10:1 Extract
A highly concentrated extract where approximately 10 kg of raw Snow Fungus is reduced to 1 kg of extract. This offers higher levels of key active compounds at a lower dose than standard dried powder.
Fungal name: Tremella fuciformis (fruiting body / cultivated mycelium)
Family name: Tremellaceae (Jelly fungi family)
Other names: Snow fungus, Snow ear, White jelly mushroom, Yin Er (China), Silver ear mushroom
Origin: East and Southeast Asia; now widely cultivated worldwide
Parts used: Fruiting body and/or cultivated mycelium
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Short Description
Snow Fungus is a gentle, deeply hydrating medicinal mushroom traditionally used to moisten the lungs, nourish the skin, and restore vitality following dryness, illness, or ageing. Its primary active compounds are Tremella polysaccharides, gel-forming β-glucans, and heteropolysaccharides that function similarly to hyaluronic-acid-type water binders in the body. Modern research highlights Snow Fungus as a skin hydration and barrier support, a gut lining protector, and an immune-metabolic modulator that promotes antioxidant levels, balanced inflammation, and healthy glucose and lipid patterns over time.
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Body Systems Affected
• Skin & connective tissue (integumentary) – Supports hydration, elasticity, and antioxidant skin defence
• Respiratory system (lungs) – Traditional moistening tonic for dry cough and depleted lungs
• Digestive system (gut lining & microbiome) – Nourishes mucosa, supports barrier integrity, and gut-immune tone
• Immune system – Modulates innate and adaptive immune responsiveness
• Endocrine/metabolic system – Supports glucose handling, lipid balance, and metabolic inflammation control
• Liver/detox pathways – Helps protect against oxidative and fatty-liver stress patterns
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Summary of Health Benefits
Snow Fungus is best understood as a hydration-repair mushroom that functions on the skin–gut–immune axis. Traditional Chinese medicine described it as a “yin-nourishing” tonic for people with dryness, weak lungs, rough skin, constipation caused by low fluids, or for recovery after fever and prolonged illness. This “moistening” tradition aligns well with modern findings that Tremella polysaccharides attract water, form protective gels on tissues, and soothe inflammatory oxidation that accelerates ageing.
Human clinical evidence is strongest for supporting cognitive and nervous system health, where oral Snow Fungus supplementation improved subjective memory complaints, short-term memory, and executive function over 8 weeks in adults with early cognitive decline. This positions Snow Fungus as a gentle neuro-nourishing tonic, especially when stress, inflammation, and ageing diminish clarity and recall. (PubMed)
For skin and barrier health, most human data currently come from topical studies and cosmetic trials showing improved hydration, reduced water loss, and smoother texture when Tremella extracts are applied externally. While internal capsule trials for skin are still limited, the same polysaccharides responsible for topical hydration are highly bioactive in gut-lining and systemic models, indicating a meaningful inside-out skin role with long-term use.
Preclinical and mechanistic studies add further depth: Snow Fungus polysaccharides consistently reduce gut inflammation, strengthen tight junction proteins, promote beneficial microbiota, and improve metabolic inflammation associated with blood-sugar and lipid imbalances. Over consistent weeks, this translates clinically to steadier hydration, calmer digestion, enhanced skin resilience, and improved recovery capacity—especially in “dry, depleted, stressed, or inflamed” body patterns.
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Traditional & Historical Uses
In ancient Chinese kitchens and apothecaries, Snow Fungus was regarded as a quiet treasure. It was simmered into pear-sweet soups for dry coughs, served to elders whose skin had become thin and brittle, and given to those recovering from fever when their bodies felt scorched and empty. Families watched it swell into a pale, jelly-like cloud in the cooking pot—an image that reflected its purpose: to restore moisture to areas where life had dried out. Over generations, it came to symbolise gentle restoration, a medicine that does not force change but gradually returns softness, clarity, and strength to the body.
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Benefits Breakdown
★★★★★ High-Quality Human Clinical Evidence
• Cognitive support (subjective memory decline / early impairment)
How it helps: Improves subjective memory complaints, short-term memory, and executive function when taken daily for several weeks.
How it works: Tremella polysaccharides support neuro-protection, antioxidant signalling, and synaptic plasticity pathways linked with learning and recall.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29319408/ (PubMed)
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★★★★ Emerging Human Clinical Evidence
• Skin hydration & barrier support (topical human trials)
How it helps: Improves skin moisture, reduces transepidermal water loss, and supports smoother texture in small human cosmetic studies.
How it works: Polysaccharides form a water-binding film, mimic hyaluronic-acid-like hydration, and protect collagen from oxidative loss.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7323351/ (PMC)
• Cognition in mixed-formula beverage trials
How it helps: Early RCTs using beverages that include Snow Fungus show improvements in specific cognitive test measures.
How it works: Likely via antioxidant neuro-protection and reduced inflammatory brain stress.
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/19/4221 (MDPI)
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★★★ Preclinical & Experimental Evidence
• Gut-lining integrity & microbiome repair
How it helps: Reduces colitis severity, supports barrier repair, and improves gut microbial balance in multiple models.
How it works: Inhibits inflammatory signalling, increases tight-junction proteins, and boosts SCFA-producing bacteria.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33744251/ (PubMed)
• Blood-sugar regulation & insulin sensitivity
How it helps: Lowers glucose, improves insulin-resistance markers, and reduces metabolic inflammation in high-fat/diabetic models.
How it works: Polysaccharides influence AMPK/PI3K-Akt pathways and reduce LPS-driven insulin resistance through microbiome shifts.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9760882/ (PMC)
• Lipid balance & fatty-liver protection (NAFLD patterns)
How it helps: Reduces hepatic fat accumulation and improves lipid markers in diet-stress models.
How it works: Down-regulates fat-synthesis genes and lowers oxidative liver injury.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8947202/ (PMC)
• Immune modulation & anti-inflammatory activity
How it helps: Enhances defence readiness while reducing excessive levels of inflammatory cytokines in immune-stress models.
How it works: Tremella β-glucans bind immune receptors (e.g., TLRs), normalising the tone of innate and adaptive responses.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9499394/ (PMC)
• Skin anti-ageing & collagen protection (preclinical)
How it helps: Reduces oxidative skin ageing and preserves dermal moisture and collagen markers in ageing models.
How it works: Polysaccharides inhibit NF-κB/MMP pathways and improve hyaluronic-acid and collagen retention signals.
https://journal.pan.olsztyn.pl/pdf-163612-89692?filename=89692.pdf (Polish J. Food Nutr. Sci.)
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★★★ Traditional & Nutritional Evidence
• Yin/moisture tonic for lungs, skin, and recovery
How it helps: Traditionally used for dryness, dry cough, depleted convalescence, and ageing weakness.
How it works: Slow, gel-like polysaccharide nourishment restores tissue moisture and resilience.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8172338/ (PMC)
• Beauty-longevity food medicine
How it helps: Long used as a culinary tonic for softer skin, smoother digestion, and long-term vitality.
How it works: Hydrating polysaccharides plus antioxidant sterols support inside-out tissue renewal.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1663327/full (Frontiers)
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Skin & Topical Care
Therapeutic
• Dry, inflamed, or “thin-barrier” skin patterns (inside-out support)
How it helps: Long-term oral use may support better hydration, calmer inflammation, and improved repair where dryness triggers eczema-like or reactive skin flares.
How it works: Tremella polysaccharides bind water systemically, reduce oxidative inflammation, and support gut-immune balance that often drives skin reactivity.
• Stress-ageing / dullness patterns
How it helps: Supports resilience in skin exposed to stress, high inflammation, or metabolic strain.
How it works: Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions protect collagen and reduce inflammation-driven ageing signals.
Personal Care / Anti-Ageing
• Topical hydration booster
How it helps: Tremella extract improves moisture retention, softness, and elasticity when used in creams, toners, or gels.
How it works: Polysaccharides form a breathable, hydrating film similar to hyaluronic acid, reducing water loss and supporting a healthier skin microbiome.
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Research & Modern Findings
Cognitive Function / Early Memory Decline
How it helps: Improves subjective memory complaints and objective short-term memory/executive test performance in an 8-week RCT.
How it works: Neuro-protective antioxidant signalling and support of synaptic plasticity pathways.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29319408/
Skin Hydration & Barrier Repair (Topical evidence)
How it helps: Increases stratum corneum hydration and decreases water loss in topical human trials.
How it works: Hyaluronic-acid-like water binding and protective film formation by Tremella polysaccharides.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7323351/
Gut-Lining Integrity / Microbiome Support
How it helps: Protects inflamed gut tissue and improves microbial balance in colitis models.
How it works: Inhibits inflammation and strengthens tight junction barrier proteins in epithelial cells.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33744251/
Metabolic Support (Glucose & Lipids)
How it helps: Reduces blood sugar, weight gain, lipid overload, and fatty-liver stress in metabolic models.
How it works: AMPK-linked metabolic regulation plus microbiome-mediated inflammation reduction.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9760882/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8947202/
Immune & Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms
How it helps: Enhances balanced defence readiness while reducing excess inflammatory cytokines.
How it works: β-glucans interact with TLR-type immune receptors to normalise innate/adaptive signalling.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9499394/
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Emotional, Mental & Spiritual Influences
• Emotional: Softens depletion-driven irritability and restores calm steadiness.
• Mental: Supports clear recall and steady focus where dryness, stress, or ageing dulls cognition.
• Spiritual: Represents quiet renewal—moisture returning life to what feels dried out.
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Properties
• Hydration tonic – Restores tissue moisture and softness.
• Demulcent-like – Forms soothing protective gels on mucosa.
• Immunomodulating – Balances immune over- and under-activity.
• Anti-inflammatory – Calms chronic low-grade inflammatory signalling.
• Antioxidant – Shields tissues from oxidative ageing stress.
• Metabolic support – Encourages healthier glucose and lipid handling.
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Actions
• Moistens and nourishes tissues – Supports hydration of skin and mucosa.
• Supports gut barrier repair – Strengthens intestinal lining and microbiome tone.
• Enhances cognitive clarity – Supports memory and executive function resilience.
• Balances immune response – Improves defence readiness without overstimulation.
• Regulates metabolic inflammation – Supports glucose/lipid equilibrium over time.
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Active Constituents
• Tremella polysaccharides (hetero-β-glucans) – Primary hydration, gut-immune, and antioxidant actives.
• β-1,3 / β-1,6 glucans – Immune receptor modulators and barrier supporters.
• Mannose-/xylose-rich glycoproteins – Contribute to moisture binding and neuro-protective effects.
• Ergosterol derivatives – Antioxidant and inflammation-balancing sterols.
• Polyphenols & peptides – Additional oxidative and tissue-repair support.
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Nutritional Profile
• Polysaccharide-rich functional fibre
• Moderate protein and amino acids
• Vitamin D precursors (ergosterol)
• Trace minerals supporting antioxidant enzymes
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Herbs / Mushrooms It Pairs With
• Reishi – Stress-immune hydration synergy and deeper resilience.
• Lion’s Mane – Cognitive + nervous-system pairing for clarity and memory.
• Maitake / Turkey Tail – Gut-immune axis reinforcement via β-glucans.
• Marshmallow / Slippery Elm (or demulcent herbs) – Traditional dryness-repair synergy for lungs and gut.
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How to Use
Take with water, preferably with food:
• Daily wellness: 1 capsule once daily with breakfast
• Ongoing support: 1 capsule twice daily (morning & late afternoon)
• Intensive support: 2 capsules twice daily for 6–12 weeks, then reduce to Ongoing support
Do not exceed the recommended dose unless advised by a healthcare professional.
Tips for best results
Snow Fungus works slowly and steadily—hydration and barrier benefits build over weeks rather than days. Consistent daily use, good water intake, and a diet rich in fibre and healthy fats amplify gut-lining and skin results. Many people notice the best “beauty and calm” effects when Snow Fungus is taken through dry seasons, high-stress periods, or recovery phases. Pairing with other β-glucan mushrooms deepens immune and gut benefits.
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Contra-Indications & Cautions
Snow Fungus is generally considered very safe as both food and a supplement. Mild digestive upset is possible in sensitive individuals when starting high doses; reduce and build up gradually if needed. Avoid use if allergic to mushrooms. Because Snow Fungus can modulate immune signalling, people with autoimmune disease or those on immunosuppressive therapy should consult a practitioner before use. Safety data for high-strength extracts during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and in young children are limited, so use in these groups should be practitioner-guided.
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Disclaimer
This product is a natural mushroom-based health supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided is educational and reflects traditional and holistic use. Under the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965, this product may be classified as a complementary medicine/health supplement and has not been evaluated by SAHPRA for quality, safety, or intended use. Consult a healthcare practitioner before use, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children. Store in a cool, dry place.
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Cultivation Snapshot
• Traditionally grows on dead hardwood in cool, humid forests; now widely cultivated on sterile substrates.
• Fruiting bodies form soft, gelatinous “ears” and mature in a few weeks.
• Careful humidity and airflow are essential for clean, full growth.
• Cultivation is sustainable and protects wild populations, which are often sparse in natural habitats.
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