Health Benefits of Mushrooms

Mushrooms health benefits include their beneficial effects in weight loss, diabetes, high cholesterol level and cancer. Mushrooms are good food for patients suffering from these diseases. Mushrooms also improve immunity and help to prevent common infections.

Interesting Facts about mushroom

There are a few interesting facts about mushrooms too.

1. The oldest mushroom is 90 million years ago and is found in amber. Scientists discovered this fossil and named it as prototaxites.
2. Some of the ancient mushroom rings are fairy rings, which make their living in the Stonehenge ruins of England. The amazing part is that the rings are so large that they can be viewed from airplanes.
3. Apart from food and medicine, mushrooms can also be used for bioremediation for absorption of dangerous substance like oil, industrial waste and pesticides.
4. When the right conditions are available, mushrooms can sit inactive for decades and also for centuries and still grow.

Mushroom also called as a toadstool, is a spore-bearing fruit body, which is sarcoid and risen above the ground on the soil or on its food base.

The most common and standard one is the white mushroom, which comes to stem, cap, gills and pores. The pores or gills aids in developing spores, which makes it possible to circularize along the ground.

The term mushroom indicates varied category of gilled fungi with or without stem. Apart from this, the term is also used to indicate certain fleshy fruit bodies of the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota too, which are capricious fruiting body.

With various specific names like “puffball”, “stinkhorn”, and “morel”, the gilled ones are often called as “agarics”. There are ample health benefits when mushrooms are considered. Let us run through a few of them.

Health Benefits of mushroom

Health benefits also include mushroom’s nutritional benefits and some of these are listed below:

Rich in Vitamin D

Mushrooms produce vitamin D when naturally exposed to sunlight. When in sunlight they transform ergo sterol to ergocalciferol. Vitamin D plays a main role in calcium absorption and bone strength. One serving of mushrooms would offer you the complete essential nutrients required for the day. Apart from the above mentioned they help in guarding from rickets and osteoporosis. With vitamin D, there is reduced risk of heart disease, hypertension and type two diabetes.

The Battle against cancer

They have the capacity wherein they possess the compounds which lowers the risk of cancer. Recent research has opened up that intake of 100 grams of mushroom per day can diminish the risk of breast cancer. Aromatase is responsible for converting the hormone androgen and estrogen, which helps in the development of breast cancer. Mushroom possesses compounds which suppress this aromatase. They also hold other compounds like proteins, lectins, glucans and other carbohydrates, which inhibit cancer formulation and development.

Good for diabetic patients

When carbohydrate-containing food is consumed the blood glucose response with it is measured with the help of Glycemic index GI. Since the GI of mushrooms is very low, people with diabetes can consume mushrooms without a second thought, as they do not have any effect on blood glucose levels. The carbohydrate content is very low in this type of food so the GI is also close to zero. They are free from cholesterol and in turn fat free with enormous antioxidants. This quality helps to guard you from heart diseases, which are found commonly in diabetic patients. As they are low in fat and in kilojoules and an excellent source of potassium and salt free, they maintain your blood pressure.

Glutamate flavor

Glutamate is a type of amino acid mostly found in all foods accompanied by protein. The body also develops glutamate with more levels in muscles and brain. Glutamate is also present in the mushroom and it enhances when the mushroom matures from button to flat stage. When mushrooms are added to the food, less salt can be used which in turn helps in maintaining a normal blood pressure.

Protein and Carbohydrate content

Mushrooms are apt food for those taking a glance at their waistline as they are low in fat and contain few kilojoules of 103 per serving. Lectins are one category of protein, which possesses anti-cancer properties; other proteins possess anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Apart from this hydrophobins and glutamates also contribute to the texture and flavor of mushrooms.

Vitamins & minerals

When 100gm of mushroom are consumed for food the necessary riboflavin and biotin is obtained. A quarter of the required niacin and pantothenic acid are obtained. Moreover, the day to day required vitamin D is obtained. Apart from this, the daily-required folate, vitamin B12, the mineral selenium, copper and abundant anti-oxidants are also obtained by consumption of mushrooms. It is also proved that there is lower risk of gout when the mushroom is added to the diet.

To maintain weight

This type of food can be added to the diet chart for people who desire to diminish weight as they are low in fat and kilojoules. They play a key role in satisfying ones appetite and pep up you to eat less.

For Immune system

Being one of the highest anti-oxidant foods in the market, mushrooms are proven to boost the immune system in both animals and humans. Ergothioneine is the key anti-oxidant which is a protein transporter and important for humans. When more of anti-oxidant food is consumed, one can protect themselves from future diseases.

The only disadvantage is that they have an odd smell within them, which resembles rotten wood or a dusty room. The population of mushrooms is limited and in turn, there is a limited supply of mushrooms. The temperature regulation is another major disadvantage, as it requires 60 to 80 degree F to grow.

With such advantageous health benefits, it is mandatory for people to add mushrooms to their daily diet chart. To lead a healthy and disease free life, it is good to update yourself and follow certain eating procedures.

With new diseases popping up each day, it is smart to adopt goodish eating habits for a sound living.

When a mushroom is considered, they stand out to be one of the best food products with all essential benefits required for a healthy life.