OCI Sharing: Functional foods from mushroom are emerging in the United States

Created on:2021-05-23 15:25

Mushroom is rich in polysaccharides, active proteins, phenols, ketones and other functional active substances. Studies have shown that these substances have several beneficial effects on human body, such as immune regulation. The comprehensive utilization of the active substances in mushrooms by extraction and processing process have significant economic and social benefits, which can promote the wide application of mushrooms and their extracts as new food raw materials in all kinds of food, especially functional food.

 

Immune support is one of the main health functions of mushroom ingredients. Some studies have shown that various polysaccharides found in mushrooms have the dual-directional regulation effect on the body’s immune function. Inproving brain health is another main function of mushroom ingredients. For instance, erinacine in Hericium erinaceus can promote the synthetic activity of nerve growth factor (NFG), which plays an important role in maintaining the neural homeostasis of the brain.

 

 

In the past two years, mushroom has gradually become a new generation of raw material for Internet-famous food in the U.S. dietary supplement market. According to the sales data released by SPINS, in 2019, mushrooms appeared in the top 40 best-selling ingredients of natural dietary supplements in the U.S. for the first time. The sales volume of dietary supplements made from mushroom increased by 33% to US $10.6 million in 2019; by 2020, due to meeting the health needs of consumers during COVID-19 period, the sales volume of dietary supplement made from mushroom further increased by 46% to 14.7 million dollars. Immunity and brain health promotion are the main selling points of mushrooms as dietary supplement. Capsule and powder are the most common formulations of mushroom supplement. Consumers have begun to realize the potential health effects of mushroom.

 

There is also a new trend of adding mushroom ingredients to functional beverages. The products are in various forms. For example, adaptogen beverages including adaptogenic mushroom, functional coffee including organic Ganoderma lucidum extract and velvet extract., dairy products with mushroom extract etc.