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Mushrooms are widely known for their great taste but these edible delights are good for you too. They are packed full of essential vitamins and minerals and will add a tasty touch to your menus. Plus, they can be a meat replacement for vegans and vegetarians in many recipes.
Of course if you are foraging, you have to know which mushrooms are edible and which ones to stay clear of. You can also grow your own at home but the easier way is to take a local trip to your supermarket or farmers market and pick some fungi up today.
Mushrooms come in a lot of different types and sizes and they all have unique flavors according to Healthline. The most common ones are button or white, shiitake, portobello, champions, cremini, enoki, maitake, and oyster mushrooms.
Full of Nutrition
Even though many people believe that white foods don’t contain a lot of nutrition, they probably never met a mushroom. These low-calorie morsels actually pack a nutritional punch according to WebMD. Mushrooms are loaded with health-boosting essential vitamins and minerals Including: vitamins B-2, B-3, B-5, C, D, folate, copper, potassium, selenium, fiber, and antioxidants – that help protect your cells from damage and aging – and the cremini variety are an excellent source of zinc.
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May Help Heart Health
Mushrooms contain a large amount of potassium that is known to reduce the impact of sodium on your body and to lessen the tension in your blood vessels, this can aid in lowering your blood pressure. This could reduce the risk of heart disease and help prevent strokes.
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Could Reduce Cancer Risk
The antioxidants in mushrooms may help prevent certain types of cancers like lung, prostate, and breast, according to Medical News Today. In a study, published in Advances in Nutrition, researchers looked at whether there was a link between eating mushrooms and reduced cancer risk. The researchers found that higher mushroom consumption lowered the risk of all cancers but the greatest reduction was in breast cancer.
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Could Help Lower Blood Sugars
Mushrooms are very diabetic friendly because of the dietary fiber they contain. In fact, just one cup of raw mushrooms contains 1 gram of fiber, according to Medical News Today. A 2018 meta-analyses of dietary fiber intake and Type 2 Diabetes showed that eating a lot of fiber can help lower the risk of developing the chronic disease. For people who already have diabetes, fiber may help lower blood sugar levels.
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May Boost Immunity
Mushrooms also contain anti-inflammatory properties that improve the efficiency of the body’s immune system according to WebMD. That’s because mushrooms stimulate microphages in your immune system that enhance its ability to fight-off foreign bodies that can cause illnesses.
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Could Improve Memory
Eating just two portions of mushrooms a week may reduce your odds of mild cognitive decline according to Good Housekeeping. Penn State researchers wrote in a news release from the university that they found that the antioxidants in mushrooms have anti-aging properties when it comes to brain health. This makes it a super food for seniors.
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