Tremella

Also called Tremella fuciformis, snow fungus, snow mushroom, silver ear mushroom, white jelly fungus.

Best grade D across 3 graded outcomes Mushroom Last checked Oct 21, 2026

The short answer

From 5 sources

Tremella, or snow fungus, is an edible mushroom rich in polysaccharides. Human evidence is thin: one 8-week trial of 600–1,200 mg/day of extract improved memory scores in adults with memory complaints, and a 12-week beverage trial reported small within-group drops in HbA1c in prediabetes. Skin claims rest mostly on lab and animal work.

Every graded outcome on this page

3 rows · line = participants

Grade DSubjective memory complaints, short-term memory and executive functionMemoryn 75
Grade DMemory and reaction time with a fish roe, snow fungus and yeast drinkMemoryn 64
Grade DHbA1c and waist circumference in prediabetesBlood sugarn 56

Key facts

Memory trial: 600 or 1,200 mg/day for 8 weeks improved memory complaint scores versus placebo in 75 adults¹
Adverse events: Similar to placebo in the memory trial (35–40% vs 41%)¹
Prediabetes trial: HbA1c fell from 6.03% to 5.96% within the Tremella group over 12 weeks²
Skin evidence: Mostly lab and animal studies; clinical research is still needed⁴

What it is

Tremella (snow fungus) is an edible mushroom used in Asian cooking and sold as a polysaccharide extract.

How it works

Proposed

Tremella's polysaccharides are reported to have antioxidant, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective activity in lab and animal studies; the prediabetes trial attributes any glucose effect to its β-glucan. None of these mechanisms has been confirmed in people.^2,4

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Tremella forms compared

2 forms

Tremella forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 forms	Fuciformis extract (capsule)	Beverage or whole mushroom food
Absorption in people	No human absorption data in the cited studies.¹	No human absorption data in the cited studies.²
GI tolerance	Adverse-event rates matched placebo at 600–1,200 mg/day for 8 weeks.¹	No adverse events in a 12-week beverage trial.²
Studied for	Subjective memory complaints and cognitive tests	HbA1c and waist circumference in prediabetes

Tremella fuciformis extract (capsule)
Absorption in people
No human absorption data in the cited studies.¹
GI tolerance
Adverse-event rates matched placebo at 600–1,200 mg/day for 8 weeks.¹
Studied for
Subjective memory complaints and cognitive tests
Tremella beverage or whole mushroom food
Absorption in people
No human absorption data in the cited studies.²
GI tolerance
No adverse events in a 12-week beverage trial.²
Studied for
HbA1c and waist circumference in prediabetes

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

3 graded outcomes, largest study first

3 graded outcomes: 2 improved, 1 mixed. The largest, a 2018 randomized trial of 75 people on subjective memory complaints, short-term memory and executive function, found an improvement.

By sizeTable

1Subjective memory complaints, short-term memory and executive function

Improved · Grade D · RCT, 75 people, 2018

Adults with subjective cognitive impairment

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Subjective memory complaints, short-term memory and executive function	Improved	75	Grade D · RCT, 2018	Adults with subjective cognitive impairment
Memory and reaction time with a fish roe, snow fungus and yeast drink	Improved	64	Grade D · RCT, 2023	Adults with subjective cognitive complaints
HbA1c and waist circumference in prediabetes	Mixed	56	Grade D · RCT, 2024	Adults with overweight or obesity and prediabetes (registered in the Thai Clinical Trials Registry)

Every graded row

3 rows

Grade DSubjective memory complaints, short-term memory and executive functionMemoryImprovedRCT
n 75 · 2018

Improved Both Tremella groups improved more than placebo on the subjective memory complaint questionnaire, and on short-term memory and executive function tests. Adverse event rates were similar across groups (40.4% high dose, 35.1% low dose, 41.4% placebo).

Design: RCT, n = 75, 2018
Population: Adults with subjective cognitive impairment
Form: Tremella fuciformis extract
Dose: 600 mg/day or 1,200 mg/day
Duration: 8 weeks
Source: Reference 1 · PubMed 29319408 (opens PubMed)

Grade DMemory and reaction time with a fish roe, snow fungus and yeast drinkMemoryImprovedRCT
n 64 · 2023

Improved Memory card scores and response times improved versus placebo at 4 and 8 weeks; anxiety and fatigue fell.

Design: RCT, n = 64, 2023
Population: Adults with subjective cognitive complaints
Form: Formula beverage containing fish roe, snow fungus (Tremella) and yeast
Dose: Daily drink (amount not stated in the abstract)
Duration: 8 weeks
Source: Reference 3 · PubMed 37836504 (opens PubMed)

Grade DHbA1c and waist circumference in prediabetesBlood sugarMixedRCT
n 56 · 2024

Mixed Within the Tremella group, HbA1c fell from 6.03% to 5.96% and waist circumference from 95.2 to 93.5 cm; the abstract reports these as within-group changes, not differences from placebo. No adverse events were reported.

Design: RCT, n = 56, 2024
Population: Adults with overweight or obesity and prediabetes (registered in the Thai Clinical Trials Registry)
Form: Tremella fuciformis beverage (β-glucan source)
Dose: One beverage a day (amount not stated in the abstract)
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 2 · PubMed 38439104 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Thin but consistent memory data

The one Tremella-only memory trial and one multi-ingredient drink trial both reported memory gains, but neither has been replicated with Tremella alone.^1,3

Within-group is not versus placebo

The prediabetes abstract reports changes inside the Tremella group; that does not show the drink beat placebo.²

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 600 to 1,200 mg/day of Tremella extract for 8 weeks; a 12-week prediabetes trial used one Tremella beverage a day without a stated mushroom dose in the abstract. These are research doses, not recommendations.^1,2

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Tremella and your picks, and between your picks.

Add a supplement or medicine

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Tremella.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

3 groups

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: The cited trials enrolled adults only, so there are no safety data for Tremella supplements in pregnancy, breastfeeding or children; NCCIH notes that many dietary supplements have not been tested in these groups.^1,2,5
People on glucose-lowering medicines: The prediabetes trial reported a small HbA1c change; no interaction studies with diabetes medicines exist, so combined use is untested.²
People on other medicines: No drug-interaction studies or case reports for Tremella were found, so interactions are unknown rather than ruled out.⁵

What is not known

2 notes

Small, short trials only.

Trial size: The largest Tremella-only trial had 75 participants and lasted 8 weeks.¹
Skin claims: A 2023 review says most skin findings come from lab and animal models and that clinical research is needed.⁴

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks

Extract strength

The memory trial used a specific extract at 600–1,200 mg/day; powders and drinks with other amounts are not the tested product.¹

Label dose vs studied dose

Only one trial states a mushroom extract dose (600–1,200 mg/day).¹

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, tremella included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

7 answers

Does tremella help memory?

One 8-week trial in 75 adults with memory complaints found better memory scores than placebo at 600–1,200 mg/day; it has not been replicated.¹

Does tremella hydrate skin?

Skin claims rest mainly on lab and animal studies; clinical evidence is lacking.⁴

Does it lower blood sugar?

A 12-week beverage trial in prediabetes reported a small HbA1c drop within the Tremella group.²

Is tremella safe?

In the memory trial, side-effect rates matched placebo; long-term supplement safety has not been studied.¹

How long did trials last?

The memory trial ran 8 weeks and the prediabetes beverage trial 12 weeks; memory scores in the drink trial were already better at 4 weeks.^1,2,3

Is tremella safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding?

It has not been studied in these groups; the trials enrolled adults only, and NCCIH notes that many supplements have not been tested in pregnant or nursing women.^1,2,5

What is tremella?

An edible jelly mushroom, also called snow fungus, rich in polysaccharides and sold as extracts and drinks.^2,4

Sources

5 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

5 sources

1Efficacy and Safety of Tremella fuciformis in Individuals with Subjective Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.RCT J Med Food, 2018 · PMID 29319408
2Tremella fuciformis beverage improves glycated hemoglobin A1c and waist circumference in overweight/obese prediabetic subjects: a randomized controlled trial.RCT BMC Nutr, 2024 · PMID 38439104
3Effectiveness of Fish Roe, Snow Fungus, and Yeast Supplementation for Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.RCT Nutrients, 2023 · PMID 37836504
4The potential cutaneous benefits of Tremella fuciformis.Review Arch Dermatol Res, 2023 · PMID 36757441
5Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

2 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026who should be careful, FAQ	Pregnancy note now cites NCCIH; added a note that interaction data are lacking, plus FAQ on pregnancy and trial length. PubMed search (Tremella, randomized or clinical trial, through 2026) found no newer human trial; interaction check found none published. Fact-checked against the sources; corrected: this history entry no longer claims an interaction FAQ was added.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit
Oct 14, 2026all	Initial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.