Is gut health the next stop for medicinal mushrooms? New Prenexus white paper suggests yes.

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Despite medicinal mushrooms’ growing popularity and sales growth in health product categories like immune health and energy support, one market medicinal mushrooms have not yet fully leveraged is the gut health market, says prebiotics supplier Prenexus Health (Gilbert, AZ). The company released a new white paper suggesting that including digestive-supporting mushroom ingredients in products is a way to stand out in the market.

The report notes the rising sales of mushroom ingredients especially in recent years. It states: “One vast area yet untapped in the medicinal mushroom market is gut health."

Certain mushroom ingredients, like one called MyceliaGI that Prenexus is now offering via a partnership with medicinal mushroom supplier Aloha Medicinals, offer prebiotic benefits. MyceliaGI is a proprietary blend of red reishi, maitake, and oyster mushrooms and has been shown to help increase the level of short-chain fatty acids produced by friendly bacteria in the gut.

This ingredient can meet consumers’ growing desire for both prebiotic and mushroom ingredients, says the report, and take advantage of white space. “Often formulated for immunity or energy benefits, medicinal mushrooms have yet to penetrate the explosive digestion market, leaving the playing field open for brands of all types to formulate for function in this burgeoning market.”