcohol. For sober individuals, be advised this product does contain about 50% organic alcohol.

• Lion’s Mane Tincture
• Reishi Mane Tincture
• Cordyceps Mane Tincture
• Turkey Tail Tincture
• Chaga Mane Tincture

If you’re curious about the benefits of functional mushrooms, we have a handy guide you can check out here. 

If you want to know more about a particular mushroom sold by Mālama, you can also read more:

• Top 7 Chaga Mushroom Benefits
• Lion’s Mane Mushroom Benefits
• Are Cordyceps Mushrooms Safe?
• Turkey Tail Mushroom Benefits
• Best Mushroom for Anxiety and Depression (Reishi)