The tremella mushroom is not as well-known as its cousins, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, and Reishi, but it is packed with health benefits in its own right. We discuss tremella mushroom benefits.
As Western medicine continues to recognize the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms, ‘the fragrant mushroom’ (shiitake), ‘the dancing mushroom’ (maitake), and ‘the mushroom of immortality’ (Reishi) are becoming increasingly familiar to consumers.
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Lesser known, though, is ‘the fountain of youth’ – also known as the tremella mushroom. Prized among ancient cultures for supporting healthy, youthful-looking skin, the tremella mushroom is now being hailed in the Western cosmetics industry as a natural moisturizer with hydrating properties similar to hyaluronic acid.
Tremella Mushroom Benefits: A Sleeping Giant Among Mushrooms is an original (MedNewsPedia) article.
Tremella mushroom benefits:
Centuries of tradition
Also known in the East as snow mushroom and snow fungus, the tremella mushroom (Tremella fuciformis) is an edible jelly fungus resembling translucent-white, flowery sea anemones. They typically grow in tropical regions of Southeast Asia on dead or fallen tree branches, especially after heavy rains.
Tremella mushroom benefits have been recognized for centuries in ancient Chinese societies, especially among royalty. According to legend, Yang Guifei (719–756) — considered one of the most beautiful women in Chinese history, with a ‘face that would put flowers to shame’ — attributed her radiant, youthful complexion to tremella mushrooms. Exceedingly rare in the wild, the mushrooms were first cultivated in China in 1894 during the Qing Dynasty. Since then, they have become a favorite of women in China and Japan for their ability to moisturize and give skin a more youthful appearance. Consuming tremella mushrooms is also said to slow aging and make skin healthy, elastic, and soft.
Tremella mushroom benefits:
A challenger to hyaluronic acid
If there is a ‘fountain of youth’ cosmetic ingredient in contemporary Western skincare, it is hyaluronic acid (HA), the active ingredient in a myriad of moisturizing creams, ointments, and serums. Made up of carbohydrate chains called polysaccharides, HA is a clear, gooey substance naturally produced by the body and found in the skin, connective tissue, and eyes.
Youthful skin retains its resilience and pliability due to its high water content; the key molecule involved in skin moisture is hyaluronic acid (HA), which binds and retains water molecules, improving the skin’s tone, texture, and elasticity.
The polysaccharides found in tremella mushrooms function much the same way, but more so. For one thing, T. fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPS) are absorbed more easily. Dr. Tanuj Nakra, the co-founder of the AVYA line of skincare products, says that tremella’s “gelatinous molecules are smaller than that of hyaluronic acid, so they penetrate the skin much better — leading to more noticeable, real-world results.”
Research also shows that topical products with TFPS have a better moisture retention rate than those with hyaluronic acid. Water retention is enhanced as white fungus polysaccharides form a transparent film on the skin, reinforcing their action as natural moisturizers.
In addition, studies indicate that TFPS may improve skin integrity by preserving collagen. Human skin-cell studies have shown that tremella can extend the lifespan of skin fibroblasts, which are cells that play an important role in synthesizing collagen. By supporting fibroblasts, TFPS can help preserve skin elasticity and prevent sagging.
Tremella’s polysaccharides may also improve skin hydration by reducing water and collagen losses in the skin after sun or ultraviolet exposure, suggesting that tremella polysaccharides could be used as a potential functional food supplement for skin protection.
Tremella mushroom benefits:
More than skin deep
In addition to their potent moisturizing properties, TFPS exhibit marked immune-boosting, anti-inflammation, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties.
Skye Chilton is the Chief Mushroom Funguy of RealMushrooms TM, a standout mushroom supplement maker located in British Columbia. Chilton says that functional mushrooms like tremella can act as immunomodulators:
“If you think about getting a cold, and your immune system gets depressed, they can help get your immune system into action and help to fight that off. If you think about something like allergies, where it’s an overstimulation of your immune system, it can help to bring your immune system back down, so it’s that modulation effect.”
One study showed that TFPS might help regulate the immune response and reduce infection-related mortality in lab mice. A test-tube study also concluded that a protein found in white fungus may stimulate macrophage activity. (A macrophage is a type of white blood cell that kills bacteria and eliminates damaged tissue.)
Tremella mushroom benefits:
Reducing inflammation
Another target of TFPS is inflammation. Test-tube studies suggest that white fungus extract has anti-inflammatory activity capable of lowering pro-inflammatory markers. TFPS has also demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting nitric oxide production. Additionally, tremella’s anti-inflammatory properties can positively impact a variety of health problems caused by inflammation, including respiratory illness and headache.
Tremella mushroom benefits:
Antioxidant properties
TFPS appears to have antioxidant properties as well. Test-tube studies show that white fungus polysaccharides may reduce oxidative stress by fighting free radicals. Research on culinary-medicinal white jelly mushrooms found scavenging activity against oxidative damage induced by ultraviolet B radiation and hydrogen peroxide.
Tremella mushroom benefits:
Neuroprotective effects
Tremella has been found to protect and regenerate nerve cells in studies using hot water extract of tremella. Furthermore, tremella contains nerve growth factor (NGF), which may stimulate the formation of new nerve tissue. The results published in one study suggest that tremella may be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Overall, the structure and molecular mechanisms of the immunomodulation, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, and anti-aging effects are becoming known in advance of the use of TFPS as a clinically viable drug.
In the meantime, as tremella dietary supplements begin to fill the shelves of local supermarkets and drugstores., Skye Chilton issues a note of caution: not all tremella supplements are the same.
“U.S.-grown is really not mushrooms at all — they’re growing the root system of the mushroom called mycelium, and they grow that on a grain substrate, and they basically sell this as a mushroom product.”
Chilton says consumers and even health practitioners are being misled by inaccurate product advertising.
“There’s still a ton of products mislabeled. There’s an FDA guidance policy around mushrooms and mycelium and how they should be properly labeled, and a product shouldn’t imply that it contains mushrooms if it doesn’t have mushrooms in it.”
Chilton says RealMushrooms™ products are all verified for quality at accredited third-party labs, something many other mushroom supplement companies don’t do.
Tremella mushroom extract supplements are sold in capsule and powder form; for those who prefer to experience tremella mushrooms themselves, recipes abound online for both sweet and savory preparations.
Further Reading:
National Library of Medicine: Medicinal Mushrooms: Ancient Remedies Meet Modern Science
National Library of Medicine: Use of Tremella as Fat Substitute for the Enhancement of Physicochemical and Sensory Profiles of Pork Sausage
The Guardian: Mushroom magic: why the latest health fad might be on to something
Important Note: The information contained in this article (Tremella Mushroom Benefits: A Sleeping Giant Among Mushrooms) is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
