‘Mushrooming’ the future of Mushrooms for Immunity: People and Planet

New report reveals the top 5 ways mushrooms will play a role in protecting our immunity in 2026:

• Human and immunity: from the ancient use of mushrooms as medicines to immune-boosting everyday mushrooms converting light into vitamin D, an essential factor in our immune health.
• Food for immunity: how we will be ingesting mushroom’s vital nutrients, from supplements and burgers to drinks. Low in calories, high in nutritional value and considered to be brain boosters.
• Vitamin D: how vitamin D enhances our adaptive immunity and function, and a three-year study currently underway to explore the health benefits of Vitamin D in mushrooms.
• Planetary partners: vertically farmed in forgotten urban spaces, to plastic munching, how mushrooms are leading the smart farming revolution, secretly saving the health of our planet.
• Furniture to Martian mycelium: how mushrooms are being used to make furniture, coffins and to create habitats on lunar missions; mycelium - the compostable material that knows no bounds.

As human consumption of mushrooms hits record growth 24% YOY[1] The UK and Ireland Mushroom Producers is unveiling ‘Mushrooming’ the future of Mushrooms for Immunity: People and Planet. It reveals what we know as mushrooms today, is just a small part of these incredible organisms, working behind the scenes, performing invaluable tasks to humans and our planet.

The new report sets out the ancient history of the mushroom to recent discoveries during COVID-19 times of the amazing benefits of this powerful force of nature and how they have a role to play in delivering immunity for people and the planet. This includes five predictions for how vitamin D-rich mushrooms will be used for the immunity of humans, to help save the planet, and how human mushroom consumption could look in as little as five years.

Noel Hegarty, a spokesperson from The UK and Ireland Mushroom Producers, said: “Although mushrooms can be traced back 500 million years, now more than ever, they have a key role to play in helping people live healthier lives and to protect our immunity.

“Mycelium is Earth’s natural regenerator. We believe a deeper understanding of this natural material has the potential to profoundly impact the future of our health and our planets’.”

Though the pandemic has foregrounded the intrinsic link between the natural world and human health, the link is as old as humanity itself. Nature has been our pharmacist for thousands of years and mushrooms and fungi have been used as medicines and treatments since the beginning.

The report reveals how some people believe we owe our past and future existence on Earth to fungi and scientist, Paul Stamets suggests even humans are derived from mycelium”[2].

1. Human immunity: By 2026 we will see the emergence of food enriched with mushrooms for immunity.

Mushrooms are the superfood at the heart of the recent nutritional awakening due to their ability to help with everything from weight management and oral health to reducing our risk of developing cancer, managing our cholesterol levels, and ensuring our immune systems are in the best possible shape.

Known to convert sunshine or ultraviolet light into vitamin D, an essential factor in our immune health, this year we have seen the rise of functional mushrooms, such as those exclusive to M&S, grown in Somerset, high in vitamin D with an added boost of vitamin B6, to help support the immune system, reduce tiredness and fatigue.

Mushrooms are rich in selenium, required by the body for the normal functioning of the immune system and healthy thyroid function. Selenium also works as a powerful antioxidant, helping to protect against the damage caused by excess free radicals which can damage cells and increase the risk of disease.

Evidence now suggests mushrooms can support healthy immune and inflammatory responses by interacting with the microbes in our gut, both enhancing our adaptive immunity and strengthening the function of our immune cells.

1. Food for immunity: from burgers to beer, we will continue to ingest mushroom nutrients in new ways.

Driven by a combination of environmental concerns and health awareness, many people are reducing their meat intake and switching from animal proteins, high in unhealthy compounds, to meat-free substitutes such as mushrooms.

As our understanding of the huge potential of mushrooms increases, a plethora of new companies are emerging to satisfy (and stimulate) growing demand for edible alternatives that can support health while reducing environmental impacts of our food. The Mighty Mushroom Co was created to bring a range of mushrooms supercharged with vitamins and minerals that boost immunity and is shaking up the meat-free market.