Application of Mushroom in the Regulation of Gut Microbiome and Maintenance of Gut Health

Abstract

Although mushrooms have been utilized for more than a millennium for therapeutic purposes, their ability to regulate gut flora and thus promote health has not yet been thoroughly understood. A substantial, mainly unexplored supply of potent novel medicinal compounds is found in mushrooms. The ability of mushroom polysaccharides to control gut microbiota by encouraging the growth of helpful bacteria and reducing pathogen levels has attracted a lot of attention recently. This opens up new applications for mushrooms in the nutraceutical and functional food industries. The majority of the health benefits of mushrooms have been linked to their ability to reverse gut microbiota dysbiosis, as mounting data has linked certain gut microbiota species exposure to health concerns. This chapter covers the uses of mushrooms and how they can function as prebiotics to encourage the growth of healthy gut microbiota and help the host's health.