Unlike white button, shiitake and portobello mushrooms, you won’t find tremella in many dishes. You also don’t often see them in grocery stores in their original form.
Most of what you can buy is processed into powder, dried or bottled in beauty products. However, tremella mushrooms are as healthful as the others and contain nutrients that make them well-loved by people as a culinary ingredient and medicine.
Read on to learn about the various benefits of tremella mushrooms.
Nutritional profile of tremella mushrooms
Tremella mushroom is an edible fungus. It’s a staple in traditional Chinese medicine due to its multiple health benefits.
It’s known by many other terms, such as white jelly mushroom, snow fungus, white wood ear and silver ear, which all describe its features or appearance. It contains protein, fibre and traces of essential nutrients, such as vitamin D, calcium, zinc and folate.
Commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions, the tremella mushroom latches onto tree bark and branches and appears to bloom like a flower or a jellyfish from afar due to its almost transparent color.
It’s hailed for its various medicinal purposes, owing to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits it possesses. However, it boasts more good benefits, making it an important component in health and beauty.
6 health and beauty benefits of tremella mushrooms
Here are some of the best health and beauty benefits of tremella mushrooms:
1. Tremella mushrooms help manage weight
Tremella mushrooms have a low-calorie content. One hundred grams of mushrooms contain only 28 calories, so it’s perfect to include on your healthy plate if you’re trying to lose weight. You can add these to your diet alongside salads, desserts, teas or soups.
2. Tremmella mushrooms moisturise skin
The white fungus is popular for its skin health benefits. It contains polysaccharides — active ingredients with good moisturising and hygroscopic ability. These can help reduce the photodamage on the skin from ultraviolet rays.
In an experiment where experts applied these polysaccharides on animal skin, they found the moisture and collagen content was significantly higher. When taken orally, the tremella mushroom helped regenerate the level of endogenous collagen and normalised the collagen ratio to protect the skin from further sun damage.
If you want to achieve healthier skin, it may be worth considering adding tremella mushrooms to your diet.
3. Tremella mushrooms are organic
The tremella mushroom is mainly saprophytic, meaning it gets its nutrients by breaking down organic matter from a dead wood into more accessible food it can absorb to support its development. It’s naturally grown and doesn’t need pesticides or chemicals, making it a sustainable product that’s good for the environment.
If you’re concerned about the carbon footprint of your food choices, you’ll be glad to know these mushrooms are grown in the most environmentally friendly way. Since it’s organic, they’re also less likely to cause allergies and irritations when applied topically in a powder form.
4. Tremella mushrooms have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits
The polysaccharides in this mushroom have impressive amounts of antioxidant properties that can neutralise free radicals, protecting the healthy cells from damage.
Experts have also discovered it has anti-inflammatory abilities that make it an effective remedy for inflammation-related diseases, such as cancer. In a study of ageing mice, they found polysaccharides to protect heart cells from oxidative damage.
5. Tremella mushrooms may treat chronic diseases
Research also identified the benefits of tremella mushrooms in treating chronic conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, high blood sugar and high cholesterol.
One expert used the mushroom to treat diabetic mice through ingestion. Analysis of before and after treatment found that the 84 genes associated with insulin resistance, obesity and diabetes complications were considerably downregulated, indicating its potential in treating long-term conditions.
Additional findings determined these polysaccharides can regulate mild type 1 diabetes by reducing blood cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
A different study had similar outcomes. After feeding tremella mushrooms to mice with high blood sugar for 15 days, the level of glucose and triglycerides in their bodies significantly went down.
6. Tremella mushrooms may boost your immune system
Researchers looked at the effects of polysaccharides in mice with colitis, a chronic digestive disease that causes colon inflammation. High doses of tremella polysaccharides minimised inflammation and improved the colon. Surprisingly, these benefits were influenced by the anti-inflammatory response of the immune system, prompting healing.
The ingested polysaccharides also helped restore the gut microbiota to maintain intestinal health. They concluded that giving high doses of polysaccharides triggered a positive immune response that fought inflammation.
Enjoy the benefits of tremella mushrooms
Studies prove the many health benefits of tremella mushrooms, from improving skin appearance to managing weight, treating chronic diseases and boosting the immune system.
Feel free to add them to your tea, salad and soup. However, if you experience side effects with any mushrooms, don’t try tremella and get nutritional advice from your doctor or a food expert.
