Are mushrooms good for you?  The answer may surprise you! 

• January 3, 2023
• Fungi Hunter
• no comments

The look on people’s faces when I say, “Yes, mushrooms are very good for you!” and the response I get from them is always the same.“Really? I never knew!” This happens a lot. People in general are really unaware of the benefits of eating mushrooms every day, let alone the amazing amount of nutritional and medicinal benefits they provide. One could even make a case, based on the information available, from centuries of use, that many different cultures throughout the world have used mushrooms for food and medicine in the past, to now, in the present and definitely in the future, would qualify mushrooms of all kinds, as the quintessential superfood of the ages.

What are the nutritional benefits of mushrooms? Well, for one, they are a rich source of high-quality protein. They have an abundance of amino acids, that includes all 9 essential amino acids, which the body needs, but cannot make, which qualifies them as a complete protein. The amino acids are Histidine, which produces Histamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for myelin sheath function in the brain, as well as a healthy immune response. Isoleucine is responsible for muscle metabolism and hemoglobin (red blood cells), and proper immune function. Leucine is for protein synthesis, blood sugar regulation, growth hormones, and stimulating wound healing. Lysine, for collagen and elastin production, protein synthesis, production of hormones, enzymes and calcium uptake, and proper immune function. Methionine is important for tissue growth, selenium and zinc absorption, overall metabolism, and detoxification. Phenylalanine is very important for the production of the neurotransmitters, Dopamine, Tyrosine, as well as both epinephrine and norepinephrine, which also serve as hormones, responsible for stimulating your central nervous system. Threonine is very important for proper immune function, and the production of collagen and elastin, which are important parts of the structural proteins for skin and connective tissue. Tryptophan, is a precursor to Serotonin, an important neurotransmitter for regulating appetite, mood, and quality of sleep. Valine stimulates muscle repair and growth and healthy energy production. This is why they are called essential.

Mushrooms have almost the same amount of B12 in them that meat sources do. They have a tremendous amount of vitamins, which includes the B complex vitamins, and are a great source of vitamin D, especially when exposed to sunlight or UV treatment. Vitamins, such as niacin, folate, thiamin, and riboflavin. They are a rich source of minerals, which also include trace minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. The necessary nutrients in mushrooms are not just limited to protein, vitamins, and minerals. They are low in calories, sugar, carbohydrates, and fats. They have no cholesterol. Although low in fat, edible mushrooms are an important source of essential fatty acids like linoleic, linolenic, and oleic. When you compare the advantages that mushrooms have to other foods like meats and vegetables, they have high levels of both mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids (the good fats), which means, when you consume them, they do not lend to any elevated cholesterol levels in your body. 

Another important aspect, that is often overlooked when considering mushrooms as a healthy food choice, is that they have some of the highest amounts of dietary fiber of any food. Research has shown the correlation between the lack of dietary fiber from processed foods, consumed by people in most of the developed countries and the poor state of health and diseases that we hear about every day. On the flip side, research has also shown the single most significant thing you can do, If you’re concerned with your state of health in regards to cardiovascular-related diseases like heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, diabetes, and colon cancer, then it’s imperative to increase the amount of fiber in your daily diet. This is where mushrooms come in. They are a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber. How are mushrooms good for you when it comes to fiber? This is where things get interesting! Locked up in the cell walls of mushrooms, chitin, and beta-glucans, are very important within your digestive system as they help to nourish the beneficial bacteria in the large intestine and help to suppress harmful bacteria so they help maintain healthy balanced gut flora. 

One important note to remember in regards to consuming mushrooms is that in order for you to get the maximum benefit from consuming mushrooms, they need to be heated and cooked in order for the cell walls of the mushrooms to be broken down, for you to obtain the maximum benefits that the mushrooms provide. So we eat mushrooms, the mushrooms not only provide all the necessary nutrients we need to survive, but they also provide us with the very medicine that we need, to help protect us from all the different types of diseases we as people deal with every day. When I think about the very meaning of what mushrooms mean, these words from Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine ring true, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”. These are truly words to live by.

I strongly encourage you to continue to do your own research (DYOR) and gain more knowledge on how you can incorporate mushrooms into your daily lives, to help you and your loved ones live a happy, healthier life.

Thank you for taking the time to read this today. I’m grateful you did.

I wish you all the very best of health. 

Fungi Hunter.