What is Tremella mushroom?
Tremella, or snow fungus mushroom as it is sometimes known, is a white jelly fungus that holds up to 500 times its weight in water and is best known today for its positive benefits to the look and feel of your skin. Visually, tremella mushrooms look more like loofahs or coral than they do a mushroom.
Tremella has been used as food and medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. It is rich in dietary fibers, protein, minerals, and antioxidants and high in vitamin D. [1] We owe a lot of today’s use and understanding of the benefits of tremella to those traditional practices. The basis of TCM is restoring the balance of Qi energy in the body. Tremella is a neutral plant, so they typically don’t affect that balance in your body [2], which makes it a safe mushroom to incorporate if you do not know your "constitution" from a TCM perspective or do not have assistance from a TCM practitioner.
In TCM, tremella is known as a Tonic herb for Yin deficiency. Extreme Yin deficiency is often represented by “burn-out” in today’s language. Deficient yin symptoms are ones we see a lot in the modern person - “uneasy, anxious, with abundant energy that is mostly appearance; often deeper energy is lacking”. [3]
Tremella is also known as a longevity or youth-preserving tonic. It has benefits for skin hydration and nourishment. In our Matcha Latte Blend, tremella compliments the skin benefits of amla berry and tocotrienols and creates a nourishing blend for overall skin wellness.
Tremella mushroom benefits:
- The benefits of tremella mushroom for skin include supporting a natural glow by helping your skin retain moisture and promoting deep hydration inside and out. Tremella mushroom extract can be used topically or internally for skin care.
- Tremella contains abundant polysaccharides that have an anti-aging and antioxidant effect. Tremella’s polysaccharides stimulate the production of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the brain and liver. SOD is a superantioxidant enzyme that helps to protect and regenerate skin, effectively preventing wrinkles and sagging skin. [4]
- Contains beta glucans for immune function
A quick and important reminder: Mushrooms need to be extracted in order for our bodies to best absorb the mushroom’s bioactive compounds. Amoda’s tremella has measured levels of beta-glucans greater than 10%. Our Matcha Latte Blend has 300mg of tremella extract per sachet and includes coconut milk powder for a healthy fat and creamy latte.
Looking for a delicious way to incorporate tremella mushroom extract into your diet? Try our Matcha Latte Blend, a blend of matcha, coconut milk powder, tremella, tocotrienols (natural source of Vit E), and amla berry.
Sources
[1] Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian, Mehdi Khoshkharam, (2022). Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals in Metabolic and Non-Communicable Diseases
[3] Pitchford, P. (2002). Healing with whole foods: Asian traditions and modern nutrition. 3rd ed., rev., updated, and expanded. Berkeley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books.
[4] Yang D, Lian J, Wang L, et al. The anti-fatigue and anti-anoxia effects of Tremella extract. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2019;26(8):2052-2056. doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2019.08.014