At DIRTEA, we provide top-quality mushroom powders using 100% of the fruiting body. The fruiting body of the mushroom contains the highest concentration of active ingredients, such as beta-glucans, triterpenes, and other active compounds that offer natural, health-boosting properties.
Our mission is to educate our DIRTEA tribe about the fascinating world of functional mushrooms. Functional mushrooms are types of fungi that are adaptogens, allowing your body to adapt to stress, which helps keep your body at its homeostasis, also known as the ready state.
Below are the top facts about our organic DIRTEA mushroom powders that will make you wonder where they have been all your life!
TREMELLA
We believe Tremella should be a part of everyone's beauty regime. This smooth, shiny, jelly-like mushroom really does project hydration! We call it the ‘beauty mushroom’ as it is practically mother nature's hyaluronic acid, holding up to 1000 times its weight in water! (1) This means it may keep your skin moist and smooth, potentially supporting the prevention of ageing skin.
For thousands of years, Tremella has been used in traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help support immune health. However, its impressive hydrating and skin-rejuvenating properties has made it incredibly popular since the Tang Dynasty. They would refer to Tremella mushroom as the ‘fountain of youth’. A young consort named Yang Guifei believed to be the most beautiful woman in Chinese history, acclaimed her beauty thanks to her consistent use of Tremella.
REISHI
Reishi is best described as the ‘calming elixir’ or traditionally known as the ‘mushroom of immortality’ in China. The high number of triterpenes found within this mushroom powder not only accounts for its bitter taste (the more bitter, the better!), but triterpenes may also support immune health and the nervous system, which could give you the good night's rest that you deserve.(2)
In ancient Chinese texts, Reishi is reported to have many healing properties and is one of the most studied mushrooms to date. It has a long history of use for promoting health and longevity in China, Japan, and other Asian countries.
TURKEY TAIL
Turkey Tail is one of the most researched functional mushrooms out there. Within this mushroom powder are bioactive compounds, which may improve our gut health and increase natural killer cells and T-cells.(3) Turkey Tail has a high concentration of antioxidants which may support immune health.
Turkey Tail is known as a biological response modifier (BRM) as it may work to restore balance to the immune system. This mushroom also contains high amounts of beta-d-glucan, which is a polysaccharide in the cell wall. It interacts with the body in various ways that may support our immune system, which can keep it at its cruise level.
Turkey Tail’s traditional use stems from ancient China and Japan. It has been used in Eastern medicine for centuries to treat various health conditions and concerns. Turkey Tail is also mentioned in the Great Pharmacopeia (an encyclopaedic collection focusing on medicine). This collection is known as the ‘Classics of the Materia Medica’, published over 3,000 years ago from the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century. According to this collection, Turkey Tail was ranked the highest in the fungi kingdom. It was also said to promote vitality and strong bones and muscles.
LION’S MANE
Lion's Mane has been documented for thousands of years for its neurotropic effects, making it known to many as the ‘smart mushroom’. This mushroom powder is excellent for increasing focus. Lion’s Mane has been shown to stimulate the production of the Nerve Growth Factor, a protein that can help the growth of new brain cells in your hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with learning and memory (and it also looks like a sea horse!).(4)
Lion’s Mane was traditionally used to nourish the gut (our second brain). Shaolin Buddhist monks took powdered Lion’s mane because of its cognitive powers and ability to enhance deep meditative practice!
CHAGA
Chaga is packed full of antioxidants; it has more antioxidants in one cup than 600 blueberries!(5) Plenty of minerals and vitamins also give Chaga its name: "the King of herbs” (from ancient Chinese text). Its antioxidant properties make it great for supporting immunity.
The betulinic acid within this mushroom powder may improve skin health from free radicals caused by external factors like pollution, poor food choices, and chemicals in water or air.
Chaga has been used in Russia, Northern Europe, Asia and North America for thousands of years. This fungus has been used for centuries to support the immune system, energy and vitality.
CORDYCEPS
Cordyceps is also known as the ‘performance mushroom’. For hundreds of years, nomadic herders in Tibet and Nepal have been grazing the land in high altitudes uncovering Cordyceps Sinensis. Today Cordyceps Sinensis is rare to come by. However, Cordyceps Militaris, which is grown in a controlled environment (this is what we use at DIRTEA), has a very similar chemical profile to Cordyceps Sinensis. Cordyceps Militaris contains up to 90 times more cordycepin than Cordyceps Sinensis, which makes adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the molecule that wraps around your cells and is responsible for cellular energy production to give you energy.(6)
Cordyceps have their origins in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine. Both men and women in Asia have used Cordyceps for thousands of years to support their sexual energy.
References
- Jiang, R.-Z., Wang, Y., Luo, H.-M., Cheng, Y.-Q., Chen, Y.-H., Gao, Y. & Gao, Q.-P. (2012).‘Effect of the Molecular Mass of Tremella Polysaccharides on Accelerated Recovery from Cyclophosphamide-Induced Leucopenia in Rats’., Molecules17 (4), pp.3609–3617. doi:10.3390/molecules17043609.>/li>
- Ahmad, M, F. (2018).Ganoderma lucidum: Persuasive biologically active constituents and their health endorsement, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 107, pp. 507-519. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.08.036.
- Pallav, K., Dowd, S.E., Villafuerte, J., Yang, X., Kabbani, T., Hansen, J., Dennis, M,.Leffler, D.A., and Kelly C. (2014). ‘Effects of Polysaccharopeptide from Trametes Versicolor and Amoxicillin on the Gut Microbiome of Healthy Volunteers: A Randomized Clinical Trial’. Gut Microbes, 5(4), pp. 458-467.
- Kawagishi, H., Shimada, A., Hosokawa,S., Mori, H., Sakamoto,H., Ishiguro,Y., Sakemi, S., Bordner, J., Kojima, N., and Furukawa, S. (1996). ‘Erinacines E, F, and G, Stimulators of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).Synthesis, from the Mycelia of Hericium erinaceum’, Tetrahedron Letters, 37(41), pp. 7399-7402
- Cui, Y., Kim, D,S., and Park, K,C. (2005). ‘Antioxidant Effect of Inonotus Obliquus’. J Ethnopharmacol. 96 (1-2), pp.79-85. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.08.037.
- Chamyuang, S., Owatworakit, A., and Honda, Y.(2019). ‘New Insights Into Cordycepin Production in Cordyceps Militaris and Applications’.Ann Transl Med, 7(Suppl 3):S78. doi: 10.21037/atm.2019.04.12