“Shroom boom” spurring mushrooms for digestive health, details Prenexus Health CEO

18 Mar 2022 --- Medicinal mushrooms offer “tremendous promise” for the digestive health category, according to US-based Prenexus Health. The prebiotic ingredient manufacturer argues there is a need for more options in the marketplace to satisfy growing consumer demand.

“The biggest benefit of using mushrooms for digestion is dosage. Most other prebiotics require a very large serving size of around 3 g to 7 g because they are typically fruit fibers,” Michael Bush, CEO of Prenexus Health, tells NutritionInsight.

In contrast, the company’s MyceliaGI mushroom-based prebiotic has been shown to increase butyrate production with as little as 0.5 g – although the recommended serving size is 1 g for full efficacy.

Bush also emphasizes that mushrooms are not created equal regarding digestive benefits. 

“Some mushrooms are not attributed to digestive benefits at all, whereas many are, with the top ones being the three included in MyceliaGI – reishi, oyster and maitake.” MyceliaGI boasts prebiotic efficacy at low doses compared to fruit fibers. 

Tip of the iceberg
According to Prenexus Health, there is currently a “shroom boom,” although Bush says this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of popularity. 

“Fungi supplements performed so well in 2020 that of the 20 ingredients in the natural channel that saw sales growth that year, 20% were mushrooms, according to the American Botanical Council Herbal Supplement Sales Market overview,” he says. 

Additionally, the medicinal mushrooms market share is expected to grow by US$4.55 billion from 2020 to 2025, accelerating at a CAGR of 9.15%, according to Bush. 

Fueling the trend is the multitude of applications – from capsules to foods to beverages – mushrooms are extremely versatile, he outlines.

Innova Market Insights also flags the popularity of mushroom-enriched supplements in North America, with 66% featuring an immunity claim, 52% having a brain or mood health claim and 39% having an energy claim. Diverse delivery forms and a strong safety profile add to mushrooms’ desirability.

Innovation opportunities
When it comes to R&D, there are many promising opportunities for exploration, notes Bush. “Mushrooms are so new to the Western Hemisphere that the space is progressing in a very exciting, fast-paced way.” 

Prenexus Health is continuing research into the digestive and other benefits of MyceliaGI. Meanwhile, Aloha Medicinals – which licenses MyceliaGI – is working in areas like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, compound extraction and dual extraction.

“Aloha Medicinals also just moved into a new facility, making commercial volumes more than achievable. They moved into this new facility to ensure they can handle any volumes that come their way. The only special consideration that comes to mind is lead time for considerable volumes,” says Bush. 

Cross-claim appeal
Prenexus Health suggests that consumer familiarity with mushrooms combined with a growing desire, especially among Millennials, to use food as medicine is driving quick consumer acceptance.

“Millenials are often seeking naturopathic solutions, and each mushroom offers a unique medicinal attribute – digestive support, cognitive function, immune support, oncology, skin and hair, circulation and energy, to name just a few,” notes Bush.

Ease of use, diverse delivery forms and a strong safety profile add to their desirability, he continues. 

Mushrooms were also flagged as a key trend by natural foods broker Presence, which pegged them as poised for mainstream success. 

Meanwhile, Tikun Olam-Cannbit and Ambrosia-SupHerb are teaming up to develop nutritional supplements based on cannabis and mushrooms. 

Also active in this space is VidaCap, which offers mushroom capsules targeting immunity, brain fog and sleep. 

By Katherine Durrell