The Dirt Truth about Mushrooms

Suitable to include as part of your breakfast, lunch or dinner mushrooms are not only tasty but a nutrition powerhouse for your body. Some highlights of this vegetable as a nutrition powerhouse include high sources of these vitamins and minerals:

• Potassium ( Helps your body with many functions including helping you have a healthy blood pressure)
• Vitamin D ( A vital component to allow your body to absorb calcium to help you have strong bones, as well as other helpful functions like supporting your immunity)
• Selenium ( Studies suggest this mineral which acts like an antioxidant may help reduce the risk of some cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, although more research is needed to strengthen evidence)
• Copper (Some of the many benefits include allows iron to be used, hair and eye health and for energy to be used efficiently in your body.)

As well as these four highlights mushrooms contains the B vitamins:

1. Pantothenic acid, which helps with the production of hormones and also plays an important role in the nervous system.
2. Riboflavin, which helps you maintain healthy red blood cells.
3. Niacin, which promotes healthy skin and makes sure your digestive and nervous systems function properly.

On top of these great nutrition components, mushrooms contain antioxidant properties like choline, selenium and vitami C which help eliminate the free radicals. Free radicals can lead to the breakdown of the cells in your body which ultimately causes disease and death.

Trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight? Mushrooms are what we call ‘nutrient dense’ meaning they have lots of great components for your health and they are also low in energy density, meaning mushrooms provide you with a low in the amount of energy compared to their size. A bonus is mushrooms contain fibre so they help you feel full without filling out! Due to the meaty flavour of mushrooms, especially when cooked, they can provide a healthy meat substitute. Simply dice the mushrooms and fry them in a pan using 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Try replacing the meat for mushrooms for meals like:

1. The patty of a hamburger bun
2. The Mince for a pasta dish or in Mexican

Take home message: The humble mushroom may have lowly beginnings but given a chance can become a household favourite which both tastes great and helps you live and be your best.

References:

1. IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2010. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC, National Academies Press. Report Brief. Health Effects of Vitamin D and Calcium Intake, Page 1.http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2010/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Calcium-and-Vitamin-D/Vitamin%20D%20and%20Calcium%202010%20Report%20Brief.pdf
2. Duyff, R. American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Third Addition. Wiley & Sons. NJ. 2006.
3. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory. 2011. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24.
4. Dubost, N.J., et al. (2006). Identification and quantification of ergothioneine in cultivated mushrooms by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 2006. 8;3. pg 221.
5. City of Hope. Mushrooms May Need More Might For The Cancer Fight. http://www.cityofhope.org/superfoods-mushrooms
6. Cheskin LJ, Davis LM, Lipsky LM, Mitola AH, Lycan T, Mitchell V, Mickle B, Adkins E. Lack of energy compensation over 4 days when white button mushrooms are substituted for beef. Appetite. 2008:51;50-57. Attached, substantiation underlined.
7. H. Poddar, L.J. Cheskin et al.Positive effect of mushrooms substituted for meat on body weight, body composition, and health parameters. A 1-year randomized clinical trial. Appetite 71 (December 2013) 379–387. Attached, substantiation underlined.