Fungi help honeybees survive 🍯

IN TODAY’S EDITION

1️⃣ Aspergillus flavus 2️⃣ Mushrooms & cholesterol 3️⃣ The rise of mycoprotein

Hi Shroomer. We had an awesome time at the Texas Mushroom Conference this weekend. There’s just something about mushrooms that can only be experienced in person to feel the gratitude and connection of the fungi community. We’ll be sharing more over the coming weeks. If you see us at a mushroom festival this summer, come say hi!

🍄 Shannon Ratliff, Co-Founder

ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION

1 fungus could help save bees

Protect the pollinators 🐝 Since 2006, commercial beekeepers in the US have reported average honey bee colony loss at 30% each winter and from 2022 to 2023, the Bee Informed Partnership estimates that 48% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. Without honeybees pollinating the world’s crops, entire ecosystems will break down. Luckily, researchers found a fungus that adapted to help bees preserve their most vital resource: bee bread.

• What is bee bread? Honeybees combine pollen, saliva, and nectar into a mixture that ferments within the honeycomb cells. This “bread” supplies essential nutrients for the colony’s survival, and fermentation prevents the vital resource from spoiling.

• Aspergillus flavus: This fungus is often found in bee bread, and researchers have discovered a symbiotic relationship it shares with the bees. The strains of A. flavus sampled from honeybee hives were found to have higher tolerance to acidic conditions, low moisture levels, and exposure to propolis — an antimicrobial substance bees create.

• Benefits for both species: Aspergillus flavus helps to ferment and preserve the bee bread, contributing to a more balanced microbial environment within the hive. In return, the fungus has a safe home within the hive and nutrient sources of its own. Scientists are looking to capitalize on this symbiosis to protect bee populations further. 👉️ Read more here.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Cholesterol, meet your mushroom match

Probiotics vs. prebiotics 🩺 Both are necessary for good gut health, but we rarely talk the difference. Probiotics are foods that contain live bacteria, like yogurt. Prebiotics are bacteria that act as food for probiotics. Mushrooms are a known prebiotic with a good track record of keeping cholesterol levels low in quite a few studies.

• Regulators: Low-density lipoprotein (“bad” cholesterol) leads to fatty acid buildup in the arteries, while high-density lipoprotein (“good cholesterol) helps remove bad cholesterol from the bloodstream. Our gut bacteria works to break down cholesterol, influence its creation, and convert that cholesterol into a less absorbable form.

• Mushroom magic: Medicinal mushrooms like reishi, maitake, lion’s mane, and shiitake contain unique compounds that act as prebiotics. Eating mushrooms regularly can help prevent dysbiosis — an imbalance in the gut microbiota linked to high cholesterol.

• All that and then some: Mushrooms are also rich in antioxidants, triglycerides, phenolics, and anti-inflammatory agents, which lower cholesterol levels and help prevent heart disease. These compounds stop the intestine from absorbing as much cholesterol, which is then excreted. 👉️ Read more here.

HOME COOKING

More than one way to cook a mushroom

From spores to steak 🥩 Around 39% of Americans are cutting back on meat, but that doesn’t necessitate losing out on protein. At the Texas Mushroom Conference, Dissaya Theerakaosal of Shroomeats and Marlon Rison of Community Vegan talked about mushrooms as a sustainable food source. It brought to mind the fact that mushrooms have a greenhouse gas footprint up to 93% smaller than beef burgers.

• How myco meat is made: Mycoprotein is made from continuously harvested mycelium — not from the mushroom fruiting bodies. Mycelium biomass is sterilized and partially dried before being shaped into chunks or mince to give it a more meat-like texture.

• Nutrition facts: Mycoprotein usually has 11 to 15 grams of protein per 100 grams, while lean meat ranges from 26 to 31 grams — which might not sound impressive until you consider that mycoprotein contains far less fat than meat and no cholesterol. Mushroom meat is also high in dietary fiber, which is great for blood sugar levels and that ever-important gut microbiota.

• Availability: Since mycoprotein is still relatively new, pricing and availability vary wildly. Quorn is the most established brand in the space, with newcomers like SHROOMEATS and Meati Foods are appearing on more and more grocery shelves. 👉️ Read more here.

FORAGED FINDS

🎞️ What to watch

Fungi: Web of Life. I wrote about Entangled Life last week, and now I’m finally going to see his Bjork-narrated documentary this week in IMAX 3D. Let Dr. Sheldrake tell you all about it and find it in a theater near you.

♟️ What to (window) shop

This jaw-dropping chess board that is edible vs. poisonous. Truth is, few of us have $500 burning holes in pockets these days. What I do have, however, is air dry clay, paint, and an itch to get crafty.

👀 What to check out

It’s the last day to enter our survey about where you get your mushroom info. All participants are automatically entered to win a $300 Amazon gift card. The winner will be notified tomorrow, May 29.

FEATURED ARTIST

Featured artist: @josepinta_

Life-sized: What would life be like at mushroom scale? @josepinta’s expressive blend of photography and illustration makes me want to find out…

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Stay tuned! We’ll reveal the results this Thursday.

SPREAD THE SPORES

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