Talking DIRTEA: overcoming the misconceptions about mushrooms
DIRTEA is a next-generation wellness brand of pure and potent mushroom-based drinks.
Written by HYER NEWSROOM
When brothers Andrew and Simon Salter reached breaking point six years ago, it was mushrooms that brought them back from the brink. Now, they’re spreading the word about the power of medicinal mushrooms and empowering everyone to try them through DIRTEA – a range of mushroom powders and blends that can be incorporated into everyday life, with an incredible impact on health and wellbeing.
Mushrooms are one of life’s marvels.
There are over 5.1 million species of fungi with only 120, 000 species of fungi being identified, 10,000 of which are mushrooms 5% have have been studied and show to be therapeutically useful and with an overall estimate of 98% of fungi that are yet to be identified which is the untapped potential of what more spectacular magic lies beneath our feet.
Without Fungi we’d cease to exist - they are the reason that the forest flourishes and the air that we breathe is fresh. We share approximately 53% of our DNA with fungi and, while the fact that we’re more closely related to mushrooms than to plants is extraordinary, perhaps it goes some way towards explaining why they seem to work on our bodies so effectively.
Interview with Co Founder, Simon Salter
“More than 40% of all medicines are derived from mushrooms, yet only around 8% of fungi have ever been researched.”
Simon Salter, Co-Founder
That’s an awful lot of untapped potential. Our ancestors recognised the power of the mushroom: thousands of years ago, great Chinese leaders and emperors were using mushrooms to help heal themselves, to calm the nervous system and allow them to sleep and perform better. But that understanding has largely been lost in translation. Now, says Simon, there's a generational anxiety, coupled with a lack of knowledge, education and resources - and a tendency to rely on a quick-fix pill, which is rarely worth it for the side effects.
That said, Western knowledge and understanding are catching up, and from mycoremediation (using oyster mushrooms to clean up oil spills and disintegrate cigarette butts), to reversing the symptoms of early-onset dementia, the possibilities from mushrooms seem to be endless.
DIRTEA’s products use some of the world’s most researched functional mushrooms - Reishi, Cordyceps, Chaga and Lion’s Mane - in a range of powders, plus coffee and cacao blends. Designed to be consumed on their own, or added as a supplement to coffee, smoothies or even cocktails, they are organic, sustainably sourced, completely natural, non-GMO, keto and paleo-friendly, and 100% vegan. They also have some impressive health benefits.
Take Lion's Mane, for example. Containing a compound called erinacine which can stimulate the growth of new brain cells, studies show that regular consumption can increase focus, memory and concentration. According to Simon, some customers have weaned themselves off anxiety medication, while others report improved sleep, immune health and digestion.
But DIRTEA isn’t just focusing on the benefits that come from consuming mushrooms. The DIRTEA Tribe brings like-minded individuals together, creating a whole community built on people’s desire to improve and better their wellbeing. Regular sessions take place at the Serpentine lake in London, and are growing in popularity as people find a sense of belonging and unity they have been lacking for the past few years.
“We're a generation where, even though we connect with more people in one day than our ancestors would have done in a lifetime, we still feel alone and as if we’re going through our problems individually.
But this is not an individual pursuit. We're all collectively dealing with something.”
Simon Salter, Co-Founder
As such, there are big plans afoot. Future community events in development include the DIRTEA Weekend, which is taking us out of the concrete jungle and into the woods to understand our connections with nature and our relationships better, and in a couple of years the first ever DIRTEA Festival.
This is the start of what Simon sees as a move towards becoming an authority on all things mushroom. The renewed interest and research into mushrooms and their potential to treat mental health, depression, creative blocks, even addiction, means the opportunity to extend the brand beyond consumables is huge. The brothers are keen to expand their community platforms further, to reach a wider audience and help a whole generation to take control of their bodies. The world is watching and DIRTEA is poised to take centre stage.
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