Mushrooms have long been a staple on the North American dinner plate, but Rritual Superfoods, a premium wellness company based out of Vancouver, wants to put them in your mug as well. The company, which sells and promotes adaptogen mushrooms, like reishi mushrooms, chaga and lion’s mane, is offering their drinkable fungi in sleek new packaging and easy-to-use pre-portioned sticks. In the process, they hope to bring these less-common mushrooms into the mainstream.
Growing Evidence
The company’s push toward promoting functional mushrooms comes on the heels of mounting evidence that these traditionally-used fungi carry various health benefits.
For instance, chaga mushrooms have a long history of traditional medicinal use in certain Cree regions of North America, as well as in East Asia, where they are used to treat several ailments, from gastritis to ulcers. Modern studies show that the mushrooms may slow oxidative stress, lower cholesterol and even fight cancer.
Lion’s mane mushrooms and Reishi mushrooms have similar histories, their use dating back centuries (possibly even millennia). Again, modern scientific research has borne out some of the health claims surrounding these mushrooms. Recent research in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine found that the Reishi mushroom “has multiple biological functions and should be considered as an effective modern medicine.”
Growing Interest
The global wellness industry was worth an estimated $4 trillion in 2020 and seems poised to continue its ascendancy in coming years. Even in the midst of a global pandemic (or, perhaps, because of the pandemic), people are taking a renewed interest in plant-based health products including drinkable fungi.
It’s fair to wonder whether consumers will accept the concept of “drinking powdered mushrooms,” but data shows that consumers are increasingly receptive. Data Bridge Market Research, writing for The Courier, forecast an “impressive” growth rate for functional mushrooms in 2021-2026, not only in the Asia-Pacific region but in North America as well.
Certified Organic
Rritual recently received United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic certification. Their products were independently verified to be free of toxic pesticides, antibiotics and GMOs. About the news, Rritual CEO David Kerbel called it a “third-party validation of the quality of Rritual’s products.”
In an industry like wellness, the “organic” designation is hugely important. Consumers look at the official seal as a signifier of healthy and sustainable products. Gaining USDA certification, therefore, was a significant milestone for Rritual Superfoods in its push to make functional mushrooms part of the mainstream conversation.
It may take time for the average North American to embrace the idea of drinkable fungi entirely, but, luckily for Rritual, the sea change seems well underway. Mushrooms like reishi, chaga and lion’s mane have long histories of use in traditional medicine, and modern science is helping verify many of the benefits. If the sale of functional mushrooms follows apace with the growth of the wellness industry as a whole, expect to see more mushrooms at your local café in the near future.
