We all know that mushrooms are tasty and healthy. But are you aware of the benefits of mushrooms? Do you why it should be part of our diet? Let’s see the details here!
Some Interesting Facts About Mushrooms
- It is believed that before the trees, the earth was filled with mushrooms.
- Laetiporus is a kind of mushroom that grows in the wild and tastes like chicken or fried chicken.
- Portabello mushrooms, white mushrooms and button mushrooms are all similar kinds of mushrooms with different names, and levels of maturity.
- There is a mushroom which is similar to the Super Mario Brothers, named Fly Agaric mushrooms, which work as illusions for the objects around you.
- Having mushrooms along with green tea reduces the risk of breast cancer.
- Mushrooms help in boosting the content of nutrient you are having in your diet.
- Mushrooms have the ability to increase your immunity.
- It helps in increasing the levels of Vitamin D as a supplement.
- There is a type of mushroom that is included in the diet not for the nutrients it carries but the psychedelic properties named the magic mushrooms.
Mushrooms – An Introduction
Mushrooms, there would hardly be anyone who is unknown about this ingredient. Remember Alice in the wonderland, Three bears and a baby, Super Mario Bros., etc., yes, we are talking about the mushrooms you visualized in it. The mushrooms are quite popular for the miraculous powers they carry, and the health benefits of mushrooms they give. The mushrooms provide you with proteins, minerals, vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, and antioxidants that help in protection against some diseases or infections.
Mushrooms are basically edible fungi, which is also known as Agaricus. The mushrooms are plants that don’t have chlorophyll and grow on the nutrients available from the dead of the decaying plants and animals. Mushrooms are available in a variety of textures, colors, properties and shapes.
Types of Mushrooms
Mushroom is an ingredient which comes with various different colors and textures along with tastes also. So, if you have only tried one of them, and liked it, you must try the following ones too.
1. Button Mushroom
This is a common mushroom which is easily available in the market. The mushroom comes with a mild taste and soft and fleshy textures, which makes it the favorite of the kids. They come with completely filled with proteins, and hence, is good for regular meals.
2. Portobello Mushroom
Portobello mushrooms are the grown version of the button mushrooms. The taste remains the same, however, they grew brown in color. They are widely used in making sauces.
3. Porcini Mushroom
Want to know how can you identify the porcini mushroom! It comes with a thick stem that is brown hue in color and a nutty flavor. The mushrooms come in a dry state and are widely added to the Italian recipes.
4. Chanterelle Mushroom
This mushroom comes in bright yellow color, with mild floral smell, which matches the shape of the floral too. The taste, smell and the color of the mushrooms make it favorable for dishes like soups and crepes.
5. Morel Mushroom
Morel mushrooms have the shape similar to the brain. With a spongy texture, the shape might at a glance make you confused for consuming. However, once you sauté it with butter, it gives you the heavenly taste of gourmand’s dream, you might not want to miss.
6. Oyster Mushroom
Oyster mushrooms are elusive and soft, designed with lovely curvy borders. Among all the other mushrooms, oyster rules the ingredient list for soups, slapdash dishes and stir-fry items.
7. Shiitake Mushroom
Shiitake mushrooms are widely selected for non-vegetarian dishes. The mushroom comes with a fleshy texture similar to that of meat. Have the mushroom if you love having ingredients with umami flavor.
8. Enoki Mushroom
Want to add something crispy and crunchy in your soups! Get a bunch of Enoki mushrooms, available in a string like dense gatherings. The delicious flavor they carry makes it an exciting dish when served raw.
9. Truffle Mushroom
A luxurious flavor, texture, and aroma are obtained when you purchase truffle mushrooms. These expensive mushrooms work as gems to your recipes increasing its flavor.
Hence, you have a variety of mushrooms to select from according to your taste and the dish you are about to prepare.
Benefits Of Mushrooms
Mushrooms are the key sources for Vitamins, proteins and minerals. When the intake of the unprocessed mushrooms is increased, it helps in reducing the problem of obesity, diabetes, heart disorders, etc. They are also good for your hair. Here are some miraculous health benefits of mushrooms.
1. Cancer
Mushrooms come as a rich ingredient of antioxidants similar to green and red pumpkins, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, etc. The antioxidants help in getting purged from the free radicals, which lead to cancer. Another element found in mushrooms is selenium, which is important for the function of liver enzyme, that helps in removing few compounds from the body that lead to the development of cancer.
It also decreases the chances of tumor development in the body. Along with antioxidants and selenium, mushrooms are filled with Vitamin D also, that hinder the growth of cancer cells in your body. It also normalizes the cell growth cycle. Mushrooms also gift you with folate that repair and maintain the DNA synthesis and prevent the development of cancer cells in DNA.
2. Diabetes
Having diabetes! Increase the intake of mushrooms in your diet. The people suffering from diabetes type 1 are suggested to have ingredients that are high in fiber and low in blood glucose. While those suffering from type 2 diabetes are recommended to have ingredients that help in improving the blood sugar levels, lipid levels and the insulin levels.
Mushroom is an ingredient that provides both the features. The fiber it provides you with is helpful for your digestive system, and also decreases the possibilities of heart disorders. It also carries some compounds which help in the accurate functioning of pancreas, liver and the endocrine glands, which promotes the development of insulin along with efficient regulation all over the body.
3. Heart Health
Mushrooms are rich in Vitamin C, fiber and potassium that are healthy ingredients for your cardiovascular health. For normal regulation of blood in the body, potassium and sodium are equally important. The mushrooms serve you with potassium which lower the blood pressure in your body, indirectly helps in reducing the risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. The shiitake mushrooms are the best for dealing with heart health.
4. Immunity
Mushrooms are natural immunity boosters. They come with selenium, which is quite effective for improving the immune system for smooth functioning. It helps the immune system to fight against the infections, by motivating the production of killer T-cells in the body. The cell walls of the mushrooms provide you with beta-glucan fibers that boost the immune system and help them fight against the cancer cells and other tumors.
5. Cholesterol Levels
Mushrooms are filled with lean proteins and are free from any cholesterol or fats, and too low in carbohydrates. It also has fiber and few enzymes, which helps in reducing the cholesterol levels in the body. The lean proteins also help in burning the cholesterol at the time of digestion. Along with this, the mushrooms allow you to maintain the balance between bad cholesterol and the good cholesterol which is very crucial in the prevention of cardio disorders like atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attack.
6. Benefits of Mushrooms To Anemia
Anemia is a symptom which affects the body at the time of deficiency of iron in the blood. Other symptoms related to anemia are fatigue, reduction in neural functions, headaches, digestion problems, etc. Mushrooms carry a good amount of iron in them among which, 90% is absorbed in the body. This also increases the development of red blood cells that keep the people healthy with smooth functioning.
7. Healthy Bones
Mushrooms are rich in calcium, that are the primary ingredients for the healthy bones. They provide the bones with strength and necessary nutrient, to avoid any kind of disorder in the bones. Having a regular diet with mushrooms supplies enough calcium in your body, that prevents the possibilities of developing disorders like osteoporosis, joint pain, dislocation of bones, bone degradation, arthritis, etc.
8. Nutrient Absorption
Nearly all the vitamins are easily available from the routine fruits and vegetables, except Vitamin D. However, mushrooms carry a good amount of Vitamin D. It helps in the absorption of the calcium and phosphorus and also helps in the metabolism process of the same. When through mushrooms, both calcium and phosphorus combine with other nutrients in the body, gives a powerful source of energy for the body to perform various routine tasks. So, isn’t mushroom an ideal ingredient to have in the meals!
9. Copper
Copper is very useful in various ways to your body, and mushrooms come as a rich source of copper. They help in the regulation of absorption of iron from various ingredients, and also help in the stimulation process of the same. Copper also helps in the utilization of iron by releasing it from the chief storages in the body like the liver. As mushrooms also provide you with an ideal amount of iron, it is also helpful for having strong and healthy bones.
10. Helps In Weight Loss
This might be shocking for you, but mushrooms have proved to be an idyllic ingredient in the diets for weight loss. They come with lean protein that helps in the process of reducing fat and helps in the formation of the mass of the muscles. The best combination of nutrient while looking for weight loss is proteins, with less carbohydrates, no fats, no cholesterol, and a good quantity of fiber, which is an exact combination mushrooms carry.
The fat in your body is consumed while digesting the proteins, and mushrooms play a good role in this process due to its magical nutrient content. Hence, mushrooms are a supreme ingredient for weight loss compared to other fruits and vegetables, with no possible side effects.
Hence, with all these benefits of mushrooms & mysterious nutrients in it, mushrooms are the best sources to have in your regular meals, for having a fit and healthy lifestyle.
Mushrooms – Side Effects And Addiction
When it comes to addiction, people cannot become physically addicted to it, but there are chances, people might get psychologically addicted to mushrooms. This happens due to the good or bad experiences the individual is facing due to situations like:
- Mood swings
- Prior experiences
- Sense of well being
- Strong dosage
- Physical environment
- Dilated pupils
- Increase or decrease in appetite
- Personality variations
- Euphoria
- Increase in heart rate, etc.
Though the mushrooms carry some psychological addictions, there are treatments for the same too. The rehabilitation centers provide you with a focused treatment of the trip of the mushrooms, till the drug completely gets removed from the body. The primary step of the treatment is to stay calm and without any stress. The psychotherapists generally recommend the friends and family to co-operate during the treatment, to have desired recovery soon.
When it comes to physical side effects of having mushrooms, there are few negative effects which can be dangerous to some extent. Some of the adverse physical side effects of having mushrooms are:
- Headaches, which last for nearly 24 hours till the drug of the mushroom lasts in your body.
- Heavy fever or paranoia
- Having mushrooms in dry form or raw leads to nausea
- Mild to serious anxiety, depending on the dosage of mushrooms
- Dizziness or confusion while selecting mushrooms
- Mental sickness or mental disorders
- Interruption in focusing on a particular task
- Serious effects when combined with alcohol
- Dangerous for those having low blood pressure, as it may lead to lightheadedness or unconsciousness.
- Hyperthermia
- Increase in blood pressure
- Stomach pain, etc.
Positive Effects Of Mushrooms
Yes, it’s surprising, but the mushrooms have some positive effects too. Here are some of the positive effects noticed by the mushroom eaters.
- Enhances your mood
- Feeling of happiness, laughing and giggling
- Intense stream of creativity
- Insightful ideas
- Strong feeling of wonder and amazement
- Spiritual upliftment
- Relief from mass headaches
- Relief from depression and musing, thoughts
Mushrooms are one among the various ingredients that can be included in the diets as much as you want. However, not all the mushrooms are good for health. There are specific mushrooms that can prove to be very harmful for your health, as they contain some quantity of poison in them. Hence, it is advised not to have any mushroom randomly chosen from the woods, unless you are trained in identifying the eatable and safe mushrooms.
Another hazardous point in the mushrooms is that they have the property of absorbing anything good or bad on which they grow. This quality makes them powerful and dangerous too. There are mushrooms which carry heavy metals, toxic elements, air and water pollutants, etc. in them that can prove to be wild for the pickers. Also, there are some poisonous mushrooms that can prove to be harmful simply by touching them.
Hence, it is advisable to purchase mushrooms from reputed companies which come with sealed packing. For safety purpose, you can grow the mushrooms on your own by purchasing the seeds from a trusted dealer. A single poisonous mushroom can affect the health of various people leading to on the spot reactions like coma, vomiting, skin rashes, nausea, insanity, cramps, etc. On safety grounds, select mushrooms that are discolored or having different color than the regular ones.
So, add the mushrooms, the secretly treasured ingredient in your meals, to give your body a vigorous touch, with necessary precautions while selecting the good mushrooms to flavor your recipes.
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