Mushrooms are fascinating specimens! The scientific and health communities are learning more about mushrooms each year, and it’s hard not to admire what they provide us. We’ve curated some facts regarding the medicinal mushrooms that we use in our teas and some of the intriguing features of other mushrooms that you may not have known before. As we see it, no one can ever have too much mushroom knowledge!
Fun Mushroom Facts
- Mushrooms have been consumed and used as medicine for thousands of years[1].
- Mushrooms contain nutrients like B vitamins, D vitamins, and potassium[2] - they also contain beneficial substances like polysaccharides, which studies on animals have shown may be capable of preventing cancer or other inflammatory conditions [3, 4].
- Mushrooms grow because of a substance called ergosterol [2]. While many mushrooms can be characterized by a distinctive round cap with a stem protruding beneath the ground, some mushrooms such as lion’s mane, reishi, and chaga.
- Mushrooms aren’t plants, nor are they animals; this means that fungi have their own place in the animal kingdom[5]. Though they may have some similar features to plants, they require nutrients from other objects because they lack chlorophyll.
- Mycelium is the vegetative structure of fungi, which basically acts like the root system to gather and absorb nutrients. Mushrooms are the “fruiting bodies” of mycelium.
- Natural waste in our environment (i.e., leaves, tree sticks, etc.) is recycled thanks to mushrooms known as saprophytes[6].
- By blending herbal ingredients with mushrooms, tea infusions have been used to extract the benefits of mushrooms for centuries.
Fun Facts Regarding Medicinal Mushrooms
- Shiitake mushrooms are not only one of the most popular mushrooms to eat, but they may also help improve heart function [7].
- The turkey tail mushroom contains a compound known as polysaccharide-K (PSK) [8]. This compound has made the mushroom famous as a promising treatment option for cancer. In fact, Japan has officially approved it as a prescription for people with cancer [9].
- How about one historical fact of its use? I.e., reishi is referred to as the “mushroom of immortality” in traditional Asian medicine because of its revered anti-aging powers.
Fun Facts Regarding Some of The Mushrooms We Use In Our Teas
Lion’s Mane Mushroom
- The lion’s mane mushroom has many nicknames, including some really fun ones like the bearded tooth and pom-pom mushroom [10].
- Lion’s mane doesn’t have a cap like many other mushrooms but rather it has a distinctive “mane” that acts as “teeth” to spread spores [11].
Chaga Mushroom
- The chaga mushroom is mainly found on birch trees but can also be sometimes found on beech, elm, and ash trees [12].
- Chaga mushrooms can be great natural tinders for starting campfires [13].
- Chaga is not technically a mushroom but a mass of mycelium. [14]. It is often referred to as the “king” of medicinal mushrooms.
There’s A Lot to Love About Mushrooms
Mushrooms are an amazing resource that nature has provided us, and we’re always looking to learn more about them and incorporate their benefits into our delicious teas. We’ve barely tapped the surface of what amazing mushrooms can do!
You can visit our shop page to see all our different amazing mushroom teas.
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