Unlocking the Power of Mushrooms

Exploring the Mushroom Health Craze: Why Everyone’s Talking About It: Mushrooms are one of the most abundant substances on the planet. They grow everywhere. A quick walk through a forest will show you countless mushroom species and many other fungi growing nearby. They’ve also existed for millennia; mushrooms are hardly new, and we’ve been eating them for as long as anyone can remember.

So, how have they suddenly become the latest health trend?

Believe it or not, mushrooms are trendy. People are going crazy over them because of their perceived health benefits, and they’re being used in more ways than ever before. It’s remarkably ironic, given that mushrooms have often had a terrible reputation. You used to see them as food nobody wanted near their plate. Sure, some people loved a mushroom or two, but it was always up there as one of the first things to remove from a pizza.

That’s what makes the mushroom trend so fascinating. What happened to turn the ugly fungus into one of the most sought-after substances in the world? We step inside this growing trend to discover why it’s popular and what the future holds.
The Absurd Nutritional Benefits Of Mushrooms
These strange little fungi are some of the most nutritionally beneficial foods out there. The Mushroom Council (yes, that’s a real thing) sums up some of the key nutritional facts about mushrooms:

0 grams of cholesterol
0 grams of fat
Over 12 vitamins and minerals – including Vitamin D
One of the best sources of 3 different vital B vitamins
Up to 4.9mg of ergothioneine (a powerful antioxidant)
Low in calories
Low in sodium

The only thing a mushroom lacks is protein; otherwise, it would be the best food substance you can consume. However, the fact that mushrooms are so low in calories contributes to its popularity as a health trend. People see it as a superfood that’s easily added to protein sources because it doesn’t add excess calories to a meal. The world is going superfood crazy, so it’s only natural that mushrooms are being pulled into the spotlight.

A Natural Alternative To Meat Products

Vegetarian and vegan diets have grown in popularity since 2019. While only a small percentage of the population follows these diets, you can’t deny that more and more people are willing to make the switch. Moreover, many meat-eaters are looking to cut down on their meat consumption, adding in more vegetarian meals now and then.

It’s created a huge demand for meat alternatives, and that’s where mushrooms come in. Most of the meat alternatives out there are either soy-based or made from lots of artificial ingredients. However, certain types of mushrooms are the perfect meat replacements. King Oyster and Lion’s Mane mushrooms are particularly “meaty” in texture and take on many flavors. All the while, they provide better nutritional benefits than meat – so you can see the demand for these products.

People recognize that certain mushrooms are just as tasty as meat when cooked in the right way. This has also made it popular amongst the dieting community. People realize they can swap meat out for mushrooms and consume far fewer calories overall. It helps them lose weight while ensuring they still get a balanced and healthy diet.

Adaptogenic & Nootropic Properties

Those of you with a keen eye on health trends will notice two major buzzwords in this heading. Mushrooms are regularly talked about when discussions arise about adaptogens and nootropics – but what do these terms mean?

Adaptogens – As explained by UCLA Health, adaptogens are “plant substances (like mushrooms) that help our bodies manage stress and restore balance after a stressful situation.” They contain special ingredients or substances that interact with the body and help it adapt to different stressors.

Nootropics – MedicalNewsToday describes nootropics as “a class of substances that can boost brain performance. They are sometimes called cognition enhancers or memory-enhancing substances. They can affect thinking and other mental functions.”

Mushrooms are one of the few things that fall into both categories – hence a lot of the excitement surrounding them in the health & well-being market. Different types of mushrooms are classed as adaptogens or nootropics, though we tend to see two specific ones thrown into these conversions.

Starting with adaptogenic mushrooms, the main winner here is reishi. These mushrooms are native to East Asia and have been used in Asian medicine for generations. It’s believed that this fungus contains properties to help regulate stress hormones in the body. Some reports also suggest that reishi mushrooms contain compounds that encourage the body to relax and enter a natural sleep cycle. As a result, it’s often used by people looking to reduce stress and anxiety.

From the nootropic side of things, we need only look at lion’s mane mushrooms. They’re probably the trendiest mushrooms on the market today, largely because everyone believes they improve your brain health and focus. Is there truth behind this? Well, non-human studies show some lion’s mane mushroom benefits, including an increase in the production of nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF helps your brain cells grow, and increased production of it is linked to enhanced memory and focus. More studies are needed in humans to see if this benefit transfers over, but it’s very promising and you can see why the world is going crazy for lion’s mane.

A Response To The Growing CBD Market

We’re also noting a dramatic rise in mushroom popularity as the CBD market grows. People are seeing the benefits of taking products derived from cannabis and wonder if there are any similar alternatives. This is where psilocybin mushrooms (or magic mushrooms) come into play.

More and more companies are creating psilocybin mushroom products and marketing them in the same way that CBD products are marketed. These mushrooms are known to elicit psychedelic effects and have been linked to improving depression in some people. Therefore, we think we’ll start seeing more of these mushrooms brought into the world for medicinal purposes, much like CBD and cannabis.

There’s still a lot to learn about these mushrooms before taking them, like how long do shrooms take to hit? They’re much steadier than you may believe and gradually kick in as the mushrooms are broken down in your system. It wouldn’t surprise us to see oils or tinctures made using psilocybin mushrooms in the near future.

Versatile Ways To Enjoy The Benefits Of Mushrooms

All of these points show the different ways mushrooms can potentially be beneficial for your health. However, mushrooms aren’t new. Most people have known about these benefits for decades, possibly even centuries. Why are we only now seeing a growth in popularity?

In our opinion, the mushroom health trend is down to the versatile ways you can now reap the rewards from these fungi. Rather than eating mushrooms with every meal, companies are developing mushroom supplements. You can purchase mushroom powders to mix with water and drink like a protein shake. It’s more convenient, and you get the benefits of mushrooms without having to eat them if you don’t like the taste/texture.

Mushroom coffee is the biggest of all these trends – and we believe it’s solely responsible for the recent mushroom hype. These drinks are designed to give the benefits of coffee but with reduced caffeine, so you don’t get as big of a crash. You remain focused thanks to the mushroom extracts and should start your day better. People love it, and the mushroom trend has grown from it.

Are mushrooms here to stay? Yes, and this is just the beginning of a major health trend. Expect to see more mushroom-based health products and supplements in the coming years.