Sip your way to an instant glow with tremella, the mushroom of our dewy-skin dreams. This sweet medicinal mushroom not only transforms the skin for the kind of lit-from-within glow we all crave, but also nourishes the body from the inside-out. Here, the founder of SuperFeast, Mason Taylor, gives us the lowdown on the many ways it can be of benefit to our health and beauty regimens. Drink up.

What is tremella?
Tremella (tremella fuciformis) is a medicinal mushroom that I call the ‘dessert mushroom’, due to its beautiful, slightly sweet vanilla flavour.

What benefits does it have to the body?
Tremella has been used by different cultures for various reasons over the years. The Taoists were some of the first people to discover its benefits - they observed its youth-preserving qualities when used daily, and the dewey, soft skin that results from its consumption was attributed largely to the lubrication that Tremella brings to our connective and deep tissue, including the vital organs.

Tremella helps to improve general lung function, while lubricating the lung tissue. In traditional Chinese medicine it's said that the lungs govern the skin, and when the lungs are healthy, the skin shines; just one more reason that tremella can help us to maintain healthy skin. Traditional herbalists also used the mushroom to restore digestive health, as it has been shown to reduce inflammation in the gut, act as a prebiotic for healthy bacteria and aid the restoration of digestive power. In Japan, tremella mushroom extract is commonly used as a natural preventative measure to protect against high cholesterol and finally, it performs the core actions of all medicinal mushrooms on the body - it feeds the immune system and helps it to maintain a balance, protecting us from infection.

What are the benefits for our skin?
Tremella has also been shown to act in the same way as hyaluronic acid, often referred to in beauty circles as the 'fountain of youth'. Like hyaluronic acid, the mushroom draws and holds moisture through the skin’s layers. There is a polysaccharide contained in Tremella that can hold the equivalent of nearly 500 times its weight in water, so you can imagine how amazing it is for keeping your connective tissues lubricated and for increasing the formation of collagen, making it one of the best anti-ageing substances for us both inside and out.

How can (and should) it be consumed?
Smoothies are a great way to incorporate it into our daily routine, as it acts as a natural sweetener. It also mixes magically in healthy hot elixirs such as medicinal mushroom hot chocolates, and is a great non-dairy ingredient for adding creaminess to healthy dessert recipes. You can start by including half a teaspoon of tremella extract into your daily diet, and work up to one or two teaspoons a day.

Who should include tremella in their diet?
Being a food-grade medicinal herb, tremella can be included in the diet of anyone who wishes to enhance their overall health and vitality and maintain a youthful appearance and physical agility. Both woman and men who have lung issues can benefit from its healing properties, especially people with palpitations or shortness of breath. Those with stagnant digestion will also love the gut-based benefits of this magic mushroom.