Interesting Mushroom Benefits

The health benefits of mushrooms include weight loss, relief from high cholesterol levels, and diabetes control. They take center stage in fairy-tales such as Alice in Wonderland; they are even featured in video games such as Super Mario Brothers where mushrooms make someone bigger or act as a shield against some dangerous monster.

These aren’t just popular culture references, they are actually symbolic representations of the actual health benefits of mushrooms. They truly protect you against diseases and infections and are full of proteins, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antibiotics, and antioxidants. They are a rich source of fiber, selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin D and also help in increasing the strength of your immune system.

What are Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are edible fungi with various scientific names; their family name is ‘Agaricus’. They are essentially Saprophytes, the organisms (plants without chlorophyll) which thrive by extracting nutrients from dead and decaying plant and animal matter. They vary greatly in their color, texture, shape, and properties.

There are approximately 140,000 species of mushroom-forming fungi in the world. However, scientists are only familiar with about 10 percent and only 100 species or so are being studied for their potential health benefits and medicinal applications.

Health Benefits of Mushrooms

Health benefits of mushrooms are abundant, so let us discuss them in detail below.

Rich Source of Selenium
Mushrooms are a good source of selenium. Studies suggest that selenium has anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory potential, with implications in reducing the risk of cancer, heart diseases, thyroid disease, and cognitive decline. However, more clinical trials and research is required to confirm the same.

Lower Cholesterol
Mushrooms have no cholesterol or fat and have very low carbohydrates. The fiber and certain enzymes in them also help to lower cholesterol levels. Moreover, high lean protein content helps burn the body’s cholesterol when they are digested. Balancing levels of cholesterol between LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol is essential in the prevention of various cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.

Improve Bone Health
Mushrooms are a rich source of calcium, which is an essential nutrient in the formation and strengthening of bones. A steady supply of calcium in the diet can reduce your chances of developing conditions like osteoporosis, and can also reduce joint pain and general lack of mobility that is associated with bone degradation.

Nutrient Absorption
Vitamin D is a relatively rare vitamin to find in foods, particularly vegetables. However, as mushrooms are D-containing food, they can help facilitate the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous. Calcium and phosphorus are also present in good amounts in mushroom, so the combined effects of having all of these nutrients make them a good idea to eat whenever possible.

Boost Immune System
Ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant present in mushrooms, is very effective in providing protection from free radicals as well as boosting the immune system. It is an amino acid that contains sulfur, which is something that many people are deficient in, despite not knowing it or seeing its effects. That being said, the presence of this “master antioxidant” which is unique to mushrooms, can give a major boost to your immune system health. Ergothioneine helps eliminate free radicals, which are dangerous compounds released during the metabolic processes of cells, and can float throughout the body and cause significant damage and diseases.

Mushrooms also contain natural antibiotics (similar to penicillin), which inhibit microbial growth and other fungal infections. These same polysaccharides, beta-glucans, can stimulate and regulate the body’s immune system, as per a journal Medicina. They can also help heal ulcers and ulcerous wounds and provide protection from infections. The good combination of vitamin A, B-complex, and C that is found in them also strengthens the immune system.

Lower Blood Pressure
Studies of various types of mushrooms, including shiitake and maitake mushrooms, have shown them to be high in potassium content. Potassium acts as a vasodilator, relaxing tension in blood vessels and, therefore, assisting in reducing blood pressure. High blood pressure is connected to a number of deadly conditions, particularly heart attacks and strokes.

Potassium is also thought to increase cognitive function because increased blood and oxygen flow to the brain stimulates neural activity.

Weight Loss
A completely lean protein diet is often considered ideal for losing fat and building muscle mass. When lean protein is accompanied by a very low carbohydrate count, no fat or cholesterol, and a good amount of fiber, it’s ideal. This is exactly the combination that mushrooms offer to help in losing weight! Due to their nutrient density, they actually rank higher than most fruits and vegetables. Some experts say that mushrooms are one of the rare foods that people can eat as often as possible, with no side effects.

Side Effects of Mushroom

Most species of mushrooms are not edible as they are highly poisonous and look strikingly similar to their edible counterparts. The other side effects of mushroom include the following:

• A single poisonous mushroom among others in a dish can threaten a large number of people’s health, resulting in coma, severe poison symptoms, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, cramps, and insanity.
• Many species can even be fatal if ingested.
• Always avoid eating discolored mushrooms or those which are different in color than the typically accepted color of their species.