Auriganic Juices

Friend: "What are you drinking?"
Me: "It's a drink made of mushrooms."
Friend: "Ewwww! Can I smell it?...It smells like juice."
Me: "Yes, it's good and good for you!"

That was a conversation I had last weekend about Auriganic juices made with wood ear mushrooms. And, no, that isn't as gross as it sounds!  This is a brand new drink on the market and I'm pretty excited about it. Each bottle contains 1.4 grams of Aricularia Auricula extract, which is the equivalent to eating 35 grams of raw wood ear mushrooms. But, because they are mixed with organic fruit juice and superfoods, it just tastes like great juice!

Why Wood Ear Mushrooms? I thought you'd never ask. These mushrooms grow on the bark of trees in the deep forests of Northeastern China. They are shaped like human ears, hence the name "wood ear." They are a rich source of dietary fiber and collagen, which supports digestion and reduces risks of gallstones and kidney stones. These mushrooms also contain 20 times more iron than spinach and are rich in polysaccharides. Their health benefits are numerous.

The Auri-Goji juice is made with organic apple juice concentrate, organic carrot juice concentrate, organic lemon juice concentrate, and organic goji berry juice extract. I am a bit disappointed at the use of juice concentrates over fresh juice, but I don't think you can get wood ear mushroom any other way other than eating the mushrooms, which are hard to find. The distinct taste is like apple juice, but a little different. And Goji berries are super-good for you as they contain carotene, betaine, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, and iron and have been linked to lowering blood sugar levels and blood pressure.

The Auri-Hawthorne juice is made with organic Hawthorn berries, organic mango puree, organic apple juice concentrate, and organic lemon juice concentrate and tastes mostly like mango. Hawthorn berries are very high in flavonoids and rich in carotene and calcium. They've been known to improve appetite and bone health and lower cholesterol.

These juices retail for $5.99 each so they are pretty pricey, but I'd recommend you give them a try. Distribution is limited as they are still quite new, but look for them in a store near you soon. For now, you can find them online here.

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion.