Mushrooms are more than just a healthy ingredient that adds fiber and protein to your recipes. They also have numerous benefits that span from strengthening immunity to helping you achieve glowing skin. To learn more about the benefits of mushrooms, we turned to Tero Isokauppila, Founder of Four Sigmatic, the mushroom superfood brand that is known for its mushroom coffee. Isokauppila is the author of HealingMushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Adaptogenic Mushrooms for Whole Body Health and Santa Sold Shrooms: The Origin Story of the World's Most Famous Person.

Four Sigmatic recently launched an edible skin care line that uses only food-grade organic ingredients in their products without any plastics, water, or fillers. We chatted with Isokauppila to learn more about the new line and the wonders of mushrooms.

What are some of the health benefits of mushrooms? 

Research suggests that mushrooms may support more than 130 functions in the body. Some of the main ways mushrooms support wellness include providing essential nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin D, and a variety of minerals such as selenium, potassium, and copper. Mushrooms may also support the immune system and help support stress management. They have dietary fiber, which helps support digestion and may increase beneficial gut bacteria. Finally, mushrooms help your skin glow!

Why are mushrooms beneficial in skin care? 

Besides the nutrients needed for overall well-being, many functional mushrooms have an overflowing amount of antioxidant properties, which your skin (and the rest of your body) loves, especially as you age. Antioxidants can help protect your cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals create a cascade of damage in your cells. In your skin, damaged cells show up as wrinkles, dullness, and sagging. This specific antioxidant support combined with the whole body benefits of mushrooms helps your skin glow. 

Are there any types of mushrooms that are particularly powerful when it comes to health and beauty?

My top four mushrooms for skin care are: shiitake, chaga, reishi, and tremella. Shiitake mushrooms provide liver support, and a liver that functions well means glowing skin. Chaga mushrooms are overflowing with antioxidant properties for skin, and also support whole body health. Reishi helps to calm skin redness, and tremella is a very hydrating jelly mushroom. Fun Fact: Tremella holds up to 500 times its weight in water. This water-holding capacity is much more than both hyaluronic acid and glycerin—two ingredients commonly used in expensive moisturizing and “anti-aging” skincare products. 

How can one incorporate mushrooms into their diet, and what are some other ways to experience the benefits of mushrooms?

While I think eating culinary mushrooms is delicious and a wonderful way to increase variety in your daily diet, the mushrooms I’ve mentioned above are all functional mushrooms, which can’t be found in most grocery stores (with the exception of shiitake).

These mushrooms must be extracted to make their benefits available to you. At Four Sigmatic, we extract the fruiting bodies of these functional mushrooms with hot water and alcohol to reap the most benefits. Our functional mushroom skin care products, elixirs, coffees, and teas are made without fillers or carriers—only effective amounts of the mushrooms you want. 

What types of mushrooms are used in the skincare line? 

Currently, we have the Mushroom Face Mask & Tonic, which has both reishi and chaga extracts. The Superfood Serum has reishi spore oil, a very concentrated form of reishi.

Any other fun mushroom facts?

I could go on all day, but for beauty specifically, I love this story: During the Tang dynasty, Yan Guifei (one of the four beauties of Ancient China), used tremella regularly to achieve a “face that put the flowers to shame.” Reishi is known as the Queen of Mushrooms and Chaga is known as the King of Mushrooms, and both are great for skin care for men and women! 

Explore the magic of mushrooms at foursigmatic.com and check out HealingMushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Adaptogenic Mushrooms for Whole Body Health and Santa Sold Shrooms: The Origin Story of the World's Most Famous Person for more mushroom wisdom!

Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer/editor. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram: @zillizy