It’s not a fad, Mom and Dad. Functional mushrooms are not a fad.
While the market for functional mushrooms has, well, mushroomed in the past few years, the history of using fungi for their medicinal properties is long and diverse. From the snowy peaks of the Alps, to the monastic retreats of the Himalayas, humans have turned to functional mushrooms for aid and nourishment for thousands of years.
These days, you don’t have to look much further than the ZHROOM Hydration Immunity Mix to get your daily dose of galvanizing mushrooms. Our mushrooms are USDA-certified organic, and are all grown right here in the United States, making for an expertly-curated and safely produced functional blend. But the story is much deeper.
So what are the origins of the functional mushroom?
Around the World
Let’s travel back in time to 3300 BC, to the age of Ötzi the Ice Man. This prehistoric hiker was hardly surviving a treacherous expedition through the Italian Alps, traversing the wind and the snow in the dead of winter. It’s hard to tell how long he survived, but when anthropologists discovered Ötzi’s body thousands of years later, they also found some fascinating carry-on items in his pouch: Amadou and Birch Polypore, two varieties of functional mushrooms. These handy fungi likely aided Ötzi as bacterial inhibitors, bolstering his health along the journey.
Several millennia later, the Greek physician and forefather of medicine Hippocrates once again turned to the Amadou mushroom. In about 450 BCE, Hippocrates lauded the fungus for use as an anti-inflammatory for cauterizing wounds.
By the 5th century CE, the Chinese alchemist Tao Hongjing had recorded the utility of Reishi mushrooms among other medicinal fungi. Tao’s writings describe Reishi as a fortifying mushroom that assisted proper blood circulation. At the same time, Tao’s Japanese neighbors were using Turkey Tail mushrooms to boost immunity and ward off infection.
And all the way across the world, Indieginous Americans were using a variety of mushrooms for their medicinal benefits. Some Native peoples turned specifically to Puffball mushrooms to heal wounds. In each of these instances, mushrooms have proven to be dependable natural aids to health and immunity.
Fast Track
These natural little gems have been proving their weight for thousands of years. So why is everyone talking about functional mushrooms now? There are a few explanations for the recent explosion of the functional mushroom in the past few years.
For one, a series of new studies have put into modern scientific terms what mushroomists have known for millennia: that they offer unparalleled natural health benefits. At the same time, cultural appetite has shifted towards the natural and plant-based when it comes to immune support. When these new data combined with the culture, it was mushroom magic. In fact, by 2018, Whole Foods listed functional mushrooms as one of their Top Food Trends for the new year, noting their “rich flavor” and their ability to “support wellness.”
But the buzz around functional mushrooms only increased by late 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic reinvigorated the quest for natural immune boosters. In 2021, Report Linker estimated that the functional mushroom market would register a CAGR of 8.44% in the coming five years. In other words, as mushrooms continue to prove their power, popular demand will also increase.
With supplements, in food products, in soaps and shampoos, functional mushrooms are on track to become a staple of the health world. But you don’t have to wait for the trend to bubble if you want your daily dose of healthy, power-punching mushrooms…
Global Blend
The ZHROOM Hydration Immunity Mix makes use of six functional mushrooms, picked from over a hundred thousand species worldwide:
- Reishi for circulatory health
- Lion’s Mane for neurological health
- Cordyceps for stamina and endurance
- Shitake for regulating cholesterol and blood pressure
- King Trumpet for bone health
- Turkey Tail for inflammation management
Our electrolyte-packed blend of USDA-certified organic functional mushrooms is 100% grown in the United States. But the mushrooms themselves have roots all across the world, making our blend a truly eclectic mix of the planet’s finest fungi. Together, these mushrooms descend from species indeginous to Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and North Africa.
With a deep history that spans a vast planet, functional mushrooms have proven their efficacy over thousands of years. And we’re only coming to understand these rich pearls more and more each day. Functional mushrooms are no fad—they’re the past, present and the future.
*LEGAL DISCLAIMER*
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE IMPLEMENTING ANY NEW DIET, EXERCISE AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENT PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE PREEXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR ARE TAKING PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS. THE STATEMENTS MADE ON THIS WEBSITE ARE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT MEANT TO REPLACE THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.