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One of the hardest parts about choosing supplements is finding ones from the most nutrient-dense sources possible. For example: how do you know what kind of mushroom supplements to buy? What’s the difference between the fruiting body and mycelium? Extract and plain powder? We’re here to help answer your questions!

Tremella Mushroom, also known as Tremella Fuciformis, is often called the beauty mushroom and is getting a lot of attention in wellness circles… but what exactly is it? This mushroom, which is also known as the “snow mushroom” in reference to its pearly white fruiting body, is an edible species of fungus that’s been used in Eastern medicine for its skin benefits for centuries. Tremella can be found in many tropical and subtropical regions, as well as in temperate areas of North America, Europe, and Asia. This superfood mushroom is a powerful skincare ingredient thanks to its ability to retain water and its abundant nutrients. Tremella fuciformis shares some properties with hyaluronic acid, primarily its ability to boost skin hydration and pull moisture into the skin, plumping its appearance and fighting signs of aging thanks to its gelatinous structure.* Even better, the tremella mushroom is high in natural antioxidants and has inflammatory properties.*

What is the Fruiting Body?

The fruiting body of a mushroom is the stalk and cap part of the mushroom. It is what you could call the “reproductive structure” of the mushroom. The fruiting body portion is the most recognizable part of the mushroom. Many people think this is the only part of the mushroom that has value to it, which is not true.

What is Mycelium?

Below the fruiting body is a web of mycelial fibers that support and produce the fruiting body before it has come into its full form. 

What Makes Up My Supplements?

Each of the structures of the mushroom, the fruiting body, and the mycelium, play an important role in the life cycle of a mushroom. Some mushroom supplements use both parts and other types use one or the other. They both have benefits unique to them that are a part of supplements. What matters most when making a mushroom supplement is where the mushroom houses the most nutrients. Often the fruiting body is where you can find the most bioactive compounds that are beneficial when using mushrooms to supplement. Utilizing these bioactive compounds is what makes the supplement most beneficial to you! When extracting from mycelium, it can be tricky to separate it from the grain it is grown on, but some supplemental mushrooms do use the mycelium because it has unique components for that type that are important to include. 

When looking into what part is the most beneficial for supplementing the Tremella Mushroom, the fruiting body houses the most nutrients and makes up the extract found in our beauty blends.

How Does Copina Co. Use their Mushrooms?

Copina Co. makes sure to use tremella fuciformis fruiting body extract in all our blends. We also only use an organic mushroom extract for maximum benefits to your hair, skin, and nails.*  Using a mushroom extract is important because the extract makes the nutrients more bioavailable to you. When it is in plain powder form, the nutrients are not fully available. In this form, it is almost as if you are consuming fiber powder. We include tremella mushrooms in all of our plant-based collagen boost blends, which help with skin moisturization and, when combined with our other collagen supporting botanicals, aid your body’s collagen synthesis, helping you to get stronger hair, skin, and nails.* Most collagen supplements rely on animal products, but Copina Co. is an entirely vegan collagen supplement that uses a powerful blend of plant botanicals, including the superfood snow mushroom. If you want to read more about all the amazing benefits of Tremella Mushroom for your collagen production, take a peek at one of our Tremella Mushroom benefit blog posts. 

If you are even more interested in learning about the use of mushrooms in medicinal settings, Fantastic Fungi is an interesting documentary that covers, “the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network that can heal and save our planet. Through the eyes of renowned scientists and mycologists like Paul Stamets, and best-selling authors like Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, Andrew Weil, and others, we become aware of the beauty, intelligence, and solutions that the fungi kingdom offers in response to some of our most pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges.”

So, Fruiting Body or Mycelium?

When it comes to supplementing the tremella mushroom, the fruiting body holds the most benefits and active nutrients to supplement. That is why at Copina Co. we worked hard to make sure our extract was all organic and all made from the fruiting body. But it isn’t just us who know the power of mushrooms’ fruiting bodies. Many who have studied medicinal mushrooms have broken down the benefits of the fruiting body over the mycelium. Through our extract, your body is more able to absorb and reap the benefits of our favorite beauty mushrooms. 

When looking at your supplements you should see the background behind how they are made and what each part of the mushroom gives to the supplement’s nutrients. Although we only can speak on how we use our Tremella Mushroom supplement, we know there are other amazing benefits that come from trying other mushrooms such as lion’s mane or reishi. 

We love educating ourselves on how different plant-derived supplements like our drink blends can help us supplement our bodies. If you want to learn more about plant education over at Copina Co. check out these: 

• The Skin-Boosting Benefits Of Hyaluronic Acid
• How Amla Benefits Your Hair
• Ashwagandha Benefits For Women
• Gotu Kola Benefits For Skin

 If you want to learn more about tremella mushrooms in particular and are more of a visual learner, take a peek at our Tik Tok about why we use the fruiting body. 

 If you want some more shroom education, take a look at a few of our TikToks that break down how and why we love our Tremella Mushroom Extract. 

• Why You Should Drink Your Mushrooms
• 2 Tips on Buying Superfoods
• How We “Make it”