The Decision Lab Podcast

Our mission is to help health-conscious consumers find innovative, science-backed wellness products by cutting through hype, misinformation, and market noise.

Ep. 51: Can Mushrooms Boost Your Mood? w/ Peter Reitano & Danial Sanders

S2 E51 • Jul 22, 2025 • 102 mins

In Today’s Episode: Can Mushrooms Boost Your Mood? Join us as we talk with Peter Reitano and Daniel Sanders, the co-founders of Gwella, a functional mushroom company best known for their mood-boosting product, Mojo. Peter, a serial entrepreneur and brand strategist, and Daniel, a genetic engineer turned supplement formulator, share their journey creating a legal microdosing alternative and the science behind their ingredients. Key Takeaways from Today’s Episode: -Why functional mushrooms like lion’s mane and cordyceps might mimic the effects of a microdose -How Gwella developed Mojo to support mood, focus, and energy—without the crash -What consumers should know about ingredient sourcing, dosage, and supplement transparency Questions We Answer in This Episode: -Can functional mushrooms replicate the brain effects of psychedelics? -What’s the truth behind “legal microdosing” products like Mojo? -How do you know if a supplement actually works—or if it’s just hype?

Key Points

Functional mushrooms can have cognitive and mood-enhancing benefits similar to microdosing psychedelics, but they work through different mechanisms in the brain.
The supplement industry needs more rigorous standards and transparency to ensure product efficacy and consumer trust, especially regarding ingredient sourcing and dosages.
Combining ingredients into a single supplement requires careful consideration of bioavailability and synergistic effects to ensure maximum effectiveness within the constraints of form factors like gummies.

Speakers

Chloe Deutscher

Host • 4%

Cody Isabel

Host • 20%

Daniel Sanders

Guest • 40%

Peter Reitano

Guest • 37%

Chapters

0:00	Introduction to functional mushrooms and Gwella founders
0:26	Welcome Pierre and Daniel
0:38	Daniel Sanders' background and journey
1:43	Pierre's career and interest in functional mushrooms
5:10	Formation and evolution of Gwella and Mojo products
8:14	Tackling personal challenges in business
10:01	Chief science officer's role in stress management
16:14	Pierre and Daniel's mutual respect
18:20	Evolution of Gwella and Mojo
21:20	Daniel's motivations and product formulations
22:39	Initial product reactions and customer feedback
28:15	Feedback from older adults
29:08	Supplement industry challenges
31:16	Identifying quality in supplements
34:56	GMP certification and its limitations
35:13	Researching combined supplement formulations
39:37	Controversial ingredients and misconceptions
41:27	Dosage and form factors for gummies
43:12	Significance of kanna in libido gummy
44:42	Sleep gummy introduction and ingredients
45:22	Inclusion of melatonin in sleep gummy
46:42	Bioavailability of gummy ingredients
49:00	Understanding bioavailability and pharmacokinetics
51:03	Product safety and potential side effects
52:29	Addressing customer criticisms
54:01	Product formulation decision-making
55:55	Gummy format choice
58:19	Marketing claims vs. scientific evidence
1:01:36	Microdosing claims clarification
1:04:47	Interrogation segment conclusion
1:05:01	Upcoming product launches and roadmap
1:08:25	AI in health and wellness
1:10:17	AI in healthcare recommendations
1:12:23	Empowering healthcare with AI
1:14:03	AI recommendation engines and corporate capture
1:16:05	Discussing energy sustainability
1:16:27	Lightning Lab: Health and wellness

Transcript

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