Mushrooms and Gut Health: Power Up with Prebiotics*
Why People are Paying Attention to the Connections Between Mushrooms and Gut Health*
There is a reason for the trend around gut health — it has been proven that our ‘second brain’ is in our gut, which has an enormous impact on our brain chemistry.* The health of our internal ecosystems is not to be dismissed. Consider an important lesson from nature: There is strength in diversity. As humans, the majority of our food is plant- and animal-based, but we run the risk of overlooking an entire kingdom of nurturing organisms. Let’s talk about mushrooms and gut health, and how adding more fungal-based foods can encourage that sacred, necessary diversity within us.*
Mushrooms as Prebiotics
Mushrooms don’t necessarily have a reputation as being beneficial to gut heath; however, their carbohydrate profiles make them a great choice to if you're looking to add more prebiotics to your diet.* Mushrooms contain chitin, a variety of other carbohydrate forms including, β and α-glucans, mannans, xylans, hemicellulose, and galactans. These components support gut microbiota growth.*
When friendly bacteria is predominant, you are equipped with an internal army that supports overall health.* A healthy gut supports metabolism function, exercise, a sense of clarity and a normal mood.*
Probiotics and prebiotics are both essential to keep this microbiome in optimal health.* In short, probiotics replenish gut bacteria, while prebiotics nourish gut bacteria. Think of consuming probiotics like adding fish to a pond, and prebiotics like nourishing the fish already in the pond. This is the main connection between consumption of mushrooms and gut health.*
Familiar Fungi
It’s impossible to discuss mushrooms and gut health without also mentioning mushrooms’ cousin, kombucha.
There is a common misconception that kombucha comes from a mushroom. This is kind of true, and is largely due to a misunderstanding of fungi. Mushrooms are fungi, but only make up a fraction of the kingdom. That is to say, a fungus is not usually a mushroom. Fungi encompasses an entire kingdom, and many fungal species do not fruit any mushrooms, simply remaining as an expanding mycelial network or as a budding yeast.
Yeast is also a part of the fungi kingdom, and it is in fact the fungus that makes kombucha. Scoby (the “starter seed” for making kombucha) is an acronym for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The yeast used to culture most kombucha is either acetobacter xylinoides or acetobacter ketogenum.
Mushrooms and Gut Health: Turkey Tail Mushroom*
While consuming a variety of mushrooms and fermented foods, like kombucha, will equip you with all those good prebiotics, turkey tail stands out as a powerhouse of nutrients for our microscopic friends.* In vitro studies show that turkey tail can support populations of good bacteria, namely Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, to crowd out populations of bad bacteria. It’s one of the 10 mushrooms in our Daily 10 Tincture.
Revive Your Gut Health with Mushrooms*
Consider our dual-extracted, organically grown and processed mushroom tincture for potent, full spectrum benefits! A wonderful source of fungal prebiotics. Try Turkey Tail in our Daily 10 Tincture today!
